Mother who sleeps naked with her 16-year-old son asked the internet whether it was okay.

A post by a woman on the question and answer site Quora about whether it is wrong for her to sleep naked with her 16-year-old son has been viewed more than half a million times and left visitors to the site overwhelmingly shocked.

The mother posed the question: Is it wrong for me (a mother) to sleep naked with my 16-year-old son?

A post by a woman on the question and answer site Quora.

Not surprisingly, a resounding number of answers told her “yes” it is, but a few suggested if she does it she needs to explain to her son that others will view it as wrong.

Shannon Giles, a regular commenter on the site said bluntly it was 'f**ked up'.

“If your son were to casually mention to someone (friend, teacher, relative) that you and he share a bed and that you also are naked this person could potentially cause a LOT of legal issues for you, at least here in the US," she writes.

“The Child Protection Agency wouldn't think it was harmless, nor would a judge, nor any psychiatrist. You could possibly be arrested for child indecency and put into prison and be forced to register as a sex offender. Even if it's not a sexual act, optics in this case would matter.”

She asked the mother “is it really worth all that? Just put some damn jammies on or sleep in separate rooms.”

Shannon Giles, a regular commenter on the site said bluntly it was f**ked up.

Another mother said that her son would be humiliated to even sleep in the same room as her, let alone naked in the same bed.

Fiona Fitzsimmons advised, “I have a 16-year-old son. He'd die if I even suggested he sleep in the same ROOM as me while I wore a full set of flannel pj’s! He used to love sleeping beside me when he was 5 but he grew out of that soon after.”

“The problem here is not that you’re sleeping naked” wrote another, "it’s that you’re sharing a bed with your teenage son. I’m a strong proponent of the notion that nudity is not the same as sex, but at that age, both of you should want some space apart. Even if you don’t, it might be best to pretend for the sake of social expectations.”

Chic Mendoza told the mother, “I think you're 9 years (or so) too late in asking this question.”

“Thank you for asking this question as it indicates that you too are uncertain of how to act within the boundaries set by society. Even if you are uncomfortable sleeping with your clothes on, it is an adjustment you have to make to accept that you already have a young man in your household.”

It's not the first time a mother's actions towards her teenager shocked the community. Post continues after video...

Alluna Faun reasoned it out that on the whole there was “nothing wrong” with sleeping with family members or friends of any age as sometimes “housing or emotional situations call for it.”

But it was the naked part that was a concern.

“And that is a whole other kettle of fish. My first question is: why? Are you a nudist? I can change clothes and if REALLY needed bathe with close family. But I can't really picture myself snuggling up nude with my mom for the night. “

The mum asked Is it wrong for me (a mother) to sleep naked with my 16-year-old son?

But one, Diego Tinoco found himself more ‘open minded.’

"Our family is kind of nudist“ he wrote “I’ve always seen them run around naked in house. When I was little I used to sleep with my parents, everyone naked… but then again my parents were very open and sober people.”

“We really have to stop thinking kids are some kind of porcelain dolls we need to “protect” from everything. When you explain kids things on their level they can understand a lot. Just make sure your kid understand why you do what you do. Explain him they may be people who think otherwise.”

"I hope you are a troll."

Many commenters questioned the validity of the original poster wondering if the question was posted to bring out the trolls, but they felt it was worth answering anyway.

“I rise to the bait anyway because I find it so fascinating how issues like this can seem so vastly different from culture to culture. Among nudists, for instance, nakedness would be seen as no big deal” writes Roy Martin “but for better or worse in our culture the two are inextricably interwoven. I cannot imagine how traumatic it would be for a teen boy or girl to see a parent through a sexual lens.”