To not understand why my mum ( or anyone ) needs to sunbathe topless ?

@RocketPanda so funny. I don't see the issue really. I had one grandma who did it and totally styled it out when a man selling things balanced something on her boobs. She shrugged and said not today and looked to the side. I think it was an olive or something 😂
My other grandma didn't and was a bit more prudish. If you want to fine.

Since it's not my own personal cruise line and I didn't write the "Discourteous or Disruptive Behavior Prohibited"* *section of the Guest Health, Safety and Conduct Policy, I had to follow the rules set by the company which includes no topless sunbathing in public.

I’ve lived in Europe where it’s common and I loved being topless in the beach and sea - it’s so freeing. People are so offended by breast because they’re so overly sexualised. It’s sad really.

It sounds like a you problem.

There's nothing wrong with bikinis, whatever age. I've been topless before and damn right I'd do it again. Boobs are a body part. My kids have seen my boobs when I've breastfed and they know it's literally a body part. No one has a fit of the vapours seeing men's chests. If my mum did it, good on her!

When my kids got to a certain age, I stopped doing it.

Me too. A tan is a sign of sun damage to your skin, and nobody should be trying to damage their skin on purpose.

I think you're unreasonable about your mum wearing a bikini at the age of 70. Why shouldn't she? Hope I'm confident enough to at that age.

How can anyone be too young to wear a swimsuit, it's just an item of clothing to swim in

Why would you have to stop them sunbathing topless? Were the men required to put a top on too?

I agree with you OP, and funnily enough my DMum is similar, though not quite to the extent of being fully topless (at least around me!). I also don't think it's uptight to say that sunbathing topless should be restricted to times where she's actually in private and not in the company of her DD who is clearly uncomfortable with it, and her grandchildren.

Interesting. I have a very different experience. Up until very recently, I worked on cruise ships and visited ports in the Med on an almost daily basis for over two years, and other places in the world on my earlier contracts. Topless sunbathing is still very common in Europe. In fact we had to stop guests from sunbathing topless poolside on a very regular basis (depending on the itinerary) and we sailed from Southampton so the majority of our guests were British.

I’m 70, I never saw either of my parents naked, my DCs never saw me naked after they were tiny.
I have sunbathed topless in a totally private space with no one else around, I have been naked on a naturist beach several times when in Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria 20 years ago.
wouldn’t now because a) I don’t tolerate heat, b) I no longer travel abroad and c) I am older a wiser where sun bathing is concerned.

To be fair, you don't really know what they really think

Thought of this

Umm - no one is asking you to sunbathe topless are they? Did your kids say something to you - or is this you projecting and saying YOU dont like it and therefore they wont. I find it bizarre you have an issue with it. Dont holiday with your mum next time maybe. I have young children and they are quite used to seeing me topless - they dont really bat an eyelid, i sleep naked and they grew up with this - if they were teens - i might reconsider if they are uncomfortable.

They don't need to but if they want to why should it matter?

Well I can't see the attraction of sunbathing with or without a top. It's obviously also not great for skin cancer risk so in that sense YANBU.

However I would also recognise that we all all different and sunbathing does no harm to anyone elso in that sense YABU.

YABU with your distaste at her wearing a bikini at nearly 70. As PPs have said, that is agist.

There’s nothing classy about being so judgemental.

Hilarious. I wonder why every European beach is rammed to the gunnels.

Have you ever been to Europe OP?? You are in for a shock, everyone wears bikinis. Quite a few take their tops off while lying down. Lots of children seeing boobs. No one cares. No-one is walking around the streets with their tits out.

You need to relax. You do you. At 40 years old I think you are way too young to wear a swimsuit, but again, you do you, live and let live.

It’s only a pair of tits.
I hope I live to be 70 and have mine out on the beach.

Whoa. Let her do what she wants, and why not wear a bikini at any age? If she's in her 70s then she was a teen in the swinging 60s when going topless was the thing (look at all those pics of Woodstock).

Do people still sunbathe?

No. Absolutely none. You check any beach on a hot day - utterly deserted.

Bikini = fabulous
Boobs on display in front of your family = less so

And I'm French, we are pretty relaxed on the nudity at the beach front!

But I'm with you, I don't want to see my mum's boobs on holiday. Or ever, actually :D

I don’t like sunbathing topless, my body and my choice, Same applies to you and your DM OP