Nude Family swim at Stoke Waterworld

I missed the personal attacks. I must pay more attention!

And it certainly hasn’t, and wouldn’t, happen at anything we experience.

But saying that, I also know how pervy and disgusting men can be. I've experienced it all my adult life and I refuse to believe that naturism doesn't have some shady characters participating.

Me and a friend went topless on a nudist beach in Italy once and noticed a man masturbating over us several metres away. Never again.

I think the people on this thread who think naturism is A-OK are those people who are very lucky not to have been sexually assaulted, flashed at, rubbed up against, etc. That stuff has been happening to me on and off for 20 years, so yes, I am a bit suspicious of men who like to be naked around women and children, and who may be there because they like to see naked women and children.

No @SterFran00 - you are misunderstanding me. This was a naturism resort with lots of other families there. I'm sure 90% of the men there were wholesome and lovely. But not all of them were. And as a parent, you really need to be aware of that

Whilst I don't doubt the intentions of the organisers, my opinion is that it should be either adults only, or only adults with children.

Do you realise how offensive your opinion is? I'm really tired of the view that if people have children of their own, they are somehow immune from being paedophiles, yet anyone who doesn't have children is automatically suspicious.

Most child sex abuse happens within the family circle :

www.nspcc.org.uk/what-is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/child-sexual-abuse/

It's common for paedophiles to target single mothers to gain access to their children:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7665023/Detective-Inspector-warns-paedophiles-using-dating-apps-like-Tinder-target-single-mothers.html

Do you imagine paedophiles commonly choose to be childfree, thus making it highly unlikely they'll have much to do with children or be left on their own with them?

Do you think it doesn't occur to paedophiles that all they have to do is get someone pregnant (or fall pregnant themselves in the rarer case of female abusers) to have unfettered access to a child?

The risk to your child is not the childless person who may attend an organised naturist event - where the children will be chaperoned by their parents.

The risk to your child is the trusted family member who babysits, or the football coach with whom they are left unchaperoned, or your new partner if you are a single mum or even your child's biological father.

The last people you should suspect are those who choose to lead a life free of children.

This reminds me of "artists" who take photos of their naked children.

I think if you wait for the child to grow up and then (at say age eighteen) the child gives consent for the image to go on an art gallery wall then fine.

Not a moment sooner tho'...

The naturist kids don't get a choice.

What exactly wasn't naturism @SterFran00? The fact that some men are into naturism because they get a sexual thrill from being around naked children? I'm sure you don't but I suspect my friend or Bonkersblond's experiences were that unusual.

Like I said, you're very naive.

But I felt this was important to address and people clearly still have questions...

This is a sad story and sorry your friend went through all this.

But, it wasn’t naturism... I’m sure there are places that adults can go to and get naked and be sexual, but that isn’t naturism, that’s something else entirely. If someone is taking their children, that’s a parenting issue and we can probably all agree a serious one. Same as clearly not listening to their children’s views and discomfort around sex in the home (again, not naturism, so a different issue).

If men were standing around with erections at anything I’ve ever been to, they would be evicted and never allowed back...

This is why British Naturism exists as an organisation - to promote what naturism should be and provide safe environments for those wishing to experience true naturism. Anything other just isn’t tolerated.

So if the children go into school on Monday and try to explain what they did at the weekend (draw a wee picture) - wouldn’t the teachers think ‘naked child around a bunch of naked strangers... helooooo....’

I have been to clothes free spas and saunas in Germany (went to local council sauna in Munich last week whilst there), and to some in the UK.

There is a difference between the British (possibly American too) and German/Dutch/Scandinavian attitude to nudity in spas. Go to a spa in Germany or the Netherlands and there will be usually about 60% women (as women will go more as groups of friends, men usually as half of a couple), and there will be no behaviour that would make anyone uncomfortable (the only objections will be talking in a sauna).

Go to almost any event in the UK and unless it is couples only, it will be dominated by men. Whilst I don't doubt the intentions of the organisers, my opinion is that it should be either adults only, or only adults with children.

I hope you read my comment @SterFran00 and @Bonkersblond's experience also gives you pause. You are very naive.

We aren’t in Germany though - living there you will see the difference between drinking culture there and here. If there is a tradition of being clothes in a sauna, they why change it? Same if there is a tradition of. It being clothed, why change it?

When I was a teenager, my best friend was forced to attend naked holidays and events with her parents (let's not use the euphemism 'naturism' - it's about getting naked). She was leered at and saw men with visible erections staring at her body. She hated going but was told by her parents that she was a prude for objecting. She was also told she was a prude for objecting to her parents having sex with other people in their home which her younger siblings in particular found very distressing.

So no, I don't buy the freedom argument , nor do I buy that children have no issue with it. Those children did not consent. But their parents didn't care and did it anyway.

I am not a naturist but having read some of this thread I think it’s unfair SterFran was made the conduit for concerns about paedophilia and implications she isn’t protecting her children.

Like at at least one person who commented previously, I lived in Germany for a while (in Bavaria which is pretty conservative both socially and politically). The local pool had ‘free culture’ swimming sessions. I didn’t go (too prudish and British) but they weren’t some pervs paradise. The Germans were aghast that in the U.K. people wear swimming costumes in the sauna and thought it was disgustingly unhygienic. Saunas didn’t allow swimming costumes.

Yes children need protecting from paedophiles but I agree with others comments that we can’t control the thoughts in other people’s heads. I have a 5 year old. It’s possible that when I take him to the pool (wearing his swimsuit) some adults are looking at him in the wrong way but I take care of him and keep him safe. That’s my job. It would be the same if he wasn’t wearing a costume. Where does it end - maybe his shorts are too skimpy and he should be wearing long shorts and a top? Maybe that’s too skimpy and he should wear something more baggy?

I also agree with some previous commenters that not all nudity is sexual. And the more we are aghast at nudity the more we sexualise it. It is possible (as per Germany) to be nude and it not be such a big deal.

Also the comments about children not being able to consent, well that’s parenting isn’t it. We make decisions for our children about all sorts of things until they’re old enough to make decisions for themselves. Of course we shouldn’t harm our children, but there is plenty of grey area where a decision I make for my child isn’t the decision someone else would make, and vice versa. I would honestly put a family nude swimming event in that category.

Pelleas

That has already been discussed up thread. Sadly there will always be perverts and nothing is 100% risk free, however our DCs cannot stay locked up in thier homes until they aren't children anymore. Football lessons have so many benefits, eg exercise, teaching discipline etc which outweigh the risk. Swimming has similar benefits but what are there any additional benefits in swimming nude? I don't see that the benefits of nude swimming outweigh the increased risks to children. We can't seem to get a decent answer out of the nudist parents on this thread apart from some rubbish about bikini straps and being told that swimming nude is compatible to sex without a condom and naturism isn't sexual thing, oh no

I assumed naturism was all about - getting back to nature? An overheated, chlorinated Indoor pool isn’t exactly swimming naked in the sea. (Yes I have done this - in much warmer climes - with noone around and it was very nice).

Hey everyone, just wanted to say I’m going to leave it there on this discussion now. It’s getting a bit circular and repetitive.

My responses throughout this thread have given a lot of overview into naturism and our experience of it if anyone wants to read back through, which is why I jumped into it.

If you want to know more, head to British Naturism’s website and download the guide to naturism. It gives lots more info about lots of questions and themes on this thread...

I can understand going naked at home, in the sauna, on a beach - hello I'm Scandinavian, we're a-ok with naked bathing but we usually do keep it in the family - but I don't understand naked camping or naked dining or what have you. The former is not wearing clothes because they're inconvenient in the situation, the latter is ... focusing your life activities on being nekkid? It's just strange.

How does this square with the Pantosaurus guidance from NSPCC. How do you teach children private’s are private if they’re not?

I can’t understand how you do that safely ( because I’m not a naturist) so I’d be interested in a response.

For what it’s worth, when I was growing up my parents had a very loose relationship with clothes. My mum still does. But it was only ever in the house, never with visitors and I wasn’t involved. So I can understand the idea of going naked in the privacy of your own home (I’ve done it myself in the past but find in the UK you need the heating whacked up full blast and an extra jumper just makes more sense) but I don’t think you need to be in a special nude club to feel positive about your body.