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Original poster

Ds2 is always naked (help!)

26 replies

Arsewangry · 19/02/2023 14:01

Ds2 is 4, nearly 5 years old and always wants to be naked. I do suspect some sensory issues, but believe he is otherwise neurotypical. The first thing he does when he gets in from school is strip off. I put him to bed in simple pjs and when he gets up he's naked. I don't want to stifle him and being comfortable with his body, but he is getting to an age where I think it would probably be more appropriate for him to be clothed. We do try to encourage at least underwear but as soon as he can he strips it off and there's his bum again. 🙈 any tips or advice from people who have experienced the same would be much appreciated.

OP posts:
FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 19/02/2023 14:05

DD went through a phase of this, even now at 8 she's perfectly comfortable naked and would happily spend all her time at home in just pants (even when it's bloody cold and I'm in my snoodie with a hot water bottle). She knows that she needs to wear clothes outside the house and if there are other people around, but at home she wants to be comfortable and is still young enough that there's no need for her to cover up if she doesn't want to in front of me and her dad.

watchfulwishes · 19/02/2023 14:06

I'd buy good net curtains and leave it be inside the house.

LakeTiticaca · 19/02/2023 14:10

My son was like this around 2/3 years old. I had to take him.with me to school to pick up his sister wearing just underpants. He wanted to go naked but I had to put my foot down. Luckily it was a warm summer day and nobody batted an eyelid. Thankfully by the time he started school he decide to start wearing clothes 😁

OzziePopPop · 19/02/2023 14:12

Meh, let him be! Why is it ‘more appropriate’ at 4 (!) that he’s clothed? 4 year olds bodies aren’t shameful or sexual…. Seriously!

Original poster
Arsewangry · 19/02/2023 14:14

Do we reckon it's something he will just grow out of? He has an older brother who is nearly 12 (who was never really like this) and he says it makes him feel a bit uncomfortable.

I too wonder about the coldness but if he feels chilly he likes to wrap up in a soft blanket on the sofa but will still be completely naked. My husband hates nets but otherwise yes it would be a great idea. We're fortunately not very overlooked except the front door has glass panels either side which I am mindful of.

OP posts:
FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 19/02/2023 14:17

He will probably grow out of it, seems unlikely he'll be wandering the house or sitting down with you to eat dinner naked when he's 18, judging by my brothers though he could very well think boxers are enough to wear in his own home with just his family around.

Original poster
Arsewangry · 19/02/2023 14:18

OzziePopPop · 19/02/2023 14:12

Meh, let him be! Why is it ‘more appropriate’ at 4 (!) that he’s clothed? 4 year olds bodies aren’t shameful or sexual…. Seriously!

Yeah I get your point, and I agree to an extent but when we have deliveries or people dropping by it's a bit of a rush to cover him up. And I don't want people thinking he's not looked after or doesn't have clothes to wear or that he's not looked after. Also he's a very tall and robust four year old; when he wears clothes they're size 7-8 years. I just don't want people to think we're odd or he's not being cared for I guess.

OP posts:
FictionalCharacter · 19/02/2023 14:20

One of my dc was like this and did grow out of it. We did allow the dc to be naked in the house if they wanted to.

lemmein · 19/02/2023 14:22

My DGS is like this - he's nearly 6 now and is starting to wear clothes more often (buying him gaming clothes helps - he's much more likely to wear something if it has minecraft on it!) He's on the ASD pathway though and definitely has sensory issues around clothes.
He used to slide down my bannister with no pants on 🙈 that's stopped though since he realised friction hurts!

My niece was the same but is 12 now and would rather die than anyone see her bare arse!

They grow out of it eventually.

Thatcatisdrivingmenuts · 19/02/2023 14:23

I had a 4 year old who did this. He grew out of it.

Sandysandwich · 19/02/2023 14:29

My nephew was like that, always naked at home.

They had a no bare bums on the sofa rule- so if he wanted to sit down he had to at least be wearing pants. That seemed appropriate.

He grew out of it but slowly- never wore a shirt in the summer and mostly lives in loose shorts.

AllThingsServeTheBeam · 19/02/2023 14:30

My 9 yo spends his days at home in his pants and if it's cold his oversized fleecy oodie thing. He likes not having clothes on. He doesn't like uncomfortable clothes either. He is NT as far as I am aware. We both like having nothing on our feet!

downtonupton · 19/02/2023 17:24

DS was always naked at that age - he grew out of nakedness into pants, now he is a teen he is mostly found in pj bottoms or shorts - still not a lot else...

let him get on with it - no issues

BillStickersIsInnocent · 19/02/2023 17:38

My son has always been like this, he’s nearly 11 now. He has sensory issues, although weirdly he is under-responsive to tactile sensation and proprioception so I do wonder why he does it as he says clothes are not uncomfortable to him. He never feels the cold though! He is severely dyslexic and on the ADHD diagnostic pathway. He does wear pants though, that’s a must.

Hotpinkangel19 · 19/02/2023 17:45

Yes! Seems normal for this age! My DS and DD went through it.

wellpaddedintherear · 19/02/2023 17:55

My eldest used to walk into her grandparents house at that age and strip off
(my narc parents said it was because I didn’t bring her up properly-utter bollocks)
she did grow out of it about a year later,and now aged 26,she does keep her clothes on wherever she goes
i just didn’t make a fuss out of it at the time

RiaOverTheRainbow · 19/02/2023 18:19

You could take him shopping to choose some super-cool Paw Patrol/whatever underwear, which might convince him not to strip bare. Either way, try not to sweat it, many little kids like to be naked, and not all of them wait until they get home!

Original poster
Arsewangry · 19/02/2023 19:24

Thanks all, I really appreciate your comments. He chose some ambulance / fire engine / police car pants but still strips off! I'm just going to roll with it for now and let him be happy and comfortable.

OP posts:
DuesToTheDirt · 19/02/2023 20:34

My kids did that, they'd strip off as soon as they got in from nursery and then school - as they got older I had to make sure they stayed away from the windows (no nets). It was a pain if I was wanting to take them straight out again. They did grow out of it, I don't now have grown-up children who strip off when they get in the house!

TeenLifeMum · 19/02/2023 20:36

Dd was like this and I’d walk in to find her and her sisters playing Mario kart and dd2 would be butt naked. She’s 11 and wears clothes now but is happiest in non fussy clothes like soft onesies.

Itgoesalittlesomethinglikethis · 19/02/2023 20:52

My youngest was like this six months ago (just turned 3). He is now at the stage where he is insistent on answering the door to DH, in just his underpants. I don't let him because he'd freeze/possibly escape, in nothing but underpants. All my kids have displayed strange clothing related behaviours, eldest wore tights and leggings together in summer but refused socks in winter and our second eldest still walks around without a top on in winter (but wears clothes on bottom half).

NuffSaidSam · 19/02/2023 20:56

Arsewangry · 19/02/2023 14:18

Yeah I get your point, and I agree to an extent but when we have deliveries or people dropping by it's a bit of a rush to cover him up. And I don't want people thinking he's not looked after or doesn't have clothes to wear or that he's not looked after. Also he's a very tall and robust four year old; when he wears clothes they're size 7-8 years. I just don't want people to think we're odd or he's not being cared for I guess.

Show quote history

Maybe take a leaf out of his book and worry a bit less what other people think? That's probably better than passing on that insecurity to your 4 year old.

As long as he's wearing clothes outside the house/when you have visitor then it's fine.

U1sce · 19/02/2023 21:04

My youngest was like this. When preschool said I might have a word with him about keeping his socks on, I told them they were lucky it was just his socks he was stripping off! He's now a tween who is a little fussy about what he wears but stays dressed most of the time!

NameOchangeO1 · 20/02/2023 06:55

A boy in my family was like this. We did insist he put his pants on if he wanted to sit on the sofa or when joining us for a meal. No sensory issues, he was just a nudist. Grew out of it in time for puberty thankfully.

hidingbehindascreen · 20/02/2023 06:59

downtonupton · 19/02/2023 17:24

DS was always naked at that age - he grew out of nakedness into pants, now he is a teen he is mostly found in pj bottoms or shorts - still not a lot else...

let him get on with it - no issues

Same here.... even now the 14 year old rarely wears a top at home.