Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

How old is 'too old' for a child to be naked at a splash park?

277 replies

00100001 · 19/06/2023 15:53

Sitting here with the 4yo niece charge at a splash park... 6/7 year old girl running round starkers! I'm a bit shocked tbh.

Now I have been "caught short" before, but she's just been sent in the water in her knickers, because she can always just go commando on the way home.

I think anything around 3+ is too old tbh.

OP posts:
ComtesseDeSpair · 19/06/2023 16:05

If there are people around getting off on looking at naked small children then whether they’re 3 or 6 is irrelevant. Either all children should be clothed in public if you’re worried about people looking at naked children, or there’s no need for any clothing in children up until puberty and / or the child makes that decision themselves.

afaloren · 19/06/2023 16:06

No child at any age.

Sarahtm35 · 19/06/2023 16:09

no child or baby should be naked in public. Too many pedophiles about

Greenfinch7 · 19/06/2023 16:11

I thing kids should go naked in sprinklers if they want. In much of Europe it is completely normal. I have seen kids in Holland on the beach aged 9 or 10, completely unembarrassed- so lovely

PrincessHoneysuckle · 19/06/2023 16:11

4

Comedycook · 19/06/2023 16:13

I wouldn't ever allow a child to be naked in public... whatever age. You never know who is around and everyone has a camera phone. Nappy or pants on at all times.

arethereanyleftatall · 19/06/2023 16:13

I guess to a paedophile it makes no difference if the child is 3,7 or (an undeveloped) 10?
I don't know though, I'm not one.

Lcb123 · 19/06/2023 16:14

I don’t think any child should be naked in a public place.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 19/06/2023 16:14

No child should be naked at a public venue, period.

00100001 · 19/06/2023 16:15

Absolem76 · 19/06/2023 16:00

Because she's the size of a 6/7 year old...
Some 3 year olds are as tall as some 6 year olds so I don't think you can assume.
However I don't think children of any age should be naked in a park.

Well, if it helps you I asked her parents (don't worry, just making general conversation) and she is 6, will turn 7 in August.

OP posts:
WonderDays · 19/06/2023 16:15

Swimming costume only for all ages.

QueenVerilas · 19/06/2023 16:16

Greenfinch7 · 19/06/2023 16:11

I thing kids should go naked in sprinklers if they want. In much of Europe it is completely normal. I have seen kids in Holland on the beach aged 9 or 10, completely unembarrassed- so lovely

Well that's your choice, of course, for your children. But splash parks do attract men with a sexual interest in children. I know our local splash park does as I am friends with a senior child protection social worker who works in this area and says that undercover police are sometimes there for this reason. Its pretty obvious that a place like that will attract paedophiles.

I don't want a voyeuristic paedophile getting a kick from looking at my naked kids so they cover in public.

Hubblebubble · 19/06/2023 16:16

Same issue yesterday with a naked 6/7 year old boy at a splash park. The little terror was going around splashing all the children and fully clothed families sitting on nearby benches. No parents to be found.

Beamur · 19/06/2023 16:17

When DD was younger and I took her to one of these in my local city, staff there warned me to be careful and not let the kids go anywhere unsupervised as they had persistent problems with men filming children and putting their phones under the partitions in the toilets and changing areas. So grim it out me off going again. So unless you want your kid to be wank fodder for a pedo I would keep them covered up. Plus it protects them from sunburn.
Public nudity isn't ok in this country. Fair play to others that manage it without problems.

PuffinsRocks · 19/06/2023 16:18

Well babies/toddlers should be wearing swim nappies so moving upwards from that, it only makes sense that there is no age when a child should be naked at a public splash park.

GloomySkies · 19/06/2023 16:20

I always worry about sunburn on genitals. But I'm very fair and my kids are the ones in uv shorts to their knees, uv tops with as long a sleeve as I can find and a hat.

AxolotlOnions · 19/06/2023 16:20

I'd say 10 or puberty if they're younger but I'm not British.

Youcancallmeirrelevant · 19/06/2023 16:21

WonderDays · 19/06/2023 16:15

Swimming costume only for all ages.

This.

SunnyEgg · 19/06/2023 16:23

Not really

SunnyEgg · 19/06/2023 16:23

.. At any age

LlynTegid · 19/06/2023 16:25

Think of the sunburn risk on parts that are normally covered.

3WildOnes · 19/06/2023 16:26

It wouldn't bother me at all at 7. My family are from a country where this would be completely normal.

IJustHadToLookHavingReadTheBook · 19/06/2023 16:26

Couldn't give a shit about this. She's a kid. If she's not embarrassed (and she soon will be, my 6yo would be fine being naked in a splash park, my 8yo would rather eat rocks), you have no cause to be.

caringcarer · 19/06/2023 16:31

They should all have at least knickers on. That's just the sort of place a pedophile might hang about.

NBLarsen · 19/06/2023 16:32

No one should be naked in a public place. Well, perhaps ok for a baby in arms to be naked out of a nappy and splashing around with their parent, but any child old enough to walk/who normally wears pants should also have at least pants on in a splash park or on the beach or wherever.
Naked in your own garden, fine.
I don't want to see anyone's bare backside or any other bits, regardless of age. Plus, weirdos who stare. Plus, sunburn!