To be a bit shocked by what i saw today.

[TheLadyEvenstar]

I took DS's out today and shortly before we left I let the play in the splash zone.

DS2 had his shorts and t-shirt on as it was very very hot and sunny ds1 was in rolled up tracky bottoms and his t-shirt.

I was a bit shocked by a couple of things I saw.

1 was a little girl running around naked - which tbh made it difficult to take photos of DS1 and DS2 playing although i managed to avoid catching her in all but 1 photo and that one has been editted so she has now got black knickers on.

The other thing was a young girl possible 7yrs old in a tiny bikini who was crouched over the jets of the splash zone gyrating herself everytime the water shot upwards

Now while I wasn't directly watching her I could hear other people talking and finally one mentioned to her parents that this possibly wasn't the best thing for her to do in public.

I have to admit the 2nd thing was more shocking than the little girl running round.

You are overreacting OP.Paedophiles are more likely at home downloading hardcore child porn than sat at some random coffee shop getting off on naked children dancing about in water.

As I stated before,child abusers within the family are everywhere.1 in 4 children are abused.

"I am not saying every adult without a child is a paedophile but you just never know who is."

Indeed. Imagine for a second they all are. So what? It's a public place. What's going to happen?

On the other hand, if I got a photograph which someone had photoshopped black underwear onto a pre-pubescent child I'd be really, really weirded out. Because that's taking an innocent photograph and making it much less innocent.

You posted in AIBU, effectively saying "AIBU to be shocked...?" It would seem that most of us think yes, you were. Shocked is an over reaction. If you are that concerned about peaodophiles, you could never take your children out in public! You might decide that you wouldn't let your children run about naked in public, but to be shocked that someone else does is unreasonable.

First kid was just a little 'un so as long as she has sunscreen on then so what with her running around in the scud? Also, the second girl...what is with everyone staring at her as you implied?

the starnger danger is a myth.most abusers are family and knowm. highly unlikely tpo be oppurtunistic predator at playpark. v likely to be known

Op does not JUST "worry too much ". Its more serious that that. Its total paranoia. More than just over anxious.
And she is teaching her children this paranoia aswell. She must be. How is that good parenting ?

Patrcia, I already said shocked was the wrong word and I had over reacted.

Two, I wasn't staring at her she was in front of me and I then got up and took some photos of the DS's. when i sat back down i over heard someone say something and then talk to the parents but I don't know exactly what was said. i know girl came back to play with a t-shirt on as well and then ran around. I saw that as i put ds2 in his buggy.

Ob how am I teaching my children to be paranoid?

1 is almost 12 and the other 2 and I am always watching him anyway.

What I want to know is why you are allowed to take photos at a pool (assuming you were at some sort of pool or water park here). The pool I went to most in the US forbids it, whether using a regular camera or a cameraphone, and all videotaping. Reason being there are sometimes children gyrating in the fountains, which is what children naturally will do until some responsible parent says, 'not here, dear', or children in various states of undress. Essentially you could go to the pool and be yourself and no-one would have a photo to show for it.

fair point about the naked child tbh. that is why taking of photos in public photos is quite often not allowed, at most swimming pools you can't take photos, are you sure yoou were allowed to take them?
and good idea to cover up the child, what with sending the photo over the internet.

the gyrating child, most children gyrate over water, sit on water spouts, tis quite usual behaviour.

gosh cross posts.

Math, it is a small splash park in a zoo.
this is it, an internet pic not mine

in fact i think it was 6 years ago this autumn, ds had a swim party that we videoed.. until we were told we werent allowed

TLE..... Most of your threads descend into chaos...... People rarely seem to 'get' you on MN. I don't know..... Maybe AIBU isn't the place for you. It's tedious lately

you may think you are only venting your paranoia on here but believe me, your behaviour today while you were there would have let them know how you felt about it, or at least let them know that you didn't approve. and that is just one occasion. i guarantee you have seen other things and either through your body language or vocal expression you will have shown your boys that you were at the very least uncomfortable. if you feel this way about it i highly doubt that you will go through their childhoods without passing this on to them.

Slarty, I was not alone in taking photos of my own children.

There were no signs saying you couldn't take photos. Otherwise I wouldn't have done so.

OP, where are you that it is hot enough to be running round water jets in the nude? I would like to be there, it sounds much nicer than here in the cold rainy UK. At least my corner is [grumpy face]

ilovetiffany i was going to post soemthing along those lines but thought i wouldn't. TLES always ends up defending herself. maybe time to ask herself why.

Boo, I never said a word today. I just carried on talking to the people I was with whilst watching the boys and also when taking photos joining in with them splashing them and playing.

so when you were shocked, it wasn't until later on when you got home and were on your own then?

LOL Miss, I am in the UK as well but at 4pm today it was very hot.

I am not going to be pushed off AIBU I admitted I over reacted and also used the wrong word. I am not defending myself because I have nothing to defend myself for.

I was sending family a few photos of DS's and covered someone elses child up as I didn't want to send a photo containing a naked child but it is a lovely photo of ds2/

For heaven's sake, children should be allowed to be children at least for a short part of their lives.

Oh, and don't take photo's at pools and soft play areas - it's common courtesy to the parents who prefer not to have pictures of their young children taken. I don't mind myself, but respect that choice in others. There are loads of other photo opportunities, surely.

Boo I said Shocked was the wrong word.
And also i over reacted.

Look I do worry about peadophiles, I also worry that people whether children or adults wearing nothing/next to nothing could be badly sun burnt, I worry that parents who let children run off near roads are running the risk of their child being hurt by a car.

I am a worrier at times and other times I am not.

Thats just me, I cannot change over night but I am doing my best.

You are obviously bothered by this TLE, and entitled to your opinion. I have no problem with little ones running about naked, mine always went naked on the beach etc.

I think children are entitled to a childhood of behaviour natural for their age, not behaviour modified by the possibility of peadophiles hanging around. If we lived our lives in the constant anticipation of criminal activity, we wouldn't do much living.

"If i had the photos on bebo/twitter/myspace/fb and you via a friend of a friend came across a photo of mine with your naked DD in it although I had not realised she was in it at the time of taking it, would you be happy with that?

If my child's out in public in a state of dehabille, I've already accepted the risk that they might appear in someone's photograph and that photograph might be shared.

What I haven't accepted is the risk that someone might photoshop black (ie, adult) underwear onto them and distribute the result. If I found that had happened, I'd go to the police, because it's almost impossible to imagine a sane or harmless explanation for it. Ever wondered why M&S don't sell black underwear for toddlers?