letting my children run around naked on a beach

[Goofymum]

A few days ago I took my 2 year old DD and 5 year old DD to the beach. It is a lovely beach and not very crowded, only 2 or 3 groups of people per large section of beach. I let my DDs run around naked for while before we went home (they asked to go naked). My parents were with me and they weren't bothered. The few families left on the beach weren't bothered either. But when my DH heard about it he was horrified. He said my 5 year old (she is very tall, perhaps passes for 6?) is too old to run around naked, other people would feel uncomfortable and it's just not right. We 'debated' it for a while and I thought I'd get the opinion of sensible people on MN - did I have a big lapse in judgement or was it OK to let my DDs run around naked?!

[womblingfree]

Dd is nearly 6 and loves nothing more than running round starkers, but over the last year we have been trying to get her to cover up a bit more. Tbh it's about boundaries - I couldn't care less if she runs round naked all day in our home/garden, but I think she's at an age where she needs to know when to cover up.
That said I only have her to think of - I guess it's not so easy when you have a little one as it's harder to have one rule for one and a different one for the other.

[carocaro]

I would not, privacy really, you are never sure who is around, some girls were naked on the beach near us over the summer, bending over making sandcastles, hard to know where to look, not very necessary to be naked on a beach really?!

YABU I think

[ChallengingCitrusHalibut]

YANBU, children of that age should be able to be free somwehere like a beach.

Regarding the modesty and dignity and 'wear at least a swimming costume' comments, I believe the poster who said that is Muslim, which may clarify things.

[BelleDameSansMerci]

YANBU at all. I think it's lovely that they were able to run around naked for a while on a quiet beach.

My DD loves being naked and frequently (at home) just wears a pair of knickers. Unfortunately, I have some unpleasantness in my past that makes me ultra-sensitive and over-protective of DD when we're outside our home so my DD (3) wears a one piece swimming costume or one of those UV suits when we're at the beach. I wish I could let go more and let her run free...

[Blondeshavemorefun]

no i wouldnt allow my dc to run naked on a beach where basically anyone can see/watch

if no cossies, then wear underwear/knickers and go home comando

[frogetyfrog]

My dds go naked when ever they like. They were running around in the front garden naked recently and it doesnt bother me at all.

Its lovely to see children being children. Lots of time for covering over in the future.

[bulby]

Ffs how can anyone be upset by children running round naked? It's so sad that people are hung up on the fact that every second person is a perve. They are out there but I refuse to let my dds life in anyway be influenced by the tiny minority of people who just might be weird. And as for the modesty thing I honestly don't have the words

[thenamehaschanged]

my dds (5 and 2) are always naked when they get an opportunity. They love it!

I like them being naked on the beach as well - all that fresh sea air getting to their little bums! It's good for them.

It doesn't mean I'm not vigilant though. Any wierd looking men in raincoats on the beach ogling them and we'd be offski!

[NotEnoughTime]

I really hope that you were joking when you said "any wierd looking men in raincoats..."

Paedophiles come in all shapes and sizes (there are female ones too don't forget) and there are many many "normal" looking ones.

[thenamehaschanged]

yes notenoughtime I was - I was being ironic.

[NotEnoughTime]

Oh good cos it never fails to amaze me how many people (genuinely)say things like "he didn't look like a pervert"!

[minipie]

YANBU

I really wish we were less hung up about nakedness in this country, especially when it comes to children.

Little children LOVE being naked, it would be sad to make them wear clothes (probably wet and sand filled) just because some eejit might get offended by seeing a 5 year old's willy.

[Blu]

YANBU.

[telsa]

Of course they should be naked - they are children! And you can't act weirdly just because there might, just might, be some creepy person about....creeps get off on all sorts of things. What should one do - put the children under heavy veils?

[finnbird]

YANBU. Of course children should be able to be naked! It's so natural for them and we could all learn about that. Nudity does not make them any less "dignified". If we start worrying about children's nudity, we are sexualising them too early. There could always be creepy people around, whether or not the children are clothed. As long as the parents/carers are near looking after the children it doesn't matter what they wear

[Appletrees]

"all that fresh sea air getting to their little bums"

that is very cute

[Heracles]

Christ almighty; what with the advance of anti-ageing technology, your kids'll have a good 60 years to be ashamed of their lumpen, ageing, creased bodies.

If I knew then etc I'd have stayed butt naked till I hit 25. Remember when everything used to ping right back into place? Sigh......

[LadyBiscuit]

What are these paedos hanging round on beachees going to do? Thinking about having sex with children is not a crime.

God this thread is depressing

[ChippingIn]

LadyBiscuit

WTF

The thread is disgusting? I think your comment is the most disgusting thing I've read - by a very long shot.

[juicy12]

DS (6) and DD (3) always go naked on the beach, then cover up, then whip it all off again. Up to them. I refuse to curb that lovely enthusiasm and excitement for anyone. They're my kids, I'm on the beach with them, I'll be looking out for them. Simple.

[kreecherlivesupstairs]

I don't know what to make of your message Ladybiscuit.
We went to the beach on Sunday, DD had seen a piece on the oneshow abot a naturist camp and swimming naked. She was keen to try it but didn't want to take her clothes off in front of anyone. She compromised by going into the sea with her Dad and whipping her one piece off. She only stayed in a couple of minutes, it was the sea north of Holland. She is nine now and a bit old for arses in the air digging IMO. When she was younger I didn't have a problem with it.

[LadyBiscuit]

That's exactly what I meant keepsmum. How sad that we are so scared of paedophiles looking at our children (so not actually harming them in any way) that we don't allow our kids to experience the joy and freedom of running naked when they are mere babies.

I think it's a terrible, terrible shame. I used to run around naked on the beach all the time when I was a kid. Surely there are no more paedophiles now than there were then.

And yes, depressing, not disgusting. Particularly the comments about modesty and dignity.

[megonthemoon]

i'm with LadyBiscuit - the comments about modesty and dignity are depressing. I'd rather see any number of happy naked children running around than just one who is happy being so but whose parents won't let them be naked for fear of what some adult somewhere, who may not even be there anyway, may think.

How can people complain about the innocence of childhood being destroyed, when they are worrying about covering up a 2, 3, 4, or 5 year old for reasons of modesty or the relatively small chance of encountering a paedophile at close range? Aren't the parents complicit in taking away their child's innocence if they do this?

I for one have no intention of taking away my own child's innocence, when they are perfectly safe being naked on a beach with me close by, just because of what some other person may or may not be thinking.

[ChippingIn]

LadyBiscuit Sorry. You did say the thread was 'depressing' not disgusting. It just sounded (to me) like you were saying 'So what if they sit there perving at your child and getting a kick out of it, it's not illegal' As though you were happy enough for them to do that, so long as they don't actually touch the child and it made me feel sick... but I don't think that's what you really meant, however...

What are these paedos hanging round on beachees going to do? Thinking about having sex with children is not a crime

There is a MN'er who went though hell when her children were thought to have been part of a set of photos that were taken & distributed by a paedophile. Awful, really, really awful.

They can take photos and circulate them, they can alter the photos to make the situation quite different from the one in which the photo was taken... there is a lot of harm they can do without actually touching a child. These photos are then out there - on the interenet, possibly resufacing at some stage, leaving the child/adult having to defend themselves, being left to 'prove' it wasn't them.


As I said earlier, I love to see kids running around quite happy in their own skin and certainly allow it myself - but I do it balancing the risk with their freedom, not blind to the risk.