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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To let my 2 year old play naked.

249 replies

Pippinintherain · 16/08/2011 19:45

We were in the local park today. It has a new sand and water area which wasn't open last time we were there.
DD was happily playing in it, pumping the water tap affair and ended up with her jeans and top drenched. She stripped them off and carried on playing in just her knickers. She eventually got these soaked too and as she hates wet knickers, took them off.
I only had 1 clean pair and 1 clean dress with me so let her carry on in the buff as she was having fun.
There was a couple of women giving cat's bum mouths but I ignored, she's 2 FFS and I was right there with her. Not sure what was going to happen to her.

Anyway was telling DH tonight and he was really shocked I'd let her do this. I just think there's nothing more lovely and innocent than kids not giving a damn.

So Mumsnet jury, AIBU?

OP posts:
SayItLoud · 17/08/2011 13:19

I don't think it's a 'difficult topic' at all. Let them be kids, nakedness is part of it, it's natural and fun.

TheMonster · 17/08/2011 13:27

Yes, nakedness is natural. DS has just been playing in the garden, in the paddling pool, naked. But I would not let him play in a public place without at least pants on.

Insomnia11 · 17/08/2011 13:33

I'd let my 2 and 6 year old girls run round naked, definitely. Enjoy it while you can, it won't be long before they are too self-conscious to do so.

seeker · 17/08/2011 13:33

So what do you say to your child? Do you say, as I heard a parent at our school say "Put your clothes on or a bad man will take you away?"

Insomnia11 · 17/08/2011 13:35

IME, it's hard to prevent a two year old from becoming naked whenever they feel like it anyway!

OpinionatedPlusSprogs · 17/08/2011 14:00

YANBU.

TheMonster · 17/08/2011 14:51

No, seeker, I never say anything like that. I say 'keep your pants on because we're not at home'.

exoticfruits · 17/08/2011 17:39

To which a DC would say 'why' and if they are a logical, sensible DC they would keep saying why.

psiloveyou · 17/08/2011 18:28

This reminds me of the time 21 years ago I let my 2 year old dd play naked in front garden. An elderly (and much disliked) neighbour walked past. She commented very loudly that with parents like me around it was no wonder so many children got raped Angry.
She is long dead but I never forgave her for her nasty comment.

op YANBU

TheMonster · 17/08/2011 19:07

Exoticfruit, are you saying my son is not logical or sensible because I don't let him be naked in public? Hmm
Where's the logic or sense in that?

seeker · 17/08/2011 19:22

No, she is saying tha becauseyour ds is logical and sensible he will want to know why he has to wear pants all the time when he is ot at home, even in circumstances where it is much more comfortable and practical not to. And you will have to give him a reason.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 17/08/2011 19:41

so if a 'paedo/weirdo' is watching your child frolic naked, how does that harm your child exactly? Ok its a bit ick, but as you or your child will not know, why worry?

mrsshears · 17/08/2011 19:43

surely all dc need to learn that that is what everyone needs to do in public i.e wear clothes [clothes]

I dont think you need to go into paedophilia,it could just be as simple as saying "look dd/ds everyone else is wearing clothes because that is what you have to do when there are lots of people around that you dont know"

mrsshears · 17/08/2011 19:46

not quite sure what happened there with the [clothes] Confused

TheMonster · 17/08/2011 19:58

My son is nearly 5. He knows that people wear clothes out of the house. He doesn't need a reason and doesn't ask.

mrsshears · 17/08/2011 20:09

bodyofeyore i hope you didnt think my post was aimed at you

I was responding really to what seeker had said about explaining to children about wearing clothes and just saying that if anyboby was in a position where they would have to explain this to a child that they need not go into great detail about this,i wasnt suggesting your ds needed this explaining to him.

TheMonster · 17/08/2011 20:10

I think your post was spot on Smile

LadyOfTheManor · 17/08/2011 20:34

Not sure if this has been said...but perverts are not only "turned on" by naked children...

YANBU at all, if a paedophile is lurking in a park then it's not only naked children he/she'll be bothered by.

We love on the coast my son is 17 months old and is always naked at the beach...!

mrsshears · 17/08/2011 20:36

Smile thanks,i thought i had upset you there for a minute

LadyOfTheManor · 17/08/2011 20:36

*Live.

Inappropriate typo. Well done me.

banana87 · 17/08/2011 20:40

Stripping off to play in water I have no problem with. Stripping off for the hell of it is unreasonable. YANBU.

TheMonster · 17/08/2011 20:42

Ladyofthemanor Grin that's an brilliant typo!

youarekidding · 17/08/2011 21:01

YANBU, Like lady I live on the coast, often see children running around naked, and also at the parks on the beach. And the naked ones often have knickers on that don't make a damn difference if they are wet etc.

I lived abroad and DS and other LO often just wore swim nappies and then ran around from about 18 months with these off for a bit when they got out.

By 3yo he was no longer doing it.

tralalala · 17/08/2011 21:01

of course yanbu but some repressed types will be sniffy about it.

RepressedBodyOfEeyore · 17/08/2011 21:33
Grin