to think children should have something on their bottom half in a library?

[Procrastinatingpeacock]

Went to my local library's rhyme time this morning. Little girl, maybe 3, dressed in nothing but a t-shirt. No pants, no nappy. Not a long t-shirt either, she was totally naked from the waist down.

At first I thought she must have escaped mid nappy change but no, she stayed like that for the whole session. It looked like she was there with both her parents, who looked totally unperturbed as she (like the other children) clambered across chairs, sat on beanbags, lay on the floor etc.

I don't consider myself a prude and have no problem with children playing naked on a beach, in gardens, even in the park, but AIBU to think this was pretty inappropriate?

Yuck lets hope it's not a regular thing

I'd have fashioned her a garment from old books.

Is this really a problem? Was she wiping shit on the seats? Would her bottom be any dirtier than the soles of people's shoes? What exactly is so wrong about it? I admit my DD is dressed in public, but I'm pretty chilled with naked kids. Then again I'm not English, maybe that has something to do with my take on it!

It's a public place. Used by all sorts if people, some clean, some not. With intimate body parts in such close contact with places where not so clean people could have sat, surely it's a health tish for the kid if nothing else.

Anyone having trodden in dog shit could be carrying worn eggs or larvae.

giles is right.

Yanbu totally in aporopriate. One would have thought at that age especially new potty training her parents would have bought spares.

Ooh, can't wait yo go back to work tomorrow and find out if it was 'my' library...!

That's gross!

I'm surprised none of the library staff said anything to the parents

This is interesting. When I posted a similar question regarding a supermarket instead of a library, mn jury told me I was a prude!

Did you see if she left the library half naked, too, OP?

On the odd occasion my dd has refused nappy and clothes (stripped off when out then just kept ripping nappy off as soon as I got it on her) I wouldn't then let her out of the buggy for hygiene reasons. Home, it's a different matter.

YANBU

I'm surprised. What if some weirdo was watching and getting a kick out of it.

I would assume she'd wet herself.
I would have taken home, if it had been my child (or certainly been frantically drying garment under hand dryer in loos).

A child's body is perfectly natural.
A beach is a more common place to see it unclothed than a library.
Not great re further accidents / potential infection for wee bums though!

It sounds very weird and inappropriate. Is it possible that she had wet her clothes and someone had gone to the shops to get her a clean nappy/clothes?

Yes larvae burrowing up her bum could indeed be a problem.

C'mon surely the hygiene risk is the same for the child, most things need to be ingested surely? If they were all lay on the floor doing sleeping bunnies then there's as much chance an egg stuck to a child's lip

It's difficult to judge without knowing if this is standard practise for the parents as ideally I'd prefer everyone clothed but it wouldn't concern me greatly.

It's inappropriate anywhere except in the family back garden or in the bath. Bottoms arnt cute to be honest at any age unless it's your own kids bottoms.

They sound like daft idiots.

Maybe it was a long walk home. Maybe tgey needed to stay until her shorts were dry enough to walk home.

Really? I'm sure there was something they could have done - like popping into a shop and buying a cheap pair of shorts or something, or just letting her walk home in damp shorts - don't see how that would have been much of a problem. Really unhygienic to let her clamber about without anything on her bottom half at all.

Is it possible granny was with them and had nipped to the shops for new spare pants/shorts so they could get the bus home? Just a thought.

I would imagine they were potty training.

I just don't think I could get upset by this in all honestly.

Unless there were poo nuggets like my ds seemed to be doing today while potty training, even though he's happily pooed before

Honesty! Not honestly.

Did no-one even mention it? My 4yo would have declared that a little girl was waking around with no pants on in a very loud voice (I would guess it's the type of incident that upwards of 3yo would normally know that you don't walk around with no underwear on).

Surely we have a parental duty to try and teach our children that you generally don't walk around naked in public?

Well it's not amazingly hygienic

But the day I give a tiny fuck about a 3 year olds fanjo being wiped across a floor is the day I start drinking seriously

I'm sure she just pissed herself while potty training and her parents thought she'd be ok not pissing for a wee while til they left

I would imagine they were potty training.

It would be even less appropriate for a child who isn't potty trained to be wondering naked around a library.