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AIBU?

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Original poster

Naked children in the park - who is right?

497 replies

Oysterbabe · 08/05/2016 17:24

We're currently enjoying the sun in the park with DD 4 months (who is enjoying it by being asleep in the shade) It is packed with families as you'd expect. In the group next to us there are two little girls, I'm going to guess about 4 and 5, who are having a lovely time running around and playing completely in the buff. I was saying to DH that I wouldn't let our DD run around naked at that age in such a public place. There could be any number of dodgy characters watching on and getting off on it. He thinks it's fine, that they're still young enough to get away with it. Also in the unlikely event there is a lurking paedo, they're completely oblivious and it's not going to hurt them at all, you can't live in fear.
Who's right? Am I being too Daily Mail paedo round every corner or is it correct to be cautious about such things?

OP posts:
Babettescat · 09/05/2016 11:28

Kids truly don't need to be naked to have fun. I grew up in India - I never even wore a bikini as its out of the question there and we had TONS of fun. I miss my childhood days so much.

Boobz · 09/05/2016 11:29

Wouldn't it be easier if there was a poll thingy at the top of these threads? And then we would have a quick % answer - I think that would be useful. I would have voted with the OP's DH but am surprised to see so many "oooo it's inappropriate" answers on here, so would genuinely like to know what the vote came out for and against, without having to read every post and tot it up. Has a poll thingy been suggested before which lives at the top of the page?

Jessikita · 09/05/2016 11:36

I do not find a naked body of any age human offensive. If a natural human body puts you off your picnic, then I find that a little odd. The reason for clothes, IMO is to keep me warm.
Neither you or your Hibby is right. It's just a matter of opinion. And they are like Arseholes, everyone has got one and they all stink! Grin

paxillin · 09/05/2016 11:38

Vaara, I also allow very young kids to be naked if they want to. That does not make me a free spirit nor does not allowing it make anybody a prude. Insulting people as prudes or Brits as fucked up doesn't help the debate.

MsHoolie · 09/05/2016 11:38

Put pants on them for 2 reasons:

  1. Because I got a nasty splinter in my nunni climbing trees naked once as a kid!! Had to go to hospital to have it removed.. I was 5... still remember the whole hideous experience!
  1. Paedos absolutely do hang out at parks on sunny days, why would you even risk providing wank fodder for some creep?

My friend's 5 year old was sexually abused by an 18 year old family friend that NONE of us would have suspected. They let him babysit.
She was always running about pantless and climb on people's laps (this guy included).
I did find it a bit odd and wished my mate applied a bit of decorum... but I said nothing cos 'not my kid'. When I heard what had happened I absolutely wished I'd spoken up. But until it happens to your family you are just totally naive.

I am now understandably paranoid... I keep an eye out for paedos now. (My 'Pedar' is well honed!)

Sparklingbrook · 09/05/2016 11:40

Brits are fucked up about nudity, it's so freaking weird.

Why do people assume that all posters on MN are British? Confused

BertrandRussell · 09/05/2016 11:43

"I keep an eye out for paedos now. (My 'Pedar' is well honed!)"

What do you look for? Hmm

QuimReaper · 09/05/2016 11:45

Lots of people talking about bare bums on play equipment, is it just me who assumed that the kids were just running around on the grass, not actually in a playground?

However you feel about naked kids in a park, surely in an actual playground is just asking for it! The black seats of swings get so hot in the sunshine for one thing, and all the metal bits, there'd be tears in no time!

Vaara · 09/05/2016 11:48

I don't Sparlking, but since living abroad I have come to have a perspective on the British approach to nudity and it is..... odd

a1poshpaws · 09/05/2016 11:49

I wouldn't allow my own child to be naked in a public place - as Gunting said above, "an old man on his own started taking pictures on his phone." The thought of someone doing that and getting off on a photo of my child makes me feel ill.

MissDirection · 09/05/2016 11:49

Wow - why is a kids naked body 'gross and rank'? Some issues going on here..

Sparklingbrook · 09/05/2016 11:50

I guess it all depends on the park. Ours has splash pads and is attached to a Lido but has acres of grass and two playgrounds with equipment, tennis courts and a football pitch. It's a really great park.

But in all the time I spent up there when the DC were little (ie most days in the summer) I never once saw a naked child running about, ever.

CheekyGit · 09/05/2016 11:50

My friend's 5 year old was sexually abused by an 18 year old family friend that NONE of us would have suspected. They let him babysit

this is a huge problem. I don't know what happened to the governments inquiry but I heard " there isn't enough prisons for all the pedophiles in the UK" Its more likely to be a family friend or relative too.

Sparklingbrook · 09/05/2016 11:51

It really isn't Vaara. Just sensible.

Vaara · 09/05/2016 11:54

I can see its sensible from a sunshine point of view.

I don't see the paedo thing at all though. Not even a bit

GDarling · 09/05/2016 11:56

Vaasa..... We are British, but other nationalities are allowed to have different views, While in Rome...... comes to mind, we prefer to keep our children safe. I repeat.... Conflicting rules!

Natsku · 09/05/2016 11:58

Another reason I thought of for not letting them run around naked comes from my little cousins who are a couple of young nudists - whenever they are naked they seem to think the whole world is their toilet! Caught the 3 year old boy standing on the front steps of the house, gleefully watering the grass with his wee, wouldn't want my child doing that in a public park, urgh.

splendide · 09/05/2016 11:58

MsHoolie are you suggesting that if the little girl hadn't sat on his lap pantless then she wouldn't have been abused?

Vaara · 09/05/2016 12:03

Umm my kids often wee on the grass when they're playing outside - why wouldn't you?!

And the suggestion that other countries don't keep their kids as safe as British kids is.... Interesting

NeedACleverNN · 09/05/2016 12:07

Umm my kids often wee on the grass when they're playing outside - why wouldn't you

I would not let my kids wee on the grass! Accidently is fine. On purpose no way

Sparklingbrook · 09/05/2016 12:07

Vaara my sensible views on the matter have nothing to do with paedophiles or sunshine, I can only talk from my own British point of view not for anyone else's.

Weeing on the grass though? In full view of everyone?

SecretSeven · 09/05/2016 12:09

I don't know what happened to the governments inquiry but I heard " there isn't enough prisons for all the pedophiles in the UK"

That sounds more Daily Mail than government report.

Really, you can be too scared of things like this. I am not trying to make light of child abuse, but it is important to keep it in perspective.

A life lived in fear is no life at all; teaching your children to mistrust everyone is necessarily good for them in the future.

FattyNinjaOwl · 09/05/2016 12:16

The conflicting messages is bugging the hell out of me. Why do you allow your children to bear all in public but tell them that it's private?! Of course it's confusing for the kids.

Tatiana11235 · 09/05/2016 12:18

I don't even let my DD run around naked at home. There's no need, she's 5 and she needs to learn what's appropriate. Private parts must be covered at all times.

Floggingmolly · 09/05/2016 12:22

A hell of a lot of people seem to feel a park does not constitute a "public" place, FattyNinja. They're slightly confused themselves...