Naked children in the park - who is right?

[Oysterbabe]

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?

At risk of what though Randomposter? If I am supervising both children correctly, and let's assume for arguments sake I am. Is she/he at risk of having her photo taken more than the clothed child? I concede that, but what else?

That's enough for most people Peppermint. I wouldn't want naked pics of my DD shared online.

Ok, well we will have to agree to disagree. I think it's a huge overreaction, and I reject the earlier comment about naivety. As I have said, I practiced law in this area. I suspect I have more experience than the average person, but there we are.

Are you happy to take that risk? The risk that someone is taking photos of your naked child to possibly share online?

I'm sorry, but that's not a risk I'd ever be prepared to take.

They don't need to be naked... I don't understand the need for it. Even in a super hot country children don't walk around naked! If adults do it its indecent exposure so what makes children so different? Fair enough if they were on a beach in their undies but not completely starkers in a park of all places. It's not even the paedophile thing, I just frankly don't see the need for it.

I don't think the clothed child is at any less risk of having their photo shared online. Who knows what these men want to see, really? I can well imagine them having a fetish for girls in school uniform, or boys in shorts, or even boys in suits.

There are risks, but these can be managed by supervising your children.

Ifthecapfits -

actually, i read the thread as the opposite. You are quite judgemental and throwing round some insults yourself - hypocritical.

Randomposter are you happy that someone might take clothed pictures of your child to share online?

Bambambini yes I am now after reading this.

As I said I had never judged them before, but now?......

I just think it's sad that folk see little kids enjoying the beach with no clothes on in such a sexual and negative manner. Do you really see toddlers playing, enjoying the sun or sea on their bodies and think it's wrong and disgusting?

Pictures of clothed children are 10 a penny, they're all over the place, catalogues, school websites, you name it - but photos of naked children are a lot harder to come by & I'm not going to make it easy for them.

Bambambini was that to me?

No problem myself with little kids or even 5/6 year olds, but I'll think differently about the parents who let them, now.

Also they can play and get sun on them just as much with a pair of pants on.

Randomposter I have taken that risk, many many times. My DC are now 6 and 9 and they spent as much of their early years as was possible and appropriate (note appropriate), being naked. I am not a zealot about it, but I would prefer my children to try and live as unencumbered as possible, free from my adult hang ups or worries, and this includes the idea that there is a paedophile lurking in every bush.

Oh, and the other day they were both naked on the trampoline in the garden. My boy shouted "I feel ALIVE!!" at the top of his voice. True story.

I should add that we have no near neighbours. If we did have I would weigh up whether I was likely to offend said neighbours by letting my kids go naked on the trampoline.

I wouldn't weigh up whether the neighbours might be paedophiles.

On that note, tbh I have already risk assessed every single person who comes into my children's lives for inappropriate behaviour. As soon as they were born it started, and it continues. I privately risk assessed their father, my brother, my sister, my uncles etc. I risk assess as best I can and then allow the children to be children.
(I am not saying here that those parents who do not allow public nudity on occasions are not allowing their children to be children, before I get a drubbing).

If adults do it its indecent exposure

Not in the UK it's not. As has been said umpteen times on this thread, being fully naked in public is not illegal. Not only that, there is no such thing as "indecent exposure" - that law was superseded by the 2003 Sexual Offences Act which was written in collaboration with British Naturism, specifically to exclude simply nudity in public.

The weeing on the grass tends to happen in our own garden.

I'm genuinely shocked at some of these responses! A five year old not allowed to be naked at home is madness. That child will grow up with all sorts of issues around shame and knowing what is and isn't appropriate.

I honestly think it's sad.

"The naked child is far more at risk - I'm shocked at the naivety on this thread tbh."

@Randomposter - more at risk of what? Of being snatched? Very rare occurrence and highly unlikely.

Of having their photo taken? Maybe. But they can take photos of semi-clothed or fully clothed children and Photoshop them. My neighbour could take a photo from his upstairs windows of my little boy in the garden and I'd probably never notice -should I never my son play outside?

Would I let him play naked in a park? Probably not as if he's anything like his father he'll get sunburnt just looking out a window on a sunny day, and that would be my primary worry.

A child at home can be naked.
No problem with that. If Dd or ds wanted to be naked they can.

It's out in public

God it's incredibly sad that anyone finds children's bodies disgusting.

I'm truly amazed by that

Pictures of clothed children are 10 a penny, they're all over the place, catalogues, school websites, you name it - but photos of naked children are a lot harder to come by

Exactly.

I'm 27, does anyone mind if I go to the park naked then? It's only bodies after all. My arse could do with a bit of sun.

Why do people always mention Germany and Scandinavia in threads like this? What has that got to do with culture and convention in the UK? I can think of a hell of a lot of countries where public nudity is totally unacceptable too, who's to say which viewpoint is correct?

We are advocates for our children and have a responsibility to look out for their best interests. I don't care if it's hot. My office is too hot in the summer, I don't sit and work naked in front of all my colleagues through (even if that's what they do in Sweden or something). And that's not because I think my colleagues will molest me, it's because it's not bloody normal in the society we live in. And if you have a problem with that convention, you should strip off yourself rather than use your children as tools for your agenda.

Tools for your agenda?! Really?!

As has been said umpteen times on this thread, being fully naked in public is not illegal.

What did they keep arresting and prosecuting the Naked Rambler for then? I've just googled and it seems like it was public order offences? And he's got an ASBO?

[confused/

Well evidently it seems impossible to have a fair discussion about this. It's barking mad sweeping generalisations and extreme viewpoints agogo....

Oops.

Vaara do you mean like this one. Such a gem of a poster.

Today 11:27 Vaara

Haha British prudes alive and well!

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

Poor kids sad!