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?

Pants on or pants off - it's up to you.

But the language being used about naked toddlers is utterly horrible- rank, disgusting, butt-naked, gross........just vile words to describe a toddler. Heaven knows what messages children are absorbing about their bodies.

I also don't understand why there is this assumption that if you have no problem with nudity, you 1. want to be naked all of the time; and 2. want other people to be naked too? Most people who are happy with nudity, it is precisely because they are happy to live and let live, rather than to impose their own prejudices on to other people. If you don't want to be naked, fine don't be.

As for benefits of nudity, my personal opinion is about body confidence and realising that all shapes and sizes and indeed hairiness is normal, rather than the stick-thin, large-busted, hair-free goddesses that feature in glamour shoots and the porn industry.

There are other benefits as detailed in these briefing notes:
www.bn.org.uk/community/ccs_files/briefings/briefing_health_and_wellbeing.pdf

www.bn.org.uk/community/ccs_files/briefings/briefing_children.pdf

Exactly Bertrand.

I just think it is so unhealthy and damaging

I don't think you teach a young child about safety when you make them cover up. I think you teach them about shame.

It's not damaging to be told your privates are just that; private, so keep your pants on in public. You obviously don't agree with it, but calling it unhealthy and damaging is completely ridiculous, Vaara.

I don't think you teach a young child about safety when you make them cover up. I think you teach them about shame.

Well said.

And I think it's unhealthy and damaging to tell children they can be naked and not worry about their private parts being seen by the world. But each to their own.

"Yes I'm sure the parents use the same terminology to their toddlers as they do on an online forum. Oh, wait.."

That sort of language isn't even in my head when I think about a naked toddler! Why would it be?

I'm also convinced that this very British obsession with covering up, this Victorian conviction that the naked body is shameful has at least in part been responsible in the past for the very high levels of teen pregnancy and even promiscuity in the uk.

The naked body is seen as illicit, exciting and thrilling and it's catnip to teens who are exploring boundaries. Other countries who don't have this obsession also seem to have far less teen pregnancy and promiscuity. No excitement, no illicit thrill, no idea of seeing something you shouldn't be seeing = no issue.

Vaara, it's dignity not shame.

No it isn't. You don't need clothes to be dignified.

By your reasoning is a burkha more dignified?

You're starting to sound very weird now, Vaara . There's a very good case to be made for teens keeping their pants on!

Re the swimming pool

I don't walk around naked. I'm self conscious and don't like to.

Dd does. Especially during a shower. Makes it easier to get her washed, dressed and dry.

Some women do wash naked and that's good for them.

Oh for god's sake it is not damaging to put a pair of pants on a child! It is not sending damaging messages because they have no idea why you are saying breezily pop your pants on.

Where do we draw the line? Ok to be naked in the park when they are 6, 7, 9, 11?

And this passive aggressive shite on Mumsnet that paedophiles don't actually exist and in no way would they be interested in a naked child in the park and anyone who thinks they could are hysterical Daily Mail readers. Yes they do exist. Yes in this day and age people have phones to take pics and videos. Thankfully it is still unlikely and still rare but it's not a ridiculous, impossible notion.

catnip to teens

"Oh for god's sake it is not damaging to put a pair of pants on a child!"

Of course it isn't. It could very well be damaging if your mind set is such that the first words you come up with to describe naked toddlers is disgusting, gross or rank though. Or if you think of a baby a "butt naked"

There's a very good case to be made for teens keeping their pants on!
And what's that then?

Vaara may be using some strange metaphors, but she's right on the money for this one. In societies where people are prudish about simple nudity (including the UK and US) there are MUCH higher levels of teen promiscuity and pregnancy. I'm not about to suggest correlation is causation, but the correlation most certainly is there.

you don't need clothes to be dignified Well this has given me a laugh. Some very weird people on this thread

Any one who has cc sees them act out everything that happens to them .That's how they try to understand their world. And if their world is a nightmare, what they act out will reflect that. Seeing that led to one of my police reports.

I would rather my teens didn't run around the park naked if I am being honest.

Your DH is right. YABU