To think parents really should put some clothing on kids in public?

[somesetmeadow]

At the beach, water fountains in parks and so on, there’s always at least one parent who lets their children charge around without a stitch on.

I just find it really inappropriate. Prepared for a flaming but I do!

I think it's a really bad idea. Too many pervs about - and where would they go if they wanted to see naked children? You bet the fountain :-(

So your argument OP “I shouldn’t have to” is that kids should be covered not because of some potential danger to them, but because it offends your sensibilities?

I think it's very sad that people feel they have to cover their kids up in public, but I get why.

Running around and playing in the buff epitomises childhood innocence to me, I think it's lovely.

I always put at least a bikini bottom or knickers in DD when she was tiny.

Not because I worry about other people as creepers will get their fix also from a child in a swimsuit, but because I hurt myself down below when I was a small child and a thin layer of fabric could have had made a difference.

Seems that way bev. I do understand the privacy argument in these days of smartphones etc, and tbh that's one reason mine don't actually do public nudity. But someone just thinking it should be about them not wanting to look the other way? Fuck that, Princess Entitled!

I’m fine with under 5s running around in their birthday suits. Mine mostly wore pants and a t-shirt in the summer months though as some sun protection. I carried spare t shirt and pants around long past the point they were potty-trained.

I am that parent.
Mine are 2 and 3. They like nothing better than to run around naked. At a beach or in the our garden I don’t see the problem. I wouldn’t at a park as I can understand that other parents might not want to put their DC on (for eg) a swing that a bare bottomed DC of mine had just been on.
My 3 year old daughter also has swim shorts not a costume as I don’t see the difference between boy and girl top halves at that age.

What about toddlers needing to do a wee?

I'm seeing parents who do 'what the children want' rather than thoughts for those around them.

I don't want to see naked kids in the park or splash park. I just don't.

I just don’t want to see genitals.

Sorry. I just don’t.

And yes, I think it’s fucking stupid, actually, but I didn’t say that because I knew I’d be accused of “hysteria / paedophile around every corner.”

Mine are grown upnow but I always put a pair of pants/swim pants on them,partly because I think it's a sensible message that pants parts are private, and partly because sand in the genitals isn't comfy!

I'm not massively prudish but do think that being naked in public is unnecessary..at home in the paddling pool fine. No bikinis tho..I think swim pants on both sexes for little ones is nicer!

I never used to have a problem with it. But now I live in an area of East London where a certain type of Middle class hippy parent specialises in encouraging their free-weeing never-haircut kids to play naked (except for wellies sometimes) at any given opportunity. Especially if rain or mud is involved.

It makes me want to put up net curtains and wear a girdle, it really does. I know I combine eye rolling and cat's bum mouth every time I see it.

There'd be no problem with your preferences OP, if you weren't suggesting that the onus should be on other people to accommodate them.

Oh for goodness sake, naked toddlers aren't offensive. What is wrong with everyone?

"No naked bottoms on the sofa"
We also have this rule, along with 'pants after poo' - since they're young and sometimes need more help than they'll admit to.

TBH I couldn't care less (sunburn aside) - some kids just like to strip, sometimes you find yourself unexpectedly at the park fountains etc. If you can't run around naked at 2 then when bloody can you!

I leave it largely up to the kids. DS1 is easy going about nudity, but now he's older will prefer trunks (although will strip and change into them in public without a thought). DS2 would rather not go in than allow anyone to see his naked body, and wears a full onsie-style suit (which TBH is for the best, because he's also very pale). My niece couldn't care less, and will go in fully dressed, naked, or anything in between depending on how quickly her mum realises her intentions, and how much clothing she therefore manages to remove/replace!

Of course naked toddlers aren't offensive and in an ideal world it wouldn't matter but what if that guy with the iPhone who seems to be playing a game is actually taking photos of your children in the nude to wank over later?

And we are teaching kids that their private parts are just for them and no-one else so what is running around without covering up teaching them?

"No naked bottoms on the sofa" is an actual rule in our house

Ours too. I have no issue with kids letting it all hang out. And the vast majority of abusers are well known to their victims so the pervert on every corner argument doesn't fly.

We never did this either and I have never been able to understand why people do. I love taking photos of mine of the beach but I wouldn't ever take a picture of my children naked, then there's the sunburn, sand in crevices, etc etc. Some say under 5 is fine, at 3 and 4 mine were already starting to get a sense of privacy and wouldn't have wanted randomers to see them naked anyway. It is a strange message to send to children imo.

The sort of perverts who get off on wanking to pictures of children will serve on your child whether they're clothed or not. I don't want to teach my DC that there is a pervert behind every park bench or that they need to modify their own behaviour so as not to entice perverts. The majority of abused children are abused by someone they know so Billy Bus Driver getting his jollies seeing my DC walking along the street or running around at the splash park is low down on my list of worries, I cannot know or stop his private thoughts so I see no sense in being paranoid about them.

The NSPCC message about pants is being hugely misquoted. It isn't about teaching children to cover up or be ashamed of nudity and it isn't about telling them they shouldn't be "showing off" areas usually covered by their pants. The message from the NSPCC is that you own the areas usually covered by your pants, you have rights over your own body, and you should tell a trusted grown up if anyone asks to see or touch those areas without permission or in a way that makes you feel ashamed or uncomfortable. The people implying that it's about teaching children to cover up in order to prevent themselves being abused have completely missed the message behind it.

It does not bother me and I agree children should be allowed to be innocent but I don't allow my children to run around naked because sadly you don't know who's watching and getting gratification from it.

Naked in the park, pool, etc. is fine. But they have to get dressed to eat or go into a shop or walk around the streets, etc. We live in a hot country with a beach/pool culture and I have to say I can't remember seeing fully naked children anywhere. Most wear little swimming trunks or bikini bottoms and have simple casual clothes to dress themselves when they come out of the water.

"Of course naked toddlers aren't offensive and in an ideal world it wouldn't matter but what if that guy with the iPhone who seems to be playing a game is actually taking photos of your children in the nude to wank over later?"

He could also be aking a photo of your fully dressed child to walk over later.

So lock up your sons and daughters. Never allow them out of your sight. ever.

Were you at the same seafront water park I was at, OP?

Little boy running around totally nude in the park area, in the water is fine, but he slid down the slide before by son went down after him.

doesnt even cross my radar

@somesetmeadow

"I do look elsewhere, and I shouldn’t have to."

Why shouldn't you have to? You can't expect the world to order itself in order to not offend you.

We all see things we dislike all the time. That's life.