Should children really be involved with this?

[Afternooninthepark]

Just whatching morning tv, they are discussing a public naked swim session at a Blackpool swimming pool this weekend.
Fair enough if that’s what floats your boat and I have no problem with nudity etc.
BUT, this is a ‘family’ naked swim, children, babies AND adults together.
Is it a good idea to have children swimming naked amongst naked adult strangers??

Sounds like something that would attract the wrong kind of attention from some people for sure :S I wouldn't take my kids

I’ve just read the article fully, it has been organised by a naturist group so would be a closed group and not public but even so, I don’t think I’d be comfortable with my kids naked amongst naked adult strangers.

What a truly bizarre idea.

No, children shouldn’t be involved because they don’t have a choice, it could be humiliating for them and we all know there are people out there who will be joining these things to try and get access to kids.

Even if it is a closed group they can’t fully know who will be there.

To me it’s an each to their own thing for adults but until someone is old enough to make fully informed judgement of it then they shouldn’t be there!

I don't understand naturists who want to walk about naked the whole time? And do naked activities with their children? Why? It just seems really odd to me. Why is being naked so important? I'm not suggesting naturists have an unhealthy interest in children at all, I think it should be an adult thing to enjoy and it shouldn't involve the children. Just like I am vegetarian but I don't expect my children to do it, they can decide when they're old enough to make their own informed choice. But I do think it is absolutely just WEIRD.

I also wonder if the presence of children will make it uncomfortable for the majority of adults who are there? It’s one thing being around like minded adults but he addition of children changes things

It's been organised by a naturist group so would be a closed group and not public but even so, I don’t think I’d be comfortable with my kids naked amongst naked adult strangers.

That's what naturists do! It's not at all sexual for them. I think a lot of kids are fine with it when they're tiny - it's what they've been brought up with, they're used to it - but when they get older they get self-conscious. Lots of naturist camps in the UK have swimming pools, games rooms - table tennis and so on, and hold family events.

and we all know there are people out there who will be joining these things to try and get access to kids.

Nope. Nudist clubs are very good at watching out for unsuitable types joining, and generally don't let it happen.

Personally prefer to be firmly supported in a Victorian bathing costume when swimming, but don't see what the issue is.

Small children often run around naked on the beach. Am guessing naturist groups will be reasonably experienced at safeguarding/kicking out overly interested types.

I wouldn't have minded doing this when I was a child before I got aware of my body, afterwards, I would have been a bit

No way would I take DD4.5 to this type of swim, she doesn't care either way if she has a costume on or not or if me and her DF are wearing swimming costumes/trunks but she has sometimes been aware if we are at a friend's house and if one of the boys as happened the other week, had an accident, came out of the downstairs toilet and had pulled his trousers and pull-ups down (why I don't know!) and he was very briefly running around with his DM trying to catch him, to clothe him, with nothing on his bottom half. DD noticed and pointed and laughed and said 'he's got nothing on his bum bum' because I think at nursery and school they've made a bit of a fuss about appropriate clothing being worn around bottoms etc!

in a swimming pool/lake etc she would certainly notice fully nude, swimming adults and children.

If it's a naturist and clothed group then this is obviously fine as surely they all know it's fine to run around, swim etc with no clothes on. and no one raises an eye.

Welll the OP initially said "public" session however as it's transpired that is it actually not open to the public then I think it's ok. It's not something I would do or fully understand but who am I to say it's wrong?

I think as someone has already said, these groups tend to have things in place to ensure their members are not there for the wrongs reasons. For example, I've heard of single adult males not being allowed. I think if done right and carefully it can be a very positive community.

Babies? Naked? No swim nappy?

I can make a prediction as to how that’ll end!

Fine if it's a private pool, and people enjoy being naturists, out of order if it's a public pool and it basically closes it for everybody else. There are already very few public facilities in England, what little we have shouldn't be shut for private events. Classes are a bit different of course.

I do feel so sorry for kids who are being dragged into that. A toddler is fine, older kids less so and should be respected. One of mine got really shy about even taking off their tshirt in public in reception!

Why is being naked so important?

Why is being clothed so important?

For me, it’s like others have said. I’m completely fine with adults participating, it’s their body, absolutely up to them. But I feel it’s unfair to take a child to this. This kind of thing should wait until you are an adult (or at least a tennager) and can make the choice yourself. My 11 year old dd hates wearing clothes (says she finds them restrictive!)and she loves being naked around our home. She was watching the tv discussion with me this morning and said she didn’t think it was right to take children to this.

Some naturist clubs were proved to be paedophile grooming sites in the late 1950s. Wife swapping and child swapping. One was very close to where I lived and no outsider suspected such a vile community.

I have no interest in becoming a nudist but surely this isn't a new thing. There are nudist holiday resorts, nudist beaches etc. It's also fairly common in other European countries to let kids run into the sea naked. I don't see the need for hysteria. It's just naked bodies and I very much doubt the children will be left unsupervised.

How do naturists keep warm? I've often wondered. There aren't that many days in the UK when it's warm enough to wander around outdoors naked, after all!

@BlueSkiesLies
It's not! Choice is. And I don't believe a child is able to decide for themselves whether or not they participate. I'm sure it's all above board and really enjoyable for the people who do it. I don't want to imply in any way that it's anything sinister. I just personally think it's weird to want to hang out (literally!) with your kids and a bunch of other naked people. I KNOW I sound a bit stupid but I think it's totally weird and it creeps me out. I don't know why but it does. Big time!!

There are plenty of family naturist things, this is not the only thing in this country.