Naked toddler in swimming pool showers

[Noodella18]

I take my 2 year old swimming on Fridays. After the session we take a shower in the communal showers, next to the lockers and by the entrance to the pool. I didn't think twice about stripping off her swimming costume to wash her but the lifeguard told me today that she wasn't allowed to be nude 'because it's a public area' and she had to keep it on. Am I being naive in thinking that a naked two year old is really no big deal?

Yanbu - no harm in a naked 2 year old
Yabu - keep the cossie on

That's ridiculous

It's ridiculous, but a sign of the times I think.

Ridiculous

Ridiculous, but if it's the rules of the place, you'll have to go along with it or find somewhere else.

I voted YABU not because of a naked toddler being 'wrong' but more that there can be a fine line between acceptable and not acceptable age wise so it can be more straightforward to have an absolute rule.

Ridiculous, she’s two FFS!

My two year old was wearing a dress recently and MIL said ‘we’ll need to get her some cycling shorts to wear under dresses to protect her modesty’. She still wears a nappy

Ridiculous. What a stupid rule. There are many public areas where I don't think it's appropriate for a 2 year old to be naked a swimming pool is certainly not one of them.

You’re being unreasonable. The rules are the rules. If you don’t like it then go to another pool

It really is no big deal to the majority of people.

It’s a huge, and thrilling, ordeal for anyone in the area who happens to be a attracted to children unfortunately.

Not unreasonable but sadly there are some dreadful people about that might enjoy seeing naked little ones. I can see the lifeguard's point - he's just trying to keep everyone safe and follow the pools policy.

I can see their point if it is a communal area with people coming and going - if it isn't the same for everyone then they have to have an age limit and police that.

What is the CCTV situation in the area? If they have CCTV there they really will not want naked kids on the stored images. Often locker areas have CCTV, if they are not in the changing rooms.

The lifeguard was correct. Babies/toddlers young children should not be nude in public even if it is at a swimming pool shower.

@Noodella18

I take my 2 year old swimming on Fridays. After the session we take a shower in the communal showers, next to the lockers and by the entrance to the pool. I didn't think twice about stripping off her swimming costume to wash her but the lifeguard told me today that she wasn't allowed to be nude 'because it's a public area' and she had to keep it on. Am I being naive in thinking that a naked two year old is really no big deal?

Yanbu - no harm in a naked 2 year old
Yabu - keep the cossie on

Is it a public area used by men or just women. If it’s got men there then obviously your child should have a costume on. I shouldn’t need to explain why.

I don’t want to look anybody naked in a public area no matter how old they are.

@Ellarain The lifeguard was correct. Babies/toddlers young children should not be nude in public even if it is at a swimming pool shower.

What?! Even on the beach?!

Unfortunately swimming pools have an issue with voyeuristic paedophiles lurking especially in mixed changing areas, so I think its ok for them to have a policy

@Cruiser11

I don’t want to look anybody naked in a public area no matter how old they are.

No one is asking you to look.

Ridiculous as she's two but unsurprising, it's probably their policy for safeguarding reasons.

We just went to Majorca and DD, also two, was naked most of the time on the beach at her request, I'd say half the toddlers there of various nationalities were naked too.

Where would you draw the line of an age where it’s acceptable to walk around public showers naked?

I think opinions would vary so much, it’s easier to have a blanket no nudity rule

I wouldnt have my toddler naked, there are too many creeps in the world

Costume on in the pool showers, costume on or off in the actual changing room showers where the changing room isn’t open to the pool area.

@ozanj You’re being unreasonable. The rules are the rules. If you don’t like it then go to another pool.

No need to be shirty, I was surprised that's all - I didn't argue with the lifeguard and will certainly follow the rules, I just wanted to sense check what other people thought of said rule. I'm a first time mum and wasn't sure what the 'done' thing is, rules or not rules.

Absolutely ridiculous. The chances of someone there having an inappropriate reaction to a nude child are small, and the idea that your child should have to cover their completely non-sexual body in public is offensive and wrong. I feel similarly strongly about people who insist on putting bikini tops on little girls.

It is strange to me that we have (rightly) stopped telling adult women that they must dress a certain way to be safe, but we apparently still think that children should be subjected to modesty standards (like cycling shorts under their clothes).

My local pool has cubicles with showers in as well as the public shower area, to prevent exactly this sort of thing, it's not just about you and your child though, it's to protect other adults against unfounded allegations, there was a thread earlier where a number of posters were recounting how easily these sort of allegations can absolutely ruin peoples lives.

DS has started whipping off house own trunks in the shower after swimming, DH stands behind him so he can't be seen by passers by, but only since I went to watch and said does he always do that and DH said fairly often, and there was a woman tutting. I just said maybe some people don't want to see a naked two year old and reminded DS that his private bits are private. It's unfortunately a sign of the times.