Should kids be naked on a public beach

[YabaJaba]

If so, at what age should they put a cossie on?

When nappies are soggy they typically get changed.

I live close to the beach, we have a beach hut and the kids are in and out of the sea. One evening I spotted a woman taking pictures on the prom, camera was pointing directly at the children playing - some were naked (not mine). I found it odd so went over to speak to her. She was quite cagey when I asked what she was taking pictures of which ring alarm bells naturally!! She hurried off .. a little while later I spotted her again and this time confronted her with one of the male beach hut neighbours who happens to be a local police sergeant. He took her camera off her, all the pictures were zoomed in shots of the kids. She was arrested and charged. Turned out she was supplying these pictures to peopdo rings online for money. From that day on I've never allowed any child known to me on the beach naked. There's some very sick people among us!

My DD's are both ginger like me, so weren't even allowed to just wear a swimsuit on the beach. I always insisted on UV swimsuits when they were little even though it was rarer those days. Then as they got older, I would insist on them wearing a rash vest and board shorts at the beach, or a swimsuit with a baggy t shirt over it.
We all get prickly heat as well, so on the rare occasions that we go to the beach as a family, we are covered to the max.

Brit living on the continent.. I’m fine with it but prefer my dc to wear little briefs after the age of 4 ish, just personal preference. I am more uncomfortable with bikini tops on pre pubescent girls than I am with naked toddlers.

Factor 50 regularly applied, vitamin D is important.

Also, what’s wrong with a child seeing breasts?! Breasts aren’t genitals, I don’t go topless to be “sexy” but because I am more comfortable that way than having wet sandy fabric giving me boob rash. Maybe these are the children that grow up to tell breastfeeding women to cover up…

In a surrey park, uk - not going to specify exactly where in case it's still happening and maybe creeps watching this thread. This was 10 years ago. Parents do go ad-hoc to the park and forget there's a water feature and strip the kids off. It's not a water theme park, a normal park with a water play feature.

I really like the whole innocence of this. There's plenty of photos from the 80s of my brother and I as toddlers wearing no clothes on the beach!

I'm sure it would still be ok but it's a different culture now. We worry about the wrong people looking, or offending people, making others uncomfortable or stranger's mobile phones so personally I wouldn't do in public with my kids.

But I have let them be naked at friend's house with their kids and that was very cute.

My parents are social workers and never let any of us be naked at the beach.

Can pp who see no harm in their children cavorting about naked on a beach not understand this happens. Why take the risk when a simple bathing suit is appropriate. I've seen it argue if predators were intent on taking random photos they'd do it while children were clothed. How on earth is this an argument. There is no comparison🤦‍♀️

Stop insinuating that lying on a beach with your boobs out is in any way similar to breastfeeding

Not at all. Breast feeding is completely different, so to try and compare the two by suggesting that people who don’t want to see topless women - on a family beach, also must have a problem with breast feeding in public, is beyond ridiculous.

My child wouldn’t ask why a woman was feeding her baby with her breasts and it’s obvious thats what’s happening.

It’s the contradiction that they are taught their bodies are private at school and home (you know to help keep them safe) so it’s hard to explain when you see boobs hanging about on the beach. There is no need. I assume you get sand in other patsy of your body so I don’t see the need to remove your top.

I say the above as a mother who breastfed
everywhere!

Indeed if the beach/ riverbank/ sauna isn't that place what is ?

Don’t you teach your child not to ask questions about/comment on other people’s bodies? Mine have known this is rude from a very young age.

The answer would be “because she wants to and it’s not illegal or even unusual in this context and place.”

I don’t like sand in my arse crack much either but breasts and genitals are very different.

As I mentioned, I live somewhere it is normal and I wouldn’t do it in the UK out of respect for local sensibilities.

Yeah, but Europeans are weird, sorry! I don't want to see granny and granddad's wrinkly arses and genitals when I go to a sauna. Cover up FFS!

Nobody wants your bits dangling in their faces, what don't you get about this?
The riverbank, seriously?

Kids aren’t allowed in a sauna
for start and I’ve never been in a sauna where you’re allowed to go topless! You’d get banned.

At home, wander about in your own house fully naked, jo public doesn’t want to see.

yes seriously ( obviously not the Thames in London or the Merseyor the Tyne) or the lake, it is really quite normal throughout continental Europe ( topless women and naked children). In Austria saunas are naked things.

I don't "wander about" naked. I do go topless on the beach in France, by a private pool and naked in the sauna in Austria and in the shower in the female changing rooms at the gym. I am not waving my bits about in anybody's face.

That’s a moot point because it’s a choice someone is making to go topless. If a child is being told our bodies are private he is going to wonder why someone is choosing to show everyone their boobs…... It wouldn’t be rude for him to ask me why they aren’t covered.

Sorry I do wander about naked in my own bedroom and bathroom.

By riverbank I meant somewhere like this

What do you think half of the rest of the world does though? In Europe they are taught that their bodies are theirs, their genitals are private, and that certain contexts are and are not appropriate. they can cope with nuance.

if my child loudly said “why has that woman got weird hair” or “why is that man wearing that outfit” I’d be embarrassed, they know not to judge people’s appearance.

This way of thinking that the UK has it right and that all of Europe, Africa, South America etc is wrong is a bit… uncomfortable.

Well, lots of people do but it doesn't involve complete strangers having a view so it's irrelevant.

Your kids can cope with seeing women's breasts.

I'm not against topless sunbathing, as long as it's in a place where everyone consents. The idea of forcing your chest on others (to educate the children? To prove a point?) is grim to me. We don't need people with it all hanging out to educate other people's children.

Deeply uncomfortable and unfair for young people to have to experience that around their family members, too.

Who said anything about him
saying it loudly? He would ask me discreetly.

What’s a bit uncomfortable is assuming everyone is comfortable around topless women on a family friendly beach.

There are many countries it would acceptable but there are many countries it isn’t. It’s not illegal as such but it’s distasteful imo. If you’re desperate to go topless go somewhere where it’s encouraged.

I wouldn’t take off my bikini top to sunbathe on a public beach with families and kids for a thousand pound. It would feel so wrong. Good for you to not care but there are plenty of people that don’t want to see it.

This with bells on 👏👏