To think children should put clothes on at the table?

[MummyDoIt]

Summer holidays, fine days (if we're lucky!) so lots of children running round gardens naked. No problem with that. So why do I cringe when I see the same children sitting down naked at the table to eat? I'm trying to rationalise it as a safety thing - the risk of hot food falling on exposed, naked skin. Or even a hygiene thing - small children (especially boys) touching their privates then touching food. Basically, though, I just don't like it!

Feel free to flame me. I know I ABU, each to their own and all that. Can't help it, though. It always makes me cringe.

wow this doesn´t bother me in the slightest. Ds (2.4) is almost constantly naked in the summer at home and sleeps naked. Would be weird to put pants on just to eat dinner and then take them off again. But I still wipe his bum so no worries about the cleanliness thereof!

Ah, but for me just pants isn't enough. Just underwear or bare chests at the table are a no-no too. Sitting down to eat equals fully clothed. Like I said, though, I know it's a personal hang-up of mine and am perfectly happy to be told I ABU.

Surely even those of you who don't mind naked children at the table would cringe at the sight of a naked six year old fiddling with his willy, then immediately touching the food in the serving dishes (not just the food on his own plate)?

serving dishes lol lol lol

I would tell a six year old not to fiddle with his willy anywhere but in the privacy of his own room tbh

For some reason I always insist on pants but that's it.

DS2 in particular sleeps in just pants so that's what he eats breakfast wearing. I wouldn't want him completely starkers at the table but I don't know why really.

I agree with GibbonInARibbon..

For me it's pants at a minimum - if it's really hot & sticky. Prevents skid marks on the chairs - ugrh.

If it's just them at the table I'd be more relaxed about how much else they're wearing during the summer hols, especially if they're old enough to understand that this is a holiday exception & that sometimes they wll have to wear clothes, e.g. when the whole family are sitting down to eat or there are visitors eating too. I think it's important to let kids relax & not be too formal, but it's also important to teach them what's socially acceptable, along with using knives & forks & not jumping down from the table every 5 minutes.

What's funny about serving dishes, Rhino? I'm not talking silver salvers - just a plate of bread or a dish of carrots!

sorry guess I'm just out of the loop

never have serving dishes

gecko would just take them all onto her plate

just sounds pretentious too

presumably if they are naked in the garden they've been in the pool , which would serve as some sort of bath.

We normally go pan to plate and don't bother with serving dishes

We go pan to plate for most things but sometimes use serving dishes, especially if there's likely to be seconds. Saves getting up and going back to the kitchen! You're right - it does sound a bit pretentious. Not sure how else to phrase it, though.

Ds is sensory sensitive and like peachy's ds spends a lot of his time naked. Depending on how well he is coping will depend on how much i inforce clothes. Generally aim for boxers (cant wear pants due to psoriosis). In all cases he must were them to come to table for food. That said when he is really stressed you physically cant get him to sit to eat or eat.

NT -pants min but depends on age and circumstances. I would not expect or accept a NT 12yo to be running round naked tbh.

DS3 aside- and I generally don't hink i'd be happy, though he struggles enough at table so it would depend as the last post says- I woudln't let the older ones sit like it, just poor manners. They are 9 and 8.

With ds3 I have learned to not care tbh, tehre's only so many times I can dress him in a day and tbvh the mroe I force it at home the worse it gets out and about.

I am not in favour of kids running about naked in the first place
but yanbu its not right for them to sit at dinner table naked (or in their underwear imo.. wearing some light summer clothes is not that much of a hardship)

Message withdrawn

For a minute there Bloss I had an image of you and your DH sat semi naked at the table then relaised 'us'meant just family PMSL, not some courting ritual

My DCs worked out pretty quick that they could poke inside their nappies. Think having pants on is not going to stop them fiddling.

ds is quite often naked. So has eaten many a meal without clothes. dd too.

I eat quite a lot of dinners in just my knickers and a vest at the moment as I am very anti clothing....

I am 30 weeks pregnant btw.

But your house, your rules.

I agree about the burning issue though and do usually ask ds to put a top on.

Don't see what the problem is. Your house, your rules. DS has horrid nappy rash so is nappy/pant less and sitting on a towel in his highchair. DD is copying but I make her put knicks on as only just recently potty trained. To be honest, I want them to revel in this short lovely period of complete lack of self consciousness.

ohhhh, lighten up!chillax!..take your your clothes off,come,sit...