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Original poster

3 yr old naked in the garden

50 replies

Millionprammiles · 30/06/2015 11:29

Do your kids runs around naked in the garden if your garden is overlooked and you don't know your neighbours?

I'm probably being stupidly paranoid but neighbours on one side are a group of sharers who frequently have lots of random guests. I know nothing about them but they can now see my naked daughter running around.

I don't want to make dd feel self conscious and we do encourage her to wear pants 'because you might get cold' but its tricky as clearly she's not cold and wants to run round starkers.

OP posts:
Ragusa · 30/06/2015 11:31

let her do it. She's only 3 and it's your own garden.

I hate how uptight we've become in this country.

Wolfiefan · 30/06/2015 11:32

Mine never did but that was because it was very sunny in our garden and I didn't want them burnt!

EatDessertFirst · 30/06/2015 11:33

As long as she is wearing suncream on her nuddy bits, I don't see a problem! My two are often naked in the garden in summer. Its nice to see them feeling so carefree.

Artandco · 30/06/2015 11:34

I let mine run around naked on the beaches and in our communal garden, so no I don't have a problem with it.

If they want to let them. Sooner or later they might not want to.

Magicalmrmistofeles · 30/06/2015 12:49

They tend to wear knickers / cossie if it's really hot - sun creaming the bus doesn't go down well but if it's late enough to be shady the yes, no problem.

Springtimemama · 30/06/2015 12:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TRexingInAsda · 30/06/2015 12:56

With you, in your own back garden at 3yo - yes, definitely fine. Especially in this weather. Lots of sunblock though.

Artandco · 30/06/2015 12:58

I walked through hyde park around an hour ago, there was a whole bunch of kids In the fountains playing naked ( DS was upset he couldn't join as we were in hurry!)

lexyloub · 30/06/2015 13:20

Personally I don't like my children naked anywhere other than the bath. If your garden isn't overlooked and your comfortable with it then by all means but ask yourself would you go naked in the garden? If not what's the difference in your children doing it. Generally people don't walk around naked so why let your children think it's ok. I hate seeing children naked on a beach you don't know who's watching, that maybe a slight on the people around us but unfortunately that's the world we live in. What's wrong with a pair of knickers or underpants on? We teach our children the underwear rule then parade them around without any underwear on what kind of message is that?

Artandco · 30/06/2015 13:34

Lexy - but I think so what if a Pervy person took a picture. Sure it's not nice why they took it, but it's not actually harming my children. They aren't actually near my children physically, my children come to no harm if someone random takes a picture from afar.

If your worried about kidnapping etc that can happen dressed in a ski suit

BabyGanoush · 30/06/2015 13:38

Goodness you can't live like that.

My 10 year old still runs around like a naked loon. We had to tell him last year that when he goes outside the garden (street) he really needs to wear some pants.

Let them enjoy their naked freedom

whyhasmyheadgonenumb · 30/06/2015 13:38

Thank you for starting this thread, I was getting bored of fetching dry pants for them to wear - DS isnt quite potty trained and nappy in paddling pool just doesnt work! naked it is :)

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 30/06/2015 13:40

I can't see it's different to kids naked on the beach with hundreds of people there as well. I'd let her, it's such a short period of time (the UK summer, that is)

LittleLionMansMummy · 30/06/2015 13:40

I can't stop my ds getting naked. He'd do it in public if we let him (we don't, he's 4.5) but he's always loved stripping off completely in this weather. We're overlooked but know the neighbours to talk to - an older family, but with grandchildren. I too hate how obsessed we've become as a country. Things like signs everywhere specifying no photos to be taken. We just returned from France and didn't see a single sign asking people not to take photos. Where has all the innocence of childhood gone? Paedophiles have always been around, we just hear more about it these days.

lexyloub · 30/06/2015 13:41

That response absolutely baffles me so your not bothered that someone is getting their rocks off looking at your children or taking a picture of your child that would probably go viral to other pervs to get their kicks too because it's not harmed your child. Are you for real?Why would you put your child in that position? If your in public with your child naked that's just enticing them if your child is covered up they'll be less interested in them.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 30/06/2015 13:44

I don't agree with you lexy the very slim likelihood of a paedo watching vs a childhood of freedom doesn't compare to me. Especially in the ops back garden.

BathshebaDarkstone · 30/06/2015 13:45

No, because DD's now at the age where showing your knickers or even your legs is rude according to her, and DS has never expressed the desire to do so.

Original poster
Millionprammiles · 30/06/2015 13:45

We've managed to convince dd to wear a swimsuit when its sunny (she understands the need to cover up from the sun).
But late afternoon when its shady and she's just come home from nursery, she's out the door, clothes flung far and wide, before I can stop her.

Its probably sensible to encourage her to wear a swimsuit anyway, noticed a few mosquito bites on her the other day.

OP posts:
LashesandLipstick · 30/06/2015 13:46

Lexyloub did you really just say naked children are "enticing" paedos? Sounds an awful lot like "she's asking for it"

MarchLikeAnAnt · 30/06/2015 13:48

No, my 3 year old wears shorts and vest or swim suit.

FernGullysWoollyPully · 30/06/2015 13:50

My dc don't run around naked in the garden. It's not because I wouldn't let them (they've never shown an interest) but I live nxt door to a share house and its not a nice place, the tenants are a seriously unsavoury sort.
Dh caught one of them masturbating in their garden when he looked out of our dorma window and our dc were in our garden. Police called etc. He's being evicted from there now but it's been quite a fight.

It kills me to think my dc were being viewed by a pervert like that.

RiverTam · 30/06/2015 13:54

No problem with that here, dd can run around the local paddling pool naked if she wanted and if I could be arsed to suncream her up. She's 5. It's a body. Nothing to be ashamed of. The first time she tried on clothes in a shop with just a curtained-off area (dance shop) she simply couldn't understand why she had to be behind this curtain, and I have to say I struggled to give her a decent answer.

claraschu · 30/06/2015 13:56

Mine ran around naked until they were 5 or 6. I hate uptightness about nudity. In most of Europe it is not an issue, so why are people here so worked up about it?

lexyloub · 30/06/2015 13:58

Let's face it peadophiles don't walk round wearing a badge saying "I'm a peado" & it's not a stereotypical dirty old man wearing a mac flashing. You don't know who anyone really is.

LittleLionMansMummy · 30/06/2015 14:00

I do feel we live in a nanny state. It's the same with all the health and safety gubbins which has gone too far. Ds often muses/ complains that he's either not tall enough/ old enough to go down water slides on his own, or with armbands on, yet isn't allowed down on our laps either. In France, no problem - it's on the parents' heads

Sorry, bit of a digression but lots of these little things became apparent to me while we were away from the UK.