Would you let your 4 yr old..

[whoopsfallenoveragain]

Run around a busy beach completely naked?

I was at the beach this morning and a little girl was running about with nothing on I would have a least had knickers on her.
It kind of made me feel uncomfortable.

I would but DP gets frightfully prudish about nakedness. I like nakedness on beaches.

One of the other parents. And then pretty much all the others joined in. One had her 11mo in a bikini FGS! I actally find that MUCH more inappropriate than a bare chest. It sort of implies that a baby girl's "breasts" should be covered. Madness! I stopped going to that class.

I'm with joelallie: "My kids won't be constrained by other people's inadequacies and perversions."

My kids generally don't get much chance to run around naked as we live in the UK where people are funny about these things, but I certainly wouldn't stop them from being naked on a beach.

Oh, yes, and bikinis on pre-pubescent kids are weird enough, never mind on babies.

"One had her 11mo in a bikini FGS"

Yuck-yuckity-yuck..... ITA Becky!

NQC - I live in the UK too and it's never bothered me. Perhaps I just don't notice the tuts and stares.

Oh, I'm not talking about tuts and stares. We have a paddling pool near us. Ok, I can see a bit of an argument against naked kids in the paddling pool, especially the little ones who will poo in it. (But they don't require proper swimsuits/swim nappies, like paddling pools back home.) But you get told off if your kids are naked near the pool.

greensleaves.

What does ITA mean?

Never been told off for it either. How odd. Mind you in a public pool I'd use a swim nappy for an un-potty trained child.

ita = i totally agree. Isn't it a mumsnet thing? Sorry

Thank you!

I'm rubbish at acronyms

Haven't read all of this but the sad truth is your child is far more likely to be inappropriatly watched etc but someone they know rather than someone they don't at the beach. In reality there aren't more 'perverts' just more awareness of them. I therefore wouldn't be too concerned but would just take sensible precautions.

Also would depend on the age of the child, very young is more innocent and ok than older I would have thought. But again I don't see a huge problem with it as long as parents are keeping an eye.

In public indoor pools, I think swimsuits are required? I think even in Germany, they wear swimsuits there, I don't know why. (In Iceland they definately do.)

my 6 and 4 yo dds have been naked quite a lot of the time lately, when we chance upon a river or a beach unexpectedly in hot weather, they just strip off. would feel sad if they were inhibited about it. haven't noticed any perverts hanging around.

btw in some German indoor pools they have no swimsuits on. in health clubs. not sure if children go to those though.