Is it acceptable to have nude photos of your kids?

[MerryMarigold]

A friend was looking at our holiday photos on computer and there was one of my favourite pics of our ds (18mo at the time) standing on the beach, looking out towards to the sea. It was taken from behind him so you could only see his bottom. My friend said a friend told him that someone told him blah blah blah, that it is illegal to have nude photos of kids. Whilst I really don't believe it can be illegal to have nude pics of your own kids, I am now wondering where the borderline comes and what is acceptable or not.

Tbh, I was shocked that such an innocent picture could provoke a reaction like that. But I realise it is a symptom of the sad world we live in.

We actually have loads of much 'worse' full frontal, willy shots in bath, paddling pool, beach (we are not weird about nudity in this family!). The pics were just taken when he is having fun, and he happens to not have any clothes on. But I am now wondering what people read into this.

I have been intending to make a photo album of my ds's first 2 years of life, but can I even get them developed? At what age will it be unacceptable to have child running around nude and take pics?

What do other people think of this issue? And anyone who can shed light on legalities etc. would be much appreciated.

I know nothing about the legalities but we have similar pictures of our babies and toddlers. i am also by your friends comments

What a load of bullshit

Of course ou can have naked photos of your kids!!

Maybe I should put swimming shorts on DS when I bath him?

Or close my eyes when I change his nappy??

And I wipe him with a baby wipes ... so im a bloody pervert arent i??

I am SO sick of this shit!

surely not illegal

I think family snaps in an album of nudey children is acceptable. One of my favourite photos of my DC is them cavorting in a welsh stream wearing nothing but a broad grin. They are fresh and innocent.

I don't know what age it would be unacceptable but your DC will subtely give you guidance...

She's misinformed.

oh my god that can't be true! blimey.
i have no idea though tbh.

you could always get a little photo printer if you're worried about getting them developed.

So, if it were illegal to have pics of your children, is it also illegal to look at your chldren while they are naked?

what a load of crap.

it's a damn shame that people are so paranoid about things that they feel the need to almost sexualise kids when they are just harmless, natural situations/pictures.

unless you plan to take pictures of him in the bath when he's 17 and put them up in the hallway, i would not worry and tell them to get stuffed.

(plus, they are great for embarassing them when older- my Gramps blew up a nude picture of me watering plants in my sunhat when i was about 3, and put it up at my 18th birthday!)

So, if it were illegal to have pics of your children naked....

Pathetic - of course you can have nude photo's of your kids! After all, you need to embarrass them when they turn 21 or get married! .

But seriously, what is this world coming to, if friends can make comments like that about your photo's? It's not like you're going to post them on the internet for some perv to look at!

Personally I'd print them myself rather than sending them off/uploading them to a photo printing service but there's nothing wrong with having innocent naked photos of your ow children.

think your friend is a little confused. I have pictures of both mine when they was little and in the bath, or some when they was in the swimming pool with nothing on.

I think the nudity thing it to do with when you send pictures away to be devoled, they are not allowed to develop pictures of a man if his penis is erect and pictures of that sort, that is my understanding of it tho I may be wrong.

Oh fgs it is not illegal to have nude pictures of your children. Of course you can get the pictures developed!

It really annoys me that your friend has upset you like this when it is a normal healthy thing for your children to run around in the nude and for you to take pictures of the joy they feel when they are doing it!

When your dcs feel uncomfortable with it, that is when you should stop taking photos.

No. Of course not. We have loads from when they were little. Not now as DS#1 and DD have both developed a sense of privacy about their bodies to a much greater extent.

This is all going way too far. Nakedness is natural in babies and toddlers. I do know someone who will not change her DS's nappies because she doesn't want to touch his penis.... not that is unhealthy

My friend has a very similar picture of her two eldest, in a frame, on display in her home. It is a lovely, innocent childhood picture.

I think you know when it becomes inappropriate. When DD1 was about four, she was dancing around in a pair of my fancy, evening shoes. She looked so happy that I snapped a picture. I only realised that I'd taken a full-frontal nude photo when I looked. I hadn't even registered that she was naked, because it is a normal state of affairs for her LOL.

I do feel uncomfortable about showing that picture to anyone else, although I haven't actually deleted it. I think it's OK for us to keep it, but not to show it to all and sundry. Is that remotely logical ??!!

Nicest baby pic we have of ds1 is in the bath with DH at just a few days old (DH top half up LOL), ts not an issue at all- think your friend is a mite confused. there have been cases where developers have contacted police whena sked to develop pics of a seriously nasty nature, but an innocent baby shot is so different!

Little kids love shedding their clothes(well mine do anyway)so half the time they're missing something, I'd never be able to take photographs if your friend was right.

I would have thought pretty much every parent in the land has a nude pic somewhere of their kids.

We wouldn't have photos of DD if that were the case...

I know when we went to Center Parcs, after our swim I stripped my 8 month old DS off completely and put him into a little playpen next to us. The looks I got were so awful that me and DH felt embarrassed so put a nappy on him.

How sad eh?

BTW - I have loads of shots of him naked. I think he looks scrumptious with no clothes on

I'm with Flamesparrow - my dd wouldn't wear clothes unless forced anyway!

Course it's not illegal - there is a world of difference between your own children naked and inappropriate naked images of other's children. We have many 'naked' photos of other's dcs but none of them are what I would call inappropriate - your friend sounds like she's gone mad!

Thanks for reassurance. It was a male friend. So maybe he is more sensitive to this stuff.

I confess I did post this pic on facebook along with other summer holiday snaps, although ONLY my friends can access it. And if someone really wants to hack through and see it, it's only a 'bottom' shot.

I will prob be a little more careful when sending pics off to be developed though. I am sure in 15 years time, when his girlfriend comes over, that ds will be grateful we have not developed and displayed ALL the willy shots!

We have some but try and avoid taking photos with his 'bits' in because we tend to email photos round to people a lot, and I would be concerned about that.

Not concerned about having them per se though.

wilkie perhaps the "looks" you got were people concerned he would pee or poo in the playpen, rather than worry about him being nekked?