Naked children

[nappyaddict]

Which of these places do you let your children run around naked?

1. Public paddling pool
2. Outdoor swimming pool
3. Whilst using the play equipment at the park
4. Beer garden
5. Your street

I think I could stake a claim to have the nakedest children on Mumsnet. Both spend far more time unclothed than clothed.

I wouldn't want them to be naked at any of the places the OP lists.

They are naked at home, in our garden and in other people's gardens. Probably at the beach too. It's about other people's sensibilities.

A couple of days ago my 3-yr-old was most put out that I wouldn't let her play in the fountain naked when we were at the shops. I thought at the time it was a shame.

Sorry Barefoot didn't see your post about the park. Does she only run around the park in just bikini bottoms or actually go on the equipment aswell?

Would you have let them go to the shops in just knickers when they were younger?

None of them really, more for hygiene reasons as ds isn't potty trained yet and has a habit of leaving deposits. That said he spent all of yesterday naked in my mum and dad's garden and loved it, and the previous weekend he was naked on the beach most of the day too. Goes without saying he's covered in suncream.

None.

DD (4.6) runs around naked at home and in my parents' house and garden, if she wants to.

The first 2

But I don't think they would want to now (10 and 7)

I don't even think they'd strip off on a beach - unless it was a noody one

None of the above. Wouldn't let them do 1-4, and they're too young for 5.

Ds1 has been running around the garden with no clothes on for the last few days. I wouldn't have a problem with him doing the same at friends' houses or with his cousins.

hmm na, the way you have phrased it makes it tricky to answer - 'do you' rather than 'would you'.

in theory i have no problem with public nudity of small children (or even bigger ones). but i don't seem to have let ds do any of these things. you have revealed my secret inner prude!

although i would have brought a swimming costume along for the first two, with the intent of it being worn so it isn't really a cop out.

ds stripped on a beach in france aged 2 and a lot of teenagers laughed at him (luckily he didn't notice), i thought that was very sad.

I'm happy for children to go naked in gardens or at the beach or on campsites, less so in the places in the OP. Rusty metal, glass, hard poles to get caught in awkward places.

I do sometimes wonder when my 9yo will succumb to modesty, she's prancing naked around our (quite public) garden today, it's very sweet and I don't want to make her cover up but, you others with uninhibited children, do they reach an age when you do suggest they shouldn't be quite as free-spirited?

In my garden and on the beach. Not on UK beaches though. I know English have a difficult relationship with nakedness even in babies/toddlers.

Fairymum Not on English beaches? Why on earth not? My 11 yo still prances naked merrily on the beach. I have never encountered any resistance to this (except from dh who, interestingly, is not British).

The first two and the beach. They stip off anyway and I don't stop them. People seem very uptight about this - I don't geddit!

This is really interesting. I would have said yes to most of those a few years ago, when I had just one very young child. Since then I have had two more children and have had on two occasions had to chase away a 'decidedly odd' gentleman who stood at the corner of our garden watching my 8, 6 and 4 yr old ds and dds playing. He had also stood and watched out next door neighbour's daughter. he could be entirely harmless but it freaked me out a bit so I tend not to let mine go naked unless inside the house or with 'similar aged' friends in their garden (or mine as long as I'm outside too) This is a really sad post as it is entirely unlike me to think about the possible rather than just enjoying the sight of my lovely childrens' lovely bodies.

None. IMO more flesh showing = more places to burn.

Swimming pools: my DS would still have a swim nappy on as not reliably toilet trained as yet. However if it was an outdoor swimming pool he would still be wearing a t-shirt or UV suit or something.

I am sunburn avoidance obsessed.

I am also an incy wincy bit lazy and unable to cope with full body suncreaming

No reason to go naked in swimming pool, if you've gone there it's planned and you should bring swim suit.

But in lake, sea, etc., it might be spur of the moment and quite alright (for young children anyway).

Naked is fine, but I cringe at bare feet! I also cringe at the sight of that leg joint, next one up from ankles, so my cringes are wierd and probably best ignored.

Beer garden nakedness sounds kinda wrong though.

Street sounds wrong because I have a wierd idea that a car hitting a naked body would hurt so much more! I would not let my kids play IN the street anyway

Others are all ok though!

Absolutely not!!!

Think of the child and cover him/her up. You never know who may have a camera and take a shot of your little one for their own later enjoyment. Even in your own backyard there are prying eyes everywhere these days. So think of your child and get them a cute little bathing costume.

Probably the first two, and then garden and beach as well. My DS1 would go naked at any chance given. DS2 is another story and hates being undressed. DS3 loves being naked as well, but he would scoot everybody, and he can't walk yet either.

Saw a few naked bodies at a busy park on Saturday. Mostly under ones but a few toddlers in that mix as well.

I think if water is involved - beach, paddling pool, fountain - then impromtu nakedness is fine. Playground, beer garden and street no because what's the point? We've just returned from five years in Berlin where we found East Germans of all ages lost no opportunity to get their kit off. The mixed spa at my gym in Berlin had a rule that you had to be naked to go in - however they do share Mannatee's horror of bare feet so flip-flops were pretty much obligatory. My kids (now 6 and 8) have no self-consciousness about stripping off - we tell them not to be so German if we think it's inappropriate!

Don't be silly, dree!

DDs are 5 and 6.

We allow them to be naked in the back garden, slathered in suncream, but not anywhere else.

Dree, that is crazy! Do you read the Daily Mail by any chance!? OR, are you my paranoid ex???

I think these things tend to sort themselves out, tbh. Kids are so sensitive to social cues, I doubt you would normally get a child over about 5 or so stripping off in a place where everyone else was fully clothed. Maybe if there were other things going on, a water fight or whatever.

But I've never known my kids want to walk to the shops without clothes. Occasionally we've had a walk to the shop in pyjamas, with a younger child, but even then, they learn quite young IMO that people don't go around in pyjamas, they don't go around nekkid, and they want to do the normal thing. For the kids I know, its not a question of discipline, but maturity.

So I'd let them strip off wherever they wanted. I can't imagine they'd want to strip off in a beer garden or a park though, unless everyone else was.

and agree that I am not going to curtain my kids' freedom because someone may "have a camera". To be perfectly honest, I don't care that much if someone takes an inappropriate picture of my kids. I think it is vile and I'd seriously rather they didn't, but my kids have a right to enjoy impromptu water fights and those bizare gambolly dances that they seem to need to do from time to time with friends, I am not going to take that away from them because some people are odd.

I've had mine to the beach today and the older 2 (7 & 5) were in their knicks, the LO (2) was naked.
It's natural, I'd rather they were uninhibited