Naked kids on the beach - would you let them?

[ssd]

I mean would you let your say 6 year old play naked on the beach?

Today thanks to the sun at last we went to the beach, it was fairly busy. A family next to us let their approx. 6 year old boy play around the waters edge naked for a while before the cold got to him and he put on pants as in underpants. The other kids ages about 3 - 9 years old were playing in their underpants (all boys).

Now I'm not prudish but I don't think its acceptable to let a child play on a beach naked, nor would I want an older child playing in his pants. My ds1 would never play and run around in front of strangers in only his pants and he's 7, the other kids I mean were older than him.

I don't care what anyone does at home or in their garden, but I'd want them dressed more appropriately at a beach.

What do you think?

I would have no issue at all with children playing naked on the beach.

However, I think I'd prefer mine to have pants on in a public place such as this. Like someone else said, while there are probably no more paedophiles than there were 30 years ago, it is easier to take and share photographs without someone's knowledge.

After swimming, I do take the ds's shorts off at the side of the pool and they stand under the poolside shower naked - I guess I don't feel as 'vulnerable' there as nobody could be photographing them.

I don't think putting pants on them at the beach would give them a complex about their bodies - it's not as if a parent would say 'come on put your clothes on, some paedo could be taking photos of you to w**k over and put on the internet' - you just put shorts on them! It's hardly an odd thing to do.

Nice wriggle, LGJ. You're (just) forgiven

My DD is 3 & a half, on holiday this year, on the beach she'll probbably have a swimmer nappy on tbh but it will probably come off at times when we're playing in the water, I don't know I'll play it by ear.

I think if she were old enough to be playing sandcastles with her bum up in the air digging moats etc, she'd have a pair of bikini bottoms on yes, while whe's in my arms being carrried into the sea for a dip, no I'd probably let her be naked.

Actually having said all that thinking about it, she'll actually be wearing a UV sunsuit so.....!

How about this one then - have just come home from the gym where I was informed that my 7 year old ds is no longer allowed in the ladies changing room and that I am expected to send him into the mens changing room on his own!!
Absolutely livid!

Nerdgirl - mine are still little but it's the same at our gym and I've thought how on earth do you do that? I usually take them, not dh and I won't be sending a 7 yr old into the male changing on his own!!

No I wouldn't - but that's only because I make sure mine are always in UV sits whenever teh sun comes out - they've both inherited my ultra pale and burnable skin. I see nothing wrong with naked children on a public beach, or even in a park where there is a paddling pool.

I have said this before and been lambasted, so can I just emphasise that i do not think peadophilia is OK - I think it is abhorrent. But if somebody does take a picture of my dd running around on the beach without her or me knowing, how does that harm her? It's wrong, it's sick, but it doesn't actually harm my dd - wheras making her think that there is something terrible about her naked body, or making her afraid of teh bad things that strange menmight do to her can causeall sorts of physcological problems.

Seven and they want him in the male changing room on his own?! I would say that they need to have a family changing room and until they provide it, he'll be coming in with you.

Me either! They'll have to physically restrain me from bringing him into the ladies and then I came on here and read stitch's 'visually assaulted' comment and now I want to 'physically assault' someone!!

Now that I would be worried about, disgraceful!

I don't see how having pants/shorts on them in public is giving them a complex about their body though - it's not as though they are dressed differently to anyone else and you and your dp would probably have pants on too. You don't have to discuss why you have them on - you just do!

I would be very interested to hear why they don't want him in the ladies' changing room. Do they think he'll look at ladies?! FFS!!!

Or are women complaining about being visually assaulted by the sight of a child in the altogether?

HM

They have a family changing area at our Cannons, it seems to work quite well.

Hunker, I'm gonig to ask at ours next time I go in!

Good on you, GDG!

Glad to hear it LGJ!

I dont think it's about having pants on them, I think it's about feeling you have to.

Call yourself Hunkermunkergunker then!!

Er...maybe I'll stick to HM

I could always go back to being sneaky...

I did ask Hunker and apparently the 'line has to be drawn somewhere' and 'government advice' is that children can change unsupervised at that age so that's the rule!! And if he slips and falls!! Who picks him up?!?! Aaagh!! Just go angry!! Bloody manager actually tried to equate my ds entering the changing room and a grown man doing it!!

NG!

I would ask them to provide evidence of the government advice (then write to my MP to challenge it if it was forthcoming).

Then I would say that I was changing in the men's changing room with him

As for equating a seven-year-old with a grown man - mental!

I didn't think when I started this thread it would get so many answers and TBH some of them are taking the question a bit too far.......

Of course children should be allowed to play however they want, within reason. And their innocence should be respected and not discouraged. If my ds's had wanted to strip off and run into the water and they saw no harm in it, I would be tempted to let them. But I'd put trunks or the underwear on them, letting them run around buck naked makes me uncomfortable for them. And that's my opinion ladies, no need to get hot under the collar as some of you have!!

Live and let live.....

no choice my autistic son is stripping left right and centre (he's 6).

nerdgirl- we have this problem coming up - ds1 cannot get dressed (physically I mean) let alone go anywhere without supervision (he's non verbal). The idea of him actually looking at ladies bits is laughable (wouldn't be interested unless they looked like a washing machine). They do have disabled changing rooms that are big enough to use- so I'll take that option.

BTW I'd be more uncomfortable with my ds age 7 running around naked, the little 4 year old wouldn't bother me.

Don't know why..

ng- the disabled changing rooms are separate within the ladies iyswim

Morocco - it is my opinion and they are *my children. Please do not mock me for trying to protect them.
I think the more protection ofr children the better. Have you not watched the news and seen how bad child sex offences have become. I believe in my borough alone there are around 900 convicted sex offenders on the offenders list list. Isn't that enough to worry anyone. Also when you receive a letter from your child's school telling you that they have found some weirdo in the bushes taking pictures of your children in the school playground with a camera phone yes it does worry me and no I am not going to apologise for the way I feel.

I don't care what anyone does at home or in their garden, but I'd want them dressed more appropriately at a beach.

Whatdo you think?

A little while later...........

And that's my opinion ladies, no need to get hot under the collar as some of you have!!

Live and let live.....

SSD

With respect,it is a discussion forum, you post you wait, you sift, you move on.