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Original poster

Naked kids on the beach - would you let them?

388 replies

ssd · 30/05/2005 17:52

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?

OP posts:
Gobbledigook · 30/05/2005 20:06

Absolutely BH.

PinkFluffPudding · 30/05/2005 20:08

Nerdgirl - I would boycott the gym along with a strongly worded explanation why you will be withdrawing your business along with a demand for a refund on any up-front fees you may have paid. You have justifiable reasons for doing this IMO.

This kind of crazy hysteria just should not be tolerated.

hunkermunker · 30/05/2005 20:11

BH, paedophiles try to get jobs in shoe shops - it's a nice job for a paedophile to have, according to one (very disturbing) prog I subtitled.

cod · 30/05/2005 20:12

Message withdrawn

Heathcliffscathy · 30/05/2005 20:13

ssd, what are you uncomfortable about exactly...'for them'?

PinkFluffPudding · 30/05/2005 20:18

Did you bury it Cod?

Gobbledigook · 30/05/2005 20:19

I hope you had your pooper scooper with you!

cod · 30/05/2005 20:20

Message withdrawn

cod · 30/05/2005 20:20

Message withdrawn

Blossomhill · 30/05/2005 20:20

Thanks gdg. Hunker - I understand that but I am not going to make it easy for the evil bs, end of story.

Bugsy2 · 30/05/2005 20:23

I'm always so sad when I hear about parents covering up their children because paedophiles may be lurking on the beach. The children have no idea about paedophiles (I sincerely hope) and they are so innocent and happy. My son is 5.5 and his own natural modesty about his body has kicked in and he doesn't want to scamper around nude any more. His little sister is still happy to. However, as long as I was there to supervise and protect them, then I am pefectly happy for them to be nude, if that is what they want.
The percentage of paedophiles is tiny. They are very sad, sick people but they are not going to spoil my children's innocent childhood.

Caligula · 30/05/2005 20:39

I think most kids come to their own decision about modesty, covering up etc., round about 7 or 8 ish as they become more aware of issues of modesty, covering up, etc. I'd hate to rush that because of screwed up prudish English attitudes to nakedness, and I'd particularly hate to allow a pervert who may or may not be present, to dictate to me whether or not to allow my children to be naked.

Nerdgirl, your gym's madness is a prime example of just how screwed up the English are about children and sexuality. To treat a child of 7 as a potential sexual predator and to want to send him into an environment unprotected from real potential sexual predators, is simply perverse. How absolutely insane.

motherinferior · 30/05/2005 20:41

I'd be happy with nakedness, but I think DP gets worried. I totally see your point too, Prufrock.

assumedname · 30/05/2005 20:52

Re the gym issue - my eldest dd is sometimes shy about changing in front of other girls. How much more so if there are older boys in the changing room?

saadia · 30/05/2005 21:09

I agree with you ssd, I wouldn't let my dss run around naked in public either and they are three and one.

Original poster
ssd · 30/05/2005 21:10

LGJ, point taken. Still think some replies were over the top. I was wanting others views on naked children on a beach,and if they'd let their kids run and play naked, not their views on my feelings about it.

Sophable, I don't know why it makes me uncomfortable, it just does. I'd be happier to keep them in their trunks in a public place than let them be running around naked.

And that is my view! Of course others have the opposite views and I respect them for it, I'd like to be respected for my views too.

OP posts:
Fran1 · 30/05/2005 21:10

ssd you asked "what do you think" so we are giving our opinions!

If you're gonna live and let live, then don't comment on another family you saw whose child was naked on the beach, who had absolutely nothing to do with you!

Fran1 · 30/05/2005 21:11

ok posts crossed, you've answered the first part!

Original poster
ssd · 30/05/2005 21:21

I give up!

I wasn't commenting on another family I had nothing to do with Fran, I couldn't care less if everyone let their children play naked.

What I was trying to ask was are you comfortable with your kids naked on a beach, as I'm not.

This was the first time this year I'd been on a beach and I was just surprised to see a bunch of kids much older than toddler age running around in their pants or naked.

Maybe I came across as judgemental on the first post, I didn't mean to.

OP posts:
Original poster
ssd · 30/05/2005 21:22

Sorry Fran posts crossed again!

OP posts:
TwoIfBySea · 30/05/2005 21:29

I would worry about making children ashamed of their bodies. They are sexualised way too early because of all this paedo fear.

Having said that I let dst (3 1/2) wear either a t-shirt or protective swimsuit. That is because my mum's friend had skin cancer so I am probably over-cautious because I saw what happened to her. But I wouldn't feel at all embarrassed if we were at a beach, without swimmers or anything to let them run around in the buff for a little while. Again my paranoia would mean I wouldn't do that without suncream.

And I am prudish!

stitch · 30/05/2005 21:51

i definitly think children should be allowed to be children.and i think we should teach children to love themselves enough to cover up their private bits.
old fashioned, but not prudish in the least. if a child has enough self respect then they wont end up pregnant at 12 etc. i feel that in the uk chid=ldren are simply not empowered to say no. and not going round naked after the age of about 3or 4 (post potty training) is all part of the empowerment.
as for the visual assault, well, why am i being forced to look away? dangly bits are bad enough, i just dont like having them flashed at mee. i wouldnt say so in rl, as everyone has the right to do as they want. but i just dont like it.
topless adult bathing is just plain sad...

stitch · 30/05/2005 21:53

i dont worry about paedophiles, because i hope that i am teaching my kids to respect themselves, and not to do anything, talk to anyone etc unless they are happy about it.
maybe i am naive, but there are far more dangerous things that are far more likely to happen

hunkermunker · 30/05/2005 22:05

Stitch, that's one way of looking at it - the other is to say that if children are comfortable with their bodies, they won't let other people touch them - whereas if they are made to feel their bodies are somehow something to be ashamed of - well, all sorts of trouble starts there, IMO.

WideWebWitch · 30/05/2005 22:08

Stitch, your assumption that your children won't become victims of paedophiles because, and I quote from your post, " they respect themselves, and not to do anything, (sic) talk to anyone etc unless they are happy about it " is absolutely breathtaking in its ignorance and arrogance.

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