Public nudity - when is too old?

[cockles]

Ds is 3.8 this summer and I'm wondering if he is getting a bit old to be tearing round the paddling pool, beach and fountains at somerset house naked. (his habit of weeing as soon as he gets his trousers off doesn't help) What do you think? Paddling pool attendant actually ticked us off last time saying swimsuits were compulsory (never been mentioned before).

Why does he not have a swimming costume?

About 40, I reckon, when the sagginess really sets in.

Oh, you mean children. I always let mine run naked until they decided not to themselves. Usually 6/7.

Of course he has a swimming costume. He just prefers not wearing it, and I don't always have it with me when it is hot and inviting water appears (london seems full of fountains this year!).

I was naked until about 5/6, have no idea why that changed, perhaps I just wanted to be different from my then naked younger sister who was just starting to walk? who knows.

I fully expect dd to be naked until she chooses not to be. most of the time she wants her costume on, but there are days she doesn't and I don't force it, nor will I (until puberty hits, once saw pre-teens playing in just pants with budding breasts. I thought that was just wrong). Dd is 2 by the way

Up to the children IMO, unless there are rules (which would be stupid!).

I don't understand the obsession with putting swimming costumes on young children unless they want them on.

We went camping with friends who were obsessed with their chidlren keepign their swimsuits on, and kept looking a bit cats-bum-face at my children who were all having a whale of a time stark naked!

What are these fountains at Somerset House? Have I missed them?

And I don't understand the reasoning behind young children going naked some places but not others. Ie. you don't see many dc naked at the local park, or at the swimming pool, but as soon as you get to a beach or are anywhere on holiday then its as if childhood nakedness is almost compulsory. "Look at my little poppet, she's so cute in her birthday suit!"

Our dc went naked when they were ordinarily in nappies but were running in and out of the sea which would get their nappies wet. At the swimming pool they wore a swim nappy.

If your dc positiviely love being naked then fine, I suppose, but otherwise why not stick a swimming cossie on them? .

Cockles already said, sometimes you don't have a swimsuit with you when the children want to play, and sometimes they don't want it on.

I don't think anyone's talking about children being naked for the sake of being naked.

IME, your child will tell you themselves when they want to be clothed. DD - 8.4 started to become modest around age six. She always wore a swimming nappy at least, immersion in water made her rectal sphincter relax (fine if it was a pebbly poo, less fun it was unformed)

Fountains are where the ice rink is in winter. Brilliant fun but very drenching - I saw a whole nursery there the other week! It looks like immersion time is over for this year anyway. Thanks!

ds hated the feeling of wet shorts on his legs until very recently so on holiday he would always be naked after about 10 minutes at the pool/on the beach (or in paddling pool at home). He's nearly 5 now though and seems to have grown out of this...

UK swimming pools were never a problem as he wasn't in and out of the water several times - so the wet shorts came off pretty quickly once he realised they were wet IYSWIM

I do think the 'pants' rule in pools etc is more to do with catching any rectal deposits than horror at the sight of children's genital areas. And I wouldn't personally be all that thrilled to see an under 2 or so leaping about starkers in a fountain or paddling pool but only on the grounds that s/he might shit somewhere I or my DS might tread in it.

Ds is 5 and still happy to be nude, but then so am I .........

(though not at the local park obv).

We were at Paultons Park this summer and the kids were playing in the sand pit - and there was pooh all over the play equipment - it was awful for the other kids - I think a lot of them trod/climbed on it before it was noticed and the attendant was called to clear it up: Maybe a great example of why little ones ought to wear something to catch "rectal deposits" if the parents are not supervising closely enough to clear it up themselves (I mean, dog owners carry pooh bags for the job now don't they)!

I do also worry a bit about pervs getting ejoyment out of seeing naked kids - very sad.

I did have an incident whereby my child who was 2.5y at the time was playing naked on a beach and a middle aged man started snapping pics of her (I got her dressed and left). That made me feel rather uncomfortable - so on the whole if in a public place and there are strangers around I make my kids wear something.