I took the family out to the New Forest(which, incidentally isn’t all that new anymore, but they just never got around to changing the name) the other day; we went to a place called Linford, where there is a shallow stream with a gravel bed and nice grassy banks that are grazed down to a bowling-green finish by rabbits and other animals. There are bushes and thickets so arranged by nature that the length of the river is divided up into a large number of small clearings, each segregated from the others.
Anyway, the place is much used by people for picnicking, minnow fishing and general recreation; quite a lot of kids go paddling in the water too; it’s probably safer (in terms of risk of drowning) than the seaside.
We found a nice quiet spot with nobody else around and set up camp (blanket and picnic basket). I foolishly thought my kids would only want to dip their toes, so I had not packed swimming costumes, but I took off their shoes and socks and let them go for a little paddle.
My son (3¾) reported back fairly soon to show me that the hems of his shorts were wet, so I took them off and hung them on a bush but that was OK because he still had his undies on, shortly afterwards though, he jumped into the stream and got nearly everything else wet; my daughter (5½), not to be left out, promptly copied him then they both came back and stripped themselves off completely.
OK, so now we have two young naked children frolicking and slashing about in a secluded stretch of river, no problem… except that other people appear, about three or four family groups, and set themselves up nearby; all of the kids’ clothers are still drying on the bush, so there’s very little I can practically do to stop my children running about naked (but they aren’t going very near to the other people).
Is that bad? I have mixed feelings about it, but I tend to think that it’s not a huge problem; they were never out of my sight and although they got a few odd looks from people, nobody made an issue out of it…
Here’s the system we’ve used for generations in my family:
0-3 yo, okay
4-6 yo, only around family
7-10 yo, definitely don’t want to see it
11-17 yo, no way
18-24, sell tickets
25-46, nude beaches only
47+, by now your kids are probably trying to keep your clothes on
Yeah, but Medievalist2, its not like Mangetout wasn’t keeping an eye on his kids.
I wouldn’t even consider this situation as being naked in public. You’re in the forest, right? In nature, right? Its not like you’re at the local shopping mall. I’d say its ok.
But I live in a country where people go to hot springs naked, so who am I to judge?
Kids know what is fun and feels good. You were there to watch over them and make sure nothing untoward happened. No need to feel strange about it. In fact, I bet you wanted to join them.
Mangetout I’d feel the exact same way as you. It’d be kinda weird, but not a big deal. But all the same, I always carry extra clothing for both kids because they’re always doing stuff like that.
I think it’s great! And cute- nothing sweeter than a little kid’s bare bottom. And no, I’m not a child molester!
In fact, that setting may have been better than the beach, where my children have been known to skinny dip, because sand in strange places isn’t an issue.
Don’t sweat it. IMO anyone who has a problem with it is too repressed and uptight. They’re kids, not teens or seniors!
no, it’s not ok for him to run around naked in public.
(but at the ages your kids are, and the situation you were in, nah, not a problem - it’s not like you were grocery shopping or whatever)
How would a topless 6 y.o. be disturbing??? There’s nothing up there a 6 yo. would have to hide. I always assumed that top for little girls only existed because said little girls like to pretend they’re grown-up or wear a top “like mom”.
I personnally see no issue with the kids being nude in the situation the OP described (and doubt that it would put them at risks more than if they have been wearing a bathsuit), but then have been chastized in GD for stating that nude kids weren’t obscene, so…
I have to assume that you’re talking about the possibility of somebody photographing them (because I mentioned that they were never out of my sight) - is it justifiable to spoil their fun because of such a very remote possibility?
I think I would be right in saying that the possibility of abduction was as near to zero as is actually possible; there were other families around and we were a long way from the car park (no vehicular access to where we were), plus the gravel stream contains a ready supply of nice large rocks to which I believe the skulls of perverts would be quite vulnerable.
I personally don’t see anything wrong with the kids being nude in this situation.
Guin, I know what you mean about the topless six-year-old. When I was around fourteen, we lived in a trailer park and there was this family living near us who allowed their daughters to run around topless- nothing on but a skirt. One of the girls was, maybe around six or seven. The other was, like, ten. Very creepy.
Yeah I see no problems with this and I’m generally an uptight kinda person. I like Babar714’s age scale.
My niece recently turned 3 and she’s showing signs of modesty in public.
I was the same way even before I turned 3.
I read somewhere that, basically, nudity is inappropriate once the kid starts feeling the need to cover up. Within reason, I think this is a good guideline.
Is it acceptable to let your children run around naked in public?–Generally, IMHO I would say no, but the situation as described was quite a bit closer to the private end of the public/private continuum and I would also say it was completely innocent and wouldn’t get too harsh on myself for letting it happen once, although I’d probably bring bathing suits the next time I went there.