naked kids - Page 2

[chel]

the morality police caught us

Just the other day I took 4yr dd to a park that has a huge water play area (water squirts from hole in the cement). dd was playing in her sunsuit (covers all but forarms and lower leg) it's very modest but I use it for sun protection. Anyway, when she was done she sat down with another mom and myself to eat with us. dd got cold and took off her suit. I made dd cover her body with a towel, to protect her back and butt from the sun. A lady walk over and said dd really needs to be covered up because if a pervert doesn't get her he might come after this lady's dd.
I guess this should be another thread, but of all the child abuse that you guys know of, did any start because they saw a naked kid. I know of atleast 3 abuse issues and none were done on naked kids. One was a babysitter, one in a video arcade, one uncle/nephew.
I pesonally believe that if more people saw a naked body on a regular basis, it wouldn't be shocking or sexually exciting. I was a RN till having my dd and don't think anything of naked people.
I know of some parents that never let their kids see them naked. Even at 4yr dd will still choose to shower with me than play by herself while I shower. I find it quicker and easier than having to wash her leaning over the tub.
Oh, I could rant forever. sorry so long.

[SRHS]

Blaming the victim??

I too am an RN..still have a license, but stay home with my kids...anyway...I totally agree...The more natural everyone views a "naked" body, the healthier we all would be...but then look how long it has taken us to get to where we are with breastfeeding in public.

But all these comments about covering up your child so the perverts don't get them....isn't that just another example of blaming the victim in this country? LIke wearing something or not wearing something makes another individual go insane and act on insane thoughts? REally now....how logical is that???

Someone is or is not a pedophile...whether my kid has on clothes or not...And if I am there and supervising...I bet the pedophile doesn't get to my kid!!!

I have boys and they both see my husband and myself in various states of being clothed....and of course, as an RN, if they ask questions they get A/P 101...with the correct names for things...not that they always use the physiologically correct names...but they know waht they are...and what their purpose in life is. Just matter of fact..this is nature and natural...

We definitely live in a society that is very uncomfortable with the human body. Is that our Puritan roots we can't seem to shake?

[JoshuasMommy]

Chel,
If someone walked up to me and said that in front of my child I would have tore her a new a$$. : What is wrong with people? It sickens me to think I live in society that thinks like this. How confusing and scarry for a child. How did your dd react to this woman? So sorry for you both...Tina

[chel]

I'm a pretty mild mannered person. I basically started talking to dd, we were about to leave anyways. dd already knows that she has to wear clothes when we visit other people and in public. I just said we were in public and needed to get dressed. She does understand that we can change the rules. All our friends can handle naked kids so she is frequently naked for water play at private houses, and I think she just associates water play and being naked. My friend with me entertained the manners police lady and later said this lady has caused trouble before at a playground and also only has 3 boys. The county neighboring us tried to ban gay people, so I'm not too suprised over what people think.
Though I did nurse in public till dd was almost 3 and never got a rude comment in my city. The only person to every say a thing was dd friend's sister (5yr) ask what dd was doing. Her mom stopped nursing her siblings around 9m-1yr. My mom was the only crazy person I had to deal with. She told me she saw a lady NIP in the mall and wanted to tell her that so-and-so store had a nice nursing area in their bathroom. I went on about nasty bathrooms and dear mom said that the breast in public might excit teenage boys. I personally think most teenage boys would be more embarrassed, let alone turned on by saggy, stretch marked covered boobs of a "mom".

[mother_sunshine]

Originally Posted by chel

I pesonally believe that if more people saw a naked body on a regular basis, it wouldn't be shocking or sexually exciting.

ITA


And you're right, the abuse cases I know of also did not involve nudity.

To scorn a naked body is teaching that there is something dirty or wrong with it. I think that is wrong.

[Whiteknight777]

Keep It In the Back Yard

While we may consider it to be nothing at all, some judgement is needed nowadays, in that one should only allow these things in the back yard.

Don't advertise, I would say, for one never knows the mindset of others that may be looking.

I only read recently of one such prevert that was doing his thing, if you get what I mean, while he watched children on swings.

If they can get this lustful watching children on swings, then I prefer to have my grandchildren naked in the backyard, away from the stares of others.

What a world this has turned into.

WK

[Mama2ABCD]

Wow...i came over to this area of the boards hoping a topic like this would be posted and it was. I have a vent to add....
My neighbor came over last night and informed me that another neighbor is reporting me to social services for abusing my children. This is because my sons (4 and soon to be 3) would rather be naked and i let them go naked in the house. Actually at this point they are into dressing themselves and usually have a shirt and/or shorts on. Last summer was when they loved to be naked. We live out in the country and have 3 acres. Our front door is over 100 yards from the road which is a dead end road. Our backyard is our front yard, but i've taught my children that they need to have clothes on when they are outside and have enforced this since last summer. Sad, but i am aware that it offends people when they are naked. Now, my dh could care less what other people think and doesn't care if they are naked or not. So, on days when he watches them, they might run outside naked. Usually when i come home, they are half dressed. Well, apparantly this neighbor whom i've never met, is going to report me for abusing my children for letting my dh let them go naked.
Of course, this woman who informed me of the other neighbor calling social services came over drunk, and it's usually her opinion that she does not like to see my children naked in my house (she visits once in awhile) and she also told me as soon as she walked in my house that i need to wean my children now because they were taking all the milk from my baby (i nurse a 4, 2, and 4 mos old all in excellent health).
My dh said to not be upset until he talks to the neighbor planning to do the reporting and finds out what if she even said that. But, stuff like that gives me the creeps, because it's like if you do something slightly different (and natural) then that's abuse???!!!

I wish you mama's where my neighbors then i could let my kids be kids!

[JoshuasMommy]

First of all That is great that you are able to nurse 3 children. I think I would be over whelmed!

Second, how do these woman know you nurse all your children? Maybe it is time to not hang out with or allow their involvement with your family! This kind of thing really makes me mad. There are real abused children in the world every second of the day. Why aren't they being advocated for? It floors me how someone can hesitate turning in a neighbor that they know is abusing their child and find a hundred ways to justify themselves. Yet, a Mom who loves their child and is doing great by their child is hasseled and called a freak. Wtf?

Apparently, in our society it is okay and expected to treat your kid like shit. Swear at them, call them degrading names and spank. But, if you treat a child with respect and nuture and GO OUT of your way for your child...well, that is abuse! It is like people are protecting low standards because raising the bar would require a little f****** work on their part.

Mamma don't sweat your rude drunk neighbors words. She was probably just drunk and angry and you were there! Keep up the great work loving, caring and protecting your children. And get the neighbors out of your business! Best wishes, Tina

[Kinipela79]

Don't let your children be naked inside the house.

Don't let your children be naked while playing outside.

Don't let your children change clothing in public.

Don't take pictures of your 1 year old without a shirt on.

Make sure your children know that they are inviting attack if they don't wear clothing.

Make sure your teenage daughter knows that she is asking to be raped by wearing that skirt.

How stupid do these statements sound yet so many of us have heard them in some form. A lot of people consider me "prissy" but I wouldn't bat an eye at a naked baby/child playing in water or just hanging out. It's nice to be naked. As adults we are usually just too embarassed to lounge around naked but deep down we know if feels nice and free!!! So of course little kids naturally want to be naked. And so what? There are worse problems in our world than my kid running around naked.

[lauraess]

Kinipela>> I agree

Joshuas mommy>> I agree with you also

Kirstie> YOU are lucky to have a great, easy-going and strong-sounding man and the gentleness and patience to nurse 3 children at once Dont fret, please, be the strong mama I believe you must be and tell these nosey-neigh-sayers to get a life!

Whitenite: No-one is advertising anything but freedom to be natural and innocent. I'm afraid you may be under the misunderstanding that perverts or sex offenders are spurned on by clothing or lack-there-of. The truth is these types are fully responsible for their actions----whether or not people/children have clothes on or not. NO ONE MAKES ANYONE DO OR FEEL ANYTHING---ESPECIALLY NOT A WELL-MEANING MAMA OR CHILD.
laura

[mom at home]

Originally Posted by chel

I went on about nasty bathrooms and dear mom said that the breast in public might excit teenage boys. I personally think most teenage boys would be more embarrassed, let alone turned on by saggy, stretch marked covered boobs of a "mom".

people seem to come up with all kinds of wierd things... that's one of the most ridiculous I've heard... as if...

[mountain]

Hey, I love saggy stretchy boobs of moms!!!

Including my own!!!

If you're uptight about nakedness, you miss a lot of experiences...

Not that I'd run naked on the asphalt---hurts if you fall.

[Mama2ABCD]

i'm realizing my drunken neighbor was just making up stuff. Tina, you nailed her exactly!!! she only comes over rarely and after friday night she's not allowed back. (my dh drove her home and then she cussed him out). as for her knowing about the boys nursing(she has complained to dh the last 2 yrs without my knowing), she has not seen it, only heard me mention it and dh likes to comment that they nurse when someone tells him how healthy and strong my boys look.

i guess since i'm more of a prude and worry about offending people, i'll enforce the dress code for outside play. my dh isn't going to go out of his way to enforce such a silly rule. he's right! and it shouldn't even matter!

[shanleysmama]

Mine run around naked or in undies a lot too. When DD was a toddler, my mom made her a hooded towel that said "Princess Nakey Baby" on it. I have had to tell the kids to wear clothes outside in front of the house, as once when they were out there naked (they had run outside after their bath when DH got home) DH said someone drove by and gave DH a dirty look. But then again, it may be because DS (who was 2 at the time) holds himself a lot when he's naked, LOL.

[Simplicity]

I just saw a news report today, A mother of a two year old girl was escorted off Valley fairs grounds and charged with tresspassing because she refused to put a shirt on her child while she was swimming there. The mother said a security guard came up to her told her that her child needed to wear a shirt. The mother than pointed out that no boys were wearing shirts and it wasn't like her 2 year old had breasts. The security guard then called the police to take the woman and her child off the property! How horrible for the child and for the mother! The one thing that I did find interesting about this news story is that they showed the two year old playing in a pool on the news shirtless. While her mother talked of the issue that happened at valley fair. Now, if they can show the girl on the 6 pm news shirtless wouldn't you think it would be ok for her to be shirtless at valley fair?

Or even in your case, your children in their own yard with parents around.

I'd be quite upset with the cop also, he didn't have to word things the way he did with your children standing right there.

I do agree, it's sad that we live in a society that is afraid of nudity.

[Stevie]

So, in our family, there are no two piece swimsuits and no short skirts, skimpy shirts, backless tops, or adult style clothes, but nudity is fine and dandy.

**********************************

these are also rules in our family
oddly enough, I always change DD into and out of her swim wear in the open at public pools here in southern Wisconsin. What's the difference if I do it outside or in the locker room in front of everyone? I hadn't noticed any dirty looks, but maybe I'm oblivious DD is also a lover of nakies. I remember about a year ago she was running in circles (naked of course) and I asked her what she was doing. Her reply? "I'm running a round naked." LOL ...get it "a round" in a circle? Too funny. She still manages to get out the front door on occasion, but we do have a rule that nakies are for in the house only, unless you're a little brother who needs to clear up a rash

[Kirsten]

Originally Posted by Britishmum

So, in our family, there are no two piece swimsuits

I just have to comment on this because my original gut feeling was the same - my kids would only wear one piece swimsuits because somehow two piece suits seemed too "old" or sexy for children to wear.

However, a few times of trying to peel a wet, clingy one piece suit all the way off so my dd1 could go to the bathroom was enough to change my mind! Now they (dd1 and dd2) own both one piece and two piece but I much prefer the 2 piece because of ease of bathroom use!

I do have to say though that it takes quite a bit of looking to find two piece suits that look appropriate (to me) for children. I like the tankini ones (tank top style on the top so only a bit of tummy shows and everything is easily covered) or the ones with the boy shorts type bottoms - basically a two piece but with more fabric either way!

We are not much for hanging around naked here - if my kids ran from the shower to their room to the bathroom that would be about enough and time to put clothes on but that is just us. Never outside naked (in my family) but I do change their clothes after swim lessons - either in the chair area near the pool (small private pool - just a few families at a time in the backyard) or at the car. My dd1 is 8 and finds a private place behind something or in the 3rd row of the Suburban but my dd2 is 3 and will change anywhere. We are quick and it seems ok so far.

[Hera]

Wow. I never realized I was such a prude! Dd is allowed to be naked inside and in the back yard, but not in front. In fact, I insist on shorts or tights under a dress (she refuses to wear anything but dresses) if she's going out in the world, especially to the playground or somewhere like that. I try not to make a huge deal of it, just give her the societal norms speech, or my favorite "you need to have something on your legs so you don't stick to the slide." I like to know that she can climb up the play structures and sit with her legs splayed wide, and still be covered. When we change for the wading pool I pull off the shorts under the dress, pull up the suit to her waist, and then take off the dress.

I've never really thought it out about "perverts," it just seems more secure to me as she is getting older. Plus, sooner or later she'll encounter bigger kids who will pressure her about underwear showing and nakedness, and I don't want her to get her feelings hurt about her body. You know how kids of a certain age need to enforce the rules as they see them. Who knows what they'd say to her! This way, she knows what the norm is and she won't have to encounter that sort of teasing.

I guess there is a part of me that would be totally horrified if I thought we were giving anyone any sort of a "sexual" idea about a 4 year old. Keeping her modest helps alleviate that fear.

The other day at library story time, a mother was repeatedly reprimanding her daughter, who looked like a two or perhaps young three year old, for showing her panties while she was sitting listening to the story. The mother interrupted the story several times, and even pulled the child aside to give her a talking-to. I would never take it that far, especially not with such a little one. Better to realize that in reality it truly doesn't matter, and next time put her in clothes that aren't so fussy.

[kama'aina mama]

I like two piece suits because I often put DD in a sunblock shirt... if she has to make shi-shi and is in a wet, long sleeved nylon shirt over a tank suit... forget it. If all I have to do is yank down the bottom half of a bikini, I have some chance of being a responsible pool user!

[azedazobollis]

My youngest gets naked at about 1 pm. She often runs outside with the big kids- but darn it- I make her wear her robeez shoes if she's going to be running up and down the brick steps! lol.