I was raised in a clothed family, never saw my parents and bothers naked. My parents had pictures of me naked playing in the front yard when I was around 3 years old, I was too young to remember being naked. I never had the freedom to hangout naked at home. My brothers and I were always clothed and never was allowed to go shirtless unless we were at a public pool. I was always interested with the nudist lifestyle from an early age but not had the opportunity until at the age of 12 when I was with a friend playing in a steam. We had got our clothes wet and didnt want to go home and get in trouble so we got naked to allow our clothes to dry. We continued to play while we were naked and had a great time. We would return to the stream through to summer and would strip naked before playing in the stream. The following year I was introduced to the jr. high locker room and gang showers and looked forward in getting naked and showering at the end of gym class.
The original article has disappeared. Here's a repost for anyone who wants to read it:
I was cutting up a tomato for the burgers when Charlie halted in his tracks, the smile melting away from his face.
Uh-oh, I thought. Something just happened in Charlie Town.
And I was right. My 2-year-old began fumbling with his clothes until they started coming off. Next thing I knew he was Magic Mike-ing his duds this way and that way, up above his head, in random directions around the yard.
Everyone sitting around the table was cracking up. Even my two older kids stopped their monkey bar action to watch the show. Charlie was dead serious though, and he wasnt chuckling along with any of us. The boy had decided that his T-shirt and shorts were cramping his style. And so they needed to go.
It was hilarious, partly because Charlie was whipping off his outfit, but also because of the look of concentration that came over his little face once hed decided to go au naturale.
By the time he made it down to his diaper, people were crying tears of laughter. And just like some perfectly choreographed show in Vegas, Charlie finally glanced over at the grownups in hysterics, yanked his diaper until it broke free from his tiny torso, and tossed it as high as he possibly could in the air.Youve never seen a kid so overjoyed to be stark naked.
Little kids love to run around in the nude. Its always innocent, of course, the perfect bonus prize to being young and free.
Next thing I knew he was Magic Mike-ing his duds this way and that way, up above his head, in random directions around the yard.
Of course, my immediate reaction as a slightly neurotic single dad who always wants to be doing the right thing for his kids was to head Charlies way at once, fully intent on re-dressing him. I knew that hed freak out and cry if I did, but I also felt as if I couldnt let my toddler run around my yard in the nude.
I mean, what if my neighbors were looking out their windows?! They could be offended, no? Hell, last year The Royal Canadian Mounted Police visited a Canadian familys home after someone reported that their 4-year-old was running around naked after a family car wash session.
So although Ive always let my three kids sing and dance their way across our living room in nothing but their birthday suits if they wanted to, this was outside. It didnt bother me at all. But then again, Ive never called the cops on myself before either, you know?
So I thought maybe I should just nip Charlies idea in the bud.I think thats probably the initial reaction that a lot of parents start to have too, especially once their kids reach a certain age.
Was I wrong, though? When it comes right down to it, what IS the appropriate age for a child to be completely covered up and remain that way? Im not certain. Plus, Im not certain about who might be certain either.
Are there laws about if a 4-year-old boy wants to dash around without his shirt and shorts on? What about a 4-year-old girl? Standards have tightened in this Internet age, like it or not. Lots of people are sharing lots of information and that has created entirely new galaxies of opinionated judgment. There are many people alive today who can probably remember a time when it wasnt uncommon at all for neighborhood kids to run around without clothes on (or without shirts on at least) boys and girls.
I want my kids too look back on their youth and be able to say, as much as possible, that, once upon a time, if they felt like dancin naked over at Dads house, there was never anything to stop them. Including Dad.
But I think those days are pretty much over. I dont know why exactly, but it does feel that way to me somehow. Charlie is only 2, though. Two isnt too young to be out in my yard nude, now is it?
My daughter Violet is 7, and she used to LOVE running around outside clothing-free, but I cant let that happen anymore. As much as it makes me sentimental and sad for days gone by, its just a given that shes past the point of being naked outside.
But what about inside?
Are parents supposed to feel awkward around their own child when their first- or second-grader wants to watch cartoons sans all that pesky clothing? I get so confused. My head tells me that Im doing the right thing by keeping them dressed ALL of the time, inside or out.
Its my heart that messes me up. I want them to have a simple, cool childhood. I want my kids to look back on their youth and be able to say, as much as possible, that, once upon a time, if they felt like dancin naked over at Dads house, there was never anything to stop them. Including Dad.
I suppose thats why I feelso guilty, too. After all, in a lot of ways what could be more organically cool in a Norman Rockwell kind of way than letting your own kids be naked out in the summer sun?
Am I wrong? Maybe we just need to play it by ear. I feel like 4 is the age. But maybe 3 isnt too young to draw the nudist line. But then theres 5 and thats such a fun time!
Ugh.
This parenting thing is really tough sometimes. END.
It's a typical article written by a magazine or blog contributor, and it is obvious the writer has some hangups of their own about nudity.
He seems uncertain about a lot of things, worried about possible judgement by others and overall the article is written more as a "this is what I did today" rather than any serious debate about the age that someone should start covering up.
The reality is there is no age at which people should start wearing clothes. There are times and places where it is practical, necessary or useful to cover up, but to put an age restriction on it isn't needed.
We should be free to be nude at any age, especially within the confines of our own homes.
He seems uncertain about a lot of things, worried about possible judgement by others ...
Every parent worries about these things.... rather than any serious debate about the age that someone should start covering up.
Not particularly the age, but an event, how about a visit from the police?
Like this one: "Neighbor Calls Cops To Report Naked 4-Year-Old Playing In Yard"
Full article: www.scarymommy.com/neighbor-calls-cops-to-report-naked-4-year-old-playing-in-yard
This is from the article.
"A call to the police for a naked four-year-old? Is this what we've come to?"
The author referenced this in his article.
What's he or any parent suppose to do?
In the context of the article, the age for public nudity of young children would vary markedly. I'd probably feel safe from meddlesome strangers up to perhaps four at a beach or under a sprinkler in the garden and it probably helps if the kid looks young for their age or just plain adorable. It's certainly a lot rarer than I recall it used to be here, but there was a recent example nearby (suspect 3) on our beach vacation. My conservative daughter (21) commented that he was cute - was not expecting her to volunteer that thought!
We got a visit from the state Division of Youth and Family Services because someone saw our three year old running nude around the pool in our backyard. The representative said that nothing would happen, but they have to visit the home whenever they get a complaint.
"We got a visit from the state Division of Youth and Family Services because someone saw our three year old running nude around the pool in our backyard. The representative said that nothing would happen, but they have to visit the home whenever they get a complaint."
That's a bit harsh. Does the (presumably unknown) complainant also expect toddlers to change themselves for modesty's sake?
"We got a visit from the state Division of Youth and Family Services because someone saw our three year old running nude around the pool in our backyard. The representative said that nothing would happen, but they have to visit the home whenever they get a complaint."That's a bit harsh. Does the (presumably unknown) complainant also expect toddlers to change themselves for modesty's sake?
I don't know. The incident happened because my wife was helping him change out of a wet swim suit and he escaped. We had a 4 foot fence around the pool so it wasn't easy to see inside.
"We got a visit from the state Division of Youth and Family Services because someone saw our three year old running nude around the pool in our backyard. The representative said that nothing would happen, but they have to visit the home whenever they get a complaint."That's a bit harsh. Does the (presumably unknown) complainant also expect toddlers to change themselves for modesty's sake?I don't know. The incident happened because my wife was helping him change out of a wet swim suit and he escaped. We had a 4 foot fence around the pool so it wasn't easy to see inside.
Oh my GOD this world is a screwed up place when kids can't be nude in their own backyard, I don't care what age they are! Sounds like time to put up a ten-foot fence or move to a new neighborhood if possible, to get away from that Karen. We've heard of good fences making good neighbors, but in this story, bad neighbors make for taller fences! What a pathetic misuse of government funds.
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