As much of the nation bakes in the hot, sticky summer heat many youngsters have found a simple way to cool off—-strip!
This revealing rite of passage was the subject of a recent article in the New York Times. The tongue-in-cheek piece addressed the appropriateness of children running around naked in public places. It also asked, “How much nakedness is too much?” and questioned why seeing a streaking tot is something that raises eyebrows.
I smirked numerous times while reading the article because not 24 hours prior I allowed my own preschooler to run around naked at our neighborhood pool. Her streaking incident was not planned; rather I was simply removing her wet swimsuit while trying to wrangle her sundress over her head when she took off like a speeding rocket. I was left holding her terrycloth wrap while her bare bod circled the pool at the speed of light.
Fortunately, there were only two other people at the pool and both of them were more concerned with texting than they were with ogling at a nekkid girl making like a whirling Tasmanian devil. My initial reaction was to run after my bare-bunned exhibitionist, but once I realized that the other pool patrons could have cared less that a cheeky preschooler was baring all in a public area, I allowed her to continue frolicking.
It was late afternoon on an absolutely picture perfect summer day. The water was shimmering, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the slight breeze was just enough to keep the bugs at bay. And smack in the middle of all this beauty was my young daughter pirouetting around the pool in the buff. Her leaps were light and joyful, her smile was more brilliant than the summer sun, honestly, she looked like a prisoner just released from San Quentin.
Not wanting to rain on her parade, I let her run around for a few more minutes, and no one was worse off for it. (And yes, I did speak to the other pool guests before leaving and they reassured me that they were not at all bothered by my daughter’s summer streak-fest.)
But getting back to the New York Times piece, the general consensus from the people interviewed for the story was:
A.) Age matters: Viewing a naked four-year-old running around in the backyard is a lot different than seeing a 14-year-old doing the same.
B.) Anything goes in the privacy of the child’s home, though a parent may want to defer to a houseguest’s comfort. (Translation: If grandma feels uncomfortable seeing 2-year-old Tommy running around with his marshmallow buns exposed, then you might consider covering him up.)
Do you let your youngster run around naked?
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