I took my kids to a clothing optional beach on St. Maarten last week. What's the big deal?

[Beausoir]

My kids didn't bat an eyelash. They were too busy having fun in the sand and ocean. It made me appreciate how natural nudity is.

But, some adults I know were appalled that I had "exposed" my young children to...something.

It was an enlightening experience for me.

[jpgray]

1. I don't see nudity as potentially harmful for kids--observed -sexual- behavior, sure

[wildhorses]

2. thing is they are YOUR kids

if this in reference to what matcom just posted...plus they were in a public area and a camera was not involved and racy poses were not wild with abandon

i think it is about context here

[Beausoir]

5. Yes, that thread prompted this one. But, no, I don't condone what those two other women did.

I just thought I'd share my experience.
It was interesting.

Edited for clarity: The other thread about the two women who took sexy photos with a 5 year old is a completely different matter.

[Orsino]

3. You're not teaching them good old-fashioned American shame.

You want 'em to learn on the street how dirty the human body is?

[MissMillie]

4. Not something I'd do, but also not something I'd condemn anyone else for doing

despite my being shy about my body as my son was growing up (not because of any connection to sex, but because I hated my body) my son seems to have absolutely no problem showing off his (even though his body could use a little work too...)

I wonder if those who were appalled would avoid taking their kids to an art gallery for fear of naked bodies....

[xmas74]

6. My six year old still hops in the shower w/ me on a regular

basis. She thinks it's a big treat to take a shower w/ her mommy.

But it's not sexualized, like the post matcom made. I have no problems w/ nudity in the house, I have no problems w/ nudity at the beach and I have no problems w/ it in a colony. (I know someone who lives in a colony and I'd have no problems w/ taking her there.) I do have problems w/ posing and making suggestive moves.

Nudity is natural for all ages but there is no reason to sexualize it for young children.

[Beausoir]

7. Honestly, this beach was beautiful and as non-sexual as it gets.

I came to realize that some of the young women who were in G-Strings and dental-floss bathing suits were FAR more sexual than the just flat out naked people.

Stating the obvious, but it was an interesting experience.

We aren't hung-up about nudity at our house, either. Everybody has skin and a body.

[xmas74]

8. Many beaches like that are not sexual by any means.

And my daughter loves to jump in the shower w/ me and put her head on my stomach. She said she likes the way the water runs down onto her head.

And she likes to point at my c-section scar and tell me about how that's where she "came out". She thinks that's cool that she left a scar-she's weird like that. And she knows that babies don't normally come from there (though it's getting more common). She likes being different.

[skygazer]

9. I grew up in an area where skinny dipping was a regular thing

A lot of swimming holes were known as skinny dipping holes and I went to my first one at about 9 or 10. It surprised me at first to see naked people there (we were all in swimsuits) but my aunt and uncle treated it as nothing out of the ordinary and so I did, too. My kids all grew up going to the same swimming holes. No biggie.

It surprised me when I moved out here to meet people who had never skinny dipped.