Our blogger asks: what’s wrong with showing a little skin?
Something about the neighbours’ house makes my daughter want to take off all her clothes. Maybe she just finds it really stuffy in there. Or perhaps she’s trying to impress her friend’s dad, who wears sunglasses on his head and kills spiders. Whatever it is, she’s got to let every pore on her body experience it, as does her mate. And the other day that meant stealing out the front door and tearing down the pavement on their scooters.
We adults found this exceptionally cute. Even the strangers dodging out of the way were turning back to grin at the spectacle of two girls airing out their bits before a long night in the July humidity. But then, they are barely toddlers. What harm could two nude toddlers possibly cause?
Well, that depends. No sooner had they plonked their bare bottoms down on the dining room chairs for supper than I noticed an article in the New York Times quoting several parents (and, unsurprisingly, grandparents) who didn’t find naked bits quite so charming. Even children who find clothes restricting, itchy and uncomfortably hot should, they say, at least put on a pair of pants. Have some modesty (read: shame?), respect the furniture, and don’t get my son all confused about the birds and bees. And at what age does cute become creepy anyway? Five? 10? 12? Where do you draw the line?
Then there’s the dreaded P-word. (No, not pee, though it’s important to avoid doing that all over the suede upholstery. Paedophilia.) Who can blame parents for bearing in mind that the world isn’t quite so innocent as it might seem by the inflatable pool. I admit I did have a moment of incredulity when I learned our nanny had posted nude photos of my children on her Facebook page – available for the enjoyment of thousands. But I have to say it had never occurred to me that letting the girls say goodnight to my dinner guests after hopping out of the bath could be controversial.
If ever there were a time to avoid rules, avoid shame, avoid knickers it would be youth –particularly in summertime. Who doesn’t have a childhood memory of skinnydipping in the lake, or tattooing their friend’s bottom with a felt-tip.
Well maybe some of us don’t. But it’s not too late for our kids.
Ellen Himelfarb is a freelance writer and mother of two. You can reach her at ellen.h@mac.com
