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Naked Time! Why Do Kids Love It?
Author: Melanie Denney
Like it, or don‘t. Call it what you want: nudie, birthday suit, bare, un-clothed, in the buff… however you say it, it’s factual- we were all born naked! So naturally, it makes sense why our little ones prefer to run around sans clothing. If you’re a parent of naked-loving children, and kind of want to know why in the world they dislike clothes so much, Mental Health professor for the University of Massachusetts, Sharon Lamb, answered this question in a New York Times article. She says “For some kids, getting dressed gets associated with something they don’t want to do, like eating their veggies.” She goes on to explain that kids will find that running around naked is just more comfortable than clothes. Usually, by the time children reach three and four years of age, they figure out the difference between public and private and start to develop a sense of modesty, according to their situations.
A nice thing to know is that at two to four years of age, kids don’t care what they look like – they have no shame in being naked. Then, when they reach about five or six years of age, they start to feel shame (the good kind of shame that keeps one from being in awkward situations). So maybe, if a five or six year old is still running around naked, it’s because he or she is trying to gain a little control over something, or just simply unsure of when and where, or who, it’s appropriate to be naked in front of. Perhaps, it’s just because they think it’s hilarious.
For a lot of kids, it’s just natural to want to be naked; so why should we put a stop to something as innocent and natural as wanting a little naked time?
Open forums discussing naked time for children are full of opinions. Some people believe that there are benefits to being naked. Some of them are funny, others are serious. Here are a few opinions:
- It’s been said that potty training goes easier for a naked child.
- Maybe even negative body image issues could be avoided if the stigma of being naked is diminished by allowing it, instead of making it seem wrong.
- It opens up opportunities to teach your child about their body parts.
- Prevents embarrassment when the child gets old enough to have curious questions concerning his/her body.
- It prevents diaper rash.
- Less laundry.
- Some allow it just for the sheer pleasure of annoying the in-laws.
And of course, along with the ones who believe, there are the ones that don’t. Here are some opinions with reservations:
- Pedophiles were the number one worry. Lots of parents have worries that someone with a pedophilic mind may see their child.
- Too much exposure to the sun’s skin-damaging rays.
- Nudity makes some people very uncomfortable.
- Some people believe that because society puts so much emphasis on sexualizing the human body, it is unhealthy to expose and to be exposed to nudity.
- Most people believe that private parts should simply remain private.
But why are adults so divided when it comes down to accepting, or not accepting, a child’s love of being nude? What’s the big division over? Is it because of the culture we live in? Perhaps it’s our parent’s influence that has something to do with the way we view nudity. Maybe it’s something we experienced. There’s a time and a place for children to run naked. However we view it, we know that someone else views it differently, and all views should be respected.
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