When should parents start making their girls wear shirts around the house and yard?

[mefordis]

A friend of mine just posted some pictures of her kids playing in the pool in their backyard, and then around the house after they'd gotten out of the pool. The daughter is six and is shirtless in all the pics; she only has on a bathing suit bottom.

I'm not saying I have a problem with this, but I'm just curious. I have no kids and no sisters, so it's never come up in my life.

Should a parent begin to teach their daughters to wear a top, even long before they've developed?

No. And on a 6 year old, what exactly do you think you are seeing? Because I can't tell a shirtless 6 year old boy from a girl.

 

[Sabeking]

Since this is an old thread I'm going to go off topic and tell a story it reminded me of. My next door neighbor's daughter used to love to hang out naked at home when she was little. One day when she was about four my neighbor was in the kitchen cleaning. Someone apparently knocked at the door but she did not hear it. About five minutes later her naked daughter came in the kitchen and said, " the lady at the door told me to give these to you." They were pamphlets from the Mormons!! They didn't come back for another visit.

 

[minnie mum]

It's January. It's cold. I don't think there are many kids running around nekkid, or half nekkid right now.

 

[unhinged]

The girl should be 11/12 by now. Probably figured out it is best to be wearing a top.

 

[tiggergal15]

Welcome to the Community Board, Tiggergal15! Why the popcorn?

Ohh ya know...these threads are always entertaining...and I'm waiting to see how long it takes for folks to realize it's an old thread....

 

[Liberty Belle]

I only have boys, but I think I'd probably do it around age 3, maybe 4.

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

We're all supposed to be wearing clothes?

 

[Lilacs4Me]

I think she should cover up after 40 when gravity starts to take its toll.

Well, we all hope to get 'em to 40 before gravity hits!

 

[roseaster]

My kid ran around in her undies until she was about 7. At that point SHE decided she wanted a shirt on, though she still ran around the house in just undies, no pants.

We don't have a swimming pool, if we did and it was in our yard, with a fence I wouldn't care what they swam in.

I also don't get the grief over 2 pieces. I'v got tall, skinny kids. They don't fit into 1 pieces. LOL people want them covered then quibble about what they are covered with.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Well, we all hope to get 'em to 40 before gravity hits!

Kids can mess that up though LOL

 

[JoeA]

I think she should cover up after 40 when gravity starts to take its toll.

Reminds me of a Ron White joke, which I won't say here due to my aversion of points!

 

[RustManFan]

In a very private backyard it might be ok to be a little older than 2 but I would never ever post such pictures where anyone can see them. Even my bathing suits as a toddler were one-piece anyway

 

[CrystalPalace76]

I think before they enter pre school usually at the age of 4 they should be in the habit of wearing shirts outside in the backyard and around the house.

 

[Magpie]

I think before they enter pre school usually at the age of 4 they should be in the habit of wearing shirts outside in the backyard and around the house.

Not even all adults are in the habit of wearing shirts around the house...

 

[CrystalPalace76]

Not even all adults are in the habit of wearing shirts around the house...

Well they at least should be when they have company over.

 

[Magpie]

Well they at least should be when they have company over.

Depends on the company...

 

[DisDadDVC]

Forget about a shirt, this is an 81 year old that doesn't wear any pants!

 

[lustergirl]

I'm married to someone of a different skin color, but nice try.

And yes, if some random creepy man walked up to me and started discussing my five year old daughter's 'modesty', I'd probably deck him with my purse and shriek for the police, because it would be so over the top inappropriate that it would be suggestive that the person was a predator.

Of course, you're so deluded about your creepiness it's probably not worth explaining that to you.

Here's a clue: thinking that a six year old has anything to be modest 'about' says that you're thinking about a six year old girl in terms of sexuality. That's on you, pal. Stop looking at pictures of your friend's little girl without her top on if that's where your brain goes.

ETA: quoting me over and over to make different defensive and weird comments does not make you look any less creepy.

 

[lovin'fl]

deleted...

 

[Magpie]

On a related subject...

My mother just informed me that there's a nude picture of child-me in a US State collection.

Here's how it happened: Mid-70's, my newly-divorced mother had accepted an invite to a private skinny-dipping party at a backyard pool, and had brought me along. Unbeknownst to her, one of the other guests was an amateur photographer. He was behind my mother and a male friend, when three-year-old me climbed out of the pool and walked toward her. Her friend has an apple in his hand, and quick as can be, the fellow takes a picture of the three of us. I'm in the centre of the picture, framed by the silhouetted forms of my mother and the man, the apple bright red in his hand. Gorgeous photo. It even won an award!

Unfortunately, my mother had no idea it had been taken until a friend of hers saw it on display in State museum, recognized me and called her. Mum was horrified. If it got out that she was going to skinny dipping parties, she could have lost her job. She might have even lost custody of me.

People made sure my father never found out about it, because no one was quite sure what he would have done.

And in the end, nothing was done because as my mum said, "There was nothing TO be done!" And the state purchased the photo, and now it's sitting in a collection somewhere.

All of which is to say, even in the era before digital photography and Facebook, we didn't always have control over our images.