Naked as a Jay Bird!

[OhioDisDreamer]

We just got back from our wonderful Disney Vacation! Had a blast... but ran into a situation that kept our family talking for days:

We were headed to IASW and passed Ariel's Grotto, where we all looked to see what the wait time was. As we look up, we see kids playing in the water feature there. We turned back around, minding our own business. Then, we all collectively stop, turn back around and see a little boy, about 4 years old, completely naked and playing in the water!! It was about right then that a CM tried to guide the little boy back to his mother/grandmother (don't know which), to at least let some pants on.

I just can't get over the fact that you don't know who/what is out there. With two kids of my own, it scares me silly! Also, there were other kids playing with this little boy, so I don't know if these other parents just didn't care, as well, or were too uncomfortable to say, "No. You can't play with that naked kid!"

My question is, I am the only one that has encountered this in WDW (or any other place, for that matter)? Do others think it's "No big deal"?

I'd love to hear stories or anything anyone has to say! Thanks!!

 

[momof2minnies]

Last year we were at Ogunquit Beach in Maine and a woman walked her naked 4 yr old or so past everyone to the rocks, up by the public canopy to pee. Needless to say the bathrooms were right up there in plain view. What is the matter with people's heads????????

 

[David R]

This weekend I went with a couple of friends to play minigolf at the Fairway Gardens by the Swan and Dolphin and right there, in the parking lot, there was a kid, pants down, peeing in the parking lot while the parents were watching.

Nevermind that the bathroom is a 30 second walk from the parking lot.

 

[trypnotic]

I wouldn't bat an eyelash seeing a toddler running around in those fountains with just underware or a diaper on but for a kid to be butt naked, I don't know about that one! Our almost two year old is always taking his pants off but fortunately hasn't tried taking his diaper off yet. I'm sure our day is coming.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

We've seen several topless young (elementary age) girls at TL and BB.

I watched a CM talk to the mother of one of these girls at Ketchakiddie Creek at TL right at the end of my lounge chair. The mother went to find a shirt for her DD and I chatted with the CM who was a little upset. She said it is an issue with European's and the CM's will often have a difficulty communicating the cultural differences and talking about "potential problems" without going into detail about pedophiles.

This happened a couple of years ago and I haven't noticed it since.

 

[Barbday62]

At California Adventure they are strict about having on shoes, shirt and clothes. A girl can wear a girls bathing suit but a boy must wear a shirt with his. It was difficult when I took my grand kids. I ended up having to buy a $20 Tshirt for my grand son because he had to get his wet in the water. (We carried swim suits and extra flip flops but I never thought boy had to have on a shirt toplay in water)

 

[MickeyNicki]

Never saw a naked kid but this past Feb we were in DTD and saw a kid playing in the water in just a diaper....

 

[Max Rebo]

Is it possible that the nakedness was an act of spontaneity by the 4-year-old?

Perhaps the parents had him down to just shorts, and the child decided to go for "the full monty" on his own.

As the parent of a DS4 (actually DS5 as of yesterday), I know how quickly these things can happen.

 

[U2_rocks!]

It's a little strange in this day and age, but it doesn't personally offend me. You have to remember that there are still a lot of countries in the world who do not view nakedness in children as offensive in any way. In fact, there are countries where nudity in general isn't a big deal, and they don't even think about how their cute little naked child might look to a sexual predator. WDW is full of people from all over the world, and even in the U.S. there are Americans who have held on to the more relaxed cultures of their families, who may have come to America from a country where nudity is no big deal.

I hope the CM was nice about explaining the rules to the mom/grandmom. I bet they weren't trying to offend anyone, but simply trying to let the boy play without wetting up his clothes.

 

[David R]

The nakedness doesn't offend me in any way, I wish we would all get over that. The bad parenting and disrepect shown to the facilities by those peeing out in the parking lot is what offends me.

 

[kandmwedding]

Cultural differences do make policing this sort of thing very difficult. My family was sitting on the little side street by the Main St bakery enjoying our breakfast when we saw an older woman (grandmother maybe) helping two little girls to pee on the curb. One of squatting and doing it herself, the other the woman was holding up to help her go without getting any on herself. When my dad approached them to explain where the bathrooms were (and I will say he was only slightly belligerant ) the woman kept saying "she's just little, she's just little". She wasn't at all ashamed of what she was doing and truly thought it was ok. Very odd!

 

[njchris]

What does a child predator have to do with it? I know most of my neices and nephews hated having their clothes on and would do that a lot at home. I think they tried when they were out a few times.

I think it's sad that parents now are conditioned to think there is a predator at every corner. I would have thought that would have been a kid being a kid and chuckle at it. It's sad that we have now sexualized children.

Just keep an eye on the kid.. isn't that the normal thing to do regardless????

 

[Querida90]

At AK a few weeks ago I was in a store and this little boy just took his pants off! I don't know where his parents were bc he was like that for awhile, even after I left her was still just wandering around, pantless

 

[Flametamr]

It may have just been a case of culture. In most european countries nudity is common. America is in the minority on this issue. Women go topless to the beach most everwhere else but not here. And in Asian countries you always see small children nude. But for the record I prefer kids stay dressed.

 

[drafthorsecrazy]

While at BB last Feb. I saw an adult man change into his bathing suit . It was near the main pool area. He did make every attempt to keep himself covered during the process. When I noticed that his bathing suit was a speedo I just assumed he was a foreigner .

 

[tmarquez]

Peeing on the sidewalk? Yuck.

But a little kid playing in a water feature naked isn't offensive. Would I let my DD(4) do that? No. It just makes me uncomfortable...I mean I know if a perv is watching her, he could be watching her just as easy (and in the smae way) as if she was fully dressed...but still.

Probably in most other countries nobody would even think twice about letting the kids do that. I agree with the previous about how we, as a country, have sexualixed our children. It's sad.

DD would be perfectly comfortable running about naked just about anywhere.

 

[Lisa Hale]

Being the parent of a 4 year old who has "natural" tendencies, I don't get offended by it, but it has been an interesting process to teach her modesty. That said, it is a sad fact that our society contains many sexual predators and parents do have to be watchful at all times. As for some people being offended by it, that's largely culture and conditioning. Many cultures accept children being nude until they are mid-elementary school age, so a 4 year old is not that big of a deal. In this country, nudity has been sexualized to the point of the ridiculous where small children are speculated about and parents of same are considered abusive or neglectful and even nursing women who 'are' completely covered are made to feel self-conscious simply because people "know" that she is nursing even under the blanket (not talking about someone baring it all which isn't necessary). Children that age don't have the hangups that we as adults do, nor do they have the necessary caution that we have learned out of necessity. Off my soap box, now. Sad to say, this is our culture.

 

[LukenDC]

Cultural differences do make policing this sort of thing very difficult. My family was sitting on the little side street by the Main St bakery enjoying our breakfast when we saw an older woman (grandmother maybe) helping two little girls to pee on the curb. One of squatting and doing it herself, the other the woman was holding up to help her go without getting any on herself. When my dad approached them to explain where the bathrooms were (and I will say he was only slightly belligerant ) the woman kept saying "she's just little, she's just little". She wasn't at all ashamed of what she was doing and truly thought it was ok. Very odd!

Cultural difference or no cultural difference, that would make me angry!

When I travel abroad, I study up on the cultural norms of the country that I will be visiting. I truly believe in the "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" philosophy and make it a point to respect cultural norms. I expect the same from people who visit our country. Letting children run naked or pee in the street are MAJOR cultural transgressions in this country and simply unacceptable.

 

[Vickie46]

I would have not liked it at all that my 5 yr old might have been playing in the water with some kid who did not have any clothes... we would have just got her and left....

 

[nala'smom]

This is very cultural. We lived in Europe for a number of years (for DH's job), and it was very common to see young children naked at pools and beaches. Nobody takes notice at all. If foreign visitors vacation in the US, I'm sure they just don't know about our norms for nudity and are not trying to offend anyone.

As for the peeing - GROSS!