Neighbor's Child who Runs Around in Birthday Suit...

[twocjsmom]

Any tips on how to address this one? Please no flames, I'm just looking for a way to address it as we have a long summer ahead of us - I understand everyone has their own parenting styles...

I live on a very social and freidnly cul de sac with several children under the age of 5 (including my 1 and 4 year old boys). One of our newer neighbors allows their 2 1/2 year old daughter to streak the entire cul de sac, whenever she wants, where ever she wants. While I can appreciate the need to be cool in the hot weather, and was willing to shrug off the diaper only look that had been going on last fall when they first moved in, now things have progress to making the rest of us rather uncomfortable, including the kids. In fact, my older son has taken to walking away from her whenever she approaches. We had a block party a couple of weekends ago, and she progressed from fully clothed, to diaper only, to naked in no less than fifteen minutes, with no efforts from her parents to reclothe her. The other day, things reached their most extreme, when she literally exited their house naked, and then remained so for over an hour while her parents were greeting a new neighbor and child who had moved in across the street. Nice first impressions (didnt the realtor tell them they wore moving into a nudist colony?). Things then progressed to the child running over to our house and frolicking in our irrigation system, while the dad stood across the street and watched. When he finally came over, after about 5 minutes or so, I had though he was going to remove her, but no, he just stood there and watched her until the system turned off. We ended up going inside.

I've talked with my neighbors about this and they are just as concerned and confused about what to do/how to address this. Thanks for any tips!

 

[zurgswife]

If the child is 2.5 I wouldn't have a problem with it. So, I guess I'm not the one to give you advice. I had friends with kids with similar personalities...didn't like clothing....and the more they pressured wearing clothes the worse things got....

Now if the kids was older say 5 I'd ask the parents how much longer it would be going on....

But that's just me...

 

[tiggerlover]

I am not sure what you can do besides grin and bear it. When I was growing up we had a family move in across from us who was from a foreign country. They had a little boy (around 4/5) who used to urinate in the street. After the family was approached the neighbors learned that this was acceptable in their country and the parents thought nothing of it. So the rest of the neighbor just turned the other way because the family didn't think it was an issue that needed correcting. He eventually stopped which was nice, but it was pretty nasty while it was going on. I hope this child's au natural stage passes quickly for everyones sake.

 

[liznboys]

I've been thinking about your post, and unfortunately I can't think of a way to get what you want (a clothed little girl lol) without hurting the parents feelings or causing bad vibes with them... So if I were you, I would just leave it alone. It's not worth the risk of causing "issues" with your neighbor's IMO. Sorry!!

Just think, years down the road you and your kids will be remembering "that little girl who used to run around naked"! LOL! A funny memory.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Originally posted by tiggerlover
urinate in the street. After the family was approached the neighbors learned that this was acceptable in their country and the parents thought nothing of it. So the rest of the neighbor just turned the other way because the family didn't think it was an issue that needed correcting.

Wow! That would bother me. If you're in a different country, you should conform to what's acceptable there. I'm just waiting for the flames. LOL! Just try to picture
American women running around in bikinis in the Middle East countries. I don't think so.

 

[Hillbeans]

Hmm...been giving this thread a lot of thought.

On one hand, she's 2.5 and just a little girl. Some children really do hate wearing clothes and if she's being potty trained it's helpful to be unclothed.

Now, I have a 3 yo who is also potty training and I DO NOT let him out of the house without a diaper. I don't want my neighbors to see my "neked" child and I think they appreciate that. Most of my neighbors don't have children and I live in a townhouse development and we "share" common areas. What if all the kids ran around naked? A lot of adults like being naked too, so what if everyone did it? I think that children should have clothes on, especially if they're playing with other children. It's the acceptable norm of our society. I don't think it's very healthy to have a young girl naked outside all day.

If it were me, i'd probably say something but i'm not quite sure what yet.....

 

[luvdzny]

I can understand your concern, I know it would bother me. I guess I would write a letter and explain that this is making the neighbors uncomfortable, being the chicken that I am I would just sign it "a concerned neighbor." You might want to explain that not only does it make the neighbors uncomfortable but you are concerned for the safety of their daughter. Letting their daughter run around without any clothing could invite some unwanted attention from the wrong kind of people. Good luck with this one, summer is just begining!

 

[aprilgail2]

I let my 4 year old run around naked in our own back yard but other than that she has to have clothes on the go out front. There are times we are outside and she wants to play with the garden hose so I just tell her to take her clothes off and play...if the neighbors don't like it in the back yard tough...I have 6 foot privacy fences around the whole yard so unlessthey are right up at the fence looking right into our backyard they don't see her.

 

[Dopey Sharon]

I don't think there's much you can do. When I moved into our old neighborhood, the boy next door, I think he was around 2, always was ourside naked. One day, he decided to take a dump in my driveway! I waited a little while, to see if his mother would come clean it up. After an hour or so, I went over, knocked on the door and kindly told her what he did and when she intended to clean it up. I didn't have to deal with it too long, because they moved out shortly after we moved in, but I'm not sure what we (the neighbors) would have done if they didn't move. Tough one.

 

[Melora]

My kids tend to be naked a lot..(well not now because 3 of them are teens... )

But I Have a 3 year old who hates clothes. I insist he wears at least undies when he goes out so he doesnt offend any up tight people in our neighborhood, but honestly I cant see a problem with a 2 year old being "in the raw".

I feel like our country has such hangups about the human body..I mean its only a little kid! I would relax and not worry about it!

 

[CamColt]

Be glad you dont have my neighbors in your area. They let their 5 & 7 yo boys "go", anywhere they want. Once we were in my pool and when the older kid had to go the mother told him to go over there" pointing to the corner of my yard. I almost fell off my deck!

 

[HollyJoy]

She's so little that I just wouldn't worry about it!

 

[Pooh Girl 71]

The only concern I have with a naked child is the possibility of perverts lurking about.

 

[CEDmom]

Have you thought of asking them whether they're concerned about her getting germs in sensitive areas if she were to sit down somewhere. How about also the possibility that she could injure some delicate parts where she to fall on something. I know a pair of underpants doesn't give much protection against injury but it's at least something and it would certainly help with germs.

My DD went through a period around that age where she didn't like clothes. She even striped a few times in the grocery store as I was getting something off a shelf . However, we always had a rule that she couldn't sit down without something on because of germs. She got bored of standing really fast and would at least put underpants on.

 

[siouxi31]

That running around nakes stuff weirds me out. I was always clothed as a child and am not that comfortable in my own skin only (no matter what age). But that's me and I probably woudn't say anything to the neighbor. What I would be silently planning to say is, "I've never seen a child more eager to be naked all of the time. At what age do think it's inappropriate to run naked?" I'm sure I would make enemies.

 

[izzy]

I don't know if you can really talk to them too much about the naked part, but I would definitely say something about her playing in your irrigation system. (I'm guessing this is some sort of automated sprinkler system?) If she would somehow get injured on your property playing in this system, guess whose insurance would have to take care of paying the bills - yours!

 

[Saffron]

< ----- I'm no help on this subject.

 

[twocjsmom]

Thanks everyone for your input. I pretty much was feeling like I was going to have to bite my tongue on this one, and will end up doing so, but had posted just in case any of you had some experience with this. I too am worried about how strangers may see the child, and also about my liabiliaty with her using my sprinkler system as a water park. I completely understand how her developmental age lends to her wanting to "be free" (I am am, after all, a school psychologist), but the permissiveness of the parents, regardless of safety or social ramifications, is what has thrown me for a loop. I have seen not indications of them trying to change the behavior, and I do think that I wouldn't be so concerned if I observed them doing so.

 

[MAGICinMYHEART]

While I personaly wouldn't care, there are to many crazy people out in the real world, you never know where a pedofile may live. Didn't one of the DIS'ers post a few days ago she had found out she sold her home to one...At least make the parents awear of the saftey of a child exposing themself in public. (You never know when crazy Uncle ____ may be visiting down the street.)

 

[tonyswife]

Well, the nudity doesn't bother me so much. My daughter is 2 nd keeping her from pulling her clothes off is a HUGE struggle. I let her play in the back yard in the nude (although, with LOTS of sunblock) but in the front yard she has to wear a bathing suit. Besides, she is potty training and the nudity is helpful in that aspect. I would NOT let her play in the neighbors sprinklers though, nude OR clothed, that's just plain rude. Nor would I let her urinate or defecate anywhere other than the potty, that's unsanitary. Accidents DO happen though.