Mum sparks debate after criticising parents for allowing their kids to run around naked in the heat

20 July 2021, 12:35 | Updated: 20 July 2021, 13:29

By Heart

@thisisheart

A debate is raging on Mumsnet after one poster shared their disgust that a young child had been running around an outside cafe with no clothes on

The heatwave has got all of us sweating buckets and reaching for a cold drink - but is the blazing sun a good reason to let your kids strip off?

It's a scenario currently causing a fiery debate on Mumsnet, after one poster asked if she was 'being unreasonable' to think it was inappropriate.

She had visited a local beauty spot with her husband and young son, but their day was marred when they visited the on-site outdoor cafe for lunch and saw a young child running about totally naked.

She wrote: "We were having a bite to eat in the courtyard cafe near a family with several young children running around. Fine. Except the youngest little girl (roughly 3yo) was running around completely naked.

"I'm not a prude, and I'm very sympathetic to parents as I know from experience that kids can be unruly/unreasonable and sometimes decorum has to come second to a child's need (I'm thinking public wees in an emergency kind of scenarios here...)

"But I feel like allowing your child to run around completely naked in an outdoor café is a bit much? People are there trying to enjoy their lunch while a little girl is romping around everyone's tables with no clothes on... I know it's hot but it's a cafe FGS [for God's sake].

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"I'd love to know people's thoughts on this because I feel like I'm missing something. Surely they can't think that's acceptable? Or is it?!"

There were more than 250 responses, with many parents saying that they thought it was dangerous, not just because of the threat of paedophiles secretly filming the kids on their phones, but because of the risk of sunburn.

One wrote: "No, I don't think that's OK, and I wouldn't do it. 50% not wanting weirdos potentially perving at DD [darling daughter]. And 50% worried about sunburn - it's bloody ridiculous sun at the minute!"

Another said: "It’s not very hygienic but it’s also around 30 degrees here today. Aside from anything else I would be worried about the sunburn she might get."

One poster said there were multiple reasons for it being wrong, writing: "Hygiene, pervs with camera phones, sunburn, not teaching respect for private parts, it’s all wrong."

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However, what really seemed to irk the Mumsnetters was that the parents had let her run around the cafe while other families were trying to eat.

"I wouldn’t let my children do it but it wouldn’t massively bother me. To be honest it would bother me more that she was running around the tables than she was naked," said one.

"Noise and running so close as to cause people aggravation I would put a stop to, but a 3 yr old's little naked bum? Nah, fine in my book," said another.

That wasn't the only element of 'bad parenting' called out by the forum.

Some argued that a child of three should "know it's not OK to be naked in a cafe."

Others fumed: "God no. At the very least a pair of pants or a nappy but definitely not totally starkers in public! Good grief, why do some people think this is ok?!" and "Why can't parents protect their kids privacy. I don't even like dc naked on beaches. Private back gardens fine, anywhere public then swimming costumes or underwear."

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