Small girls semi nked on the beach

My DS2 was at nursery during that hot summer of 1976.There was a huge garden at the back where the children played in fine weather and we were asked to bring spare knickers or underpants as the children were stripped down to their underwear while in and out of the paddling pool.Trouble was my son, as soon as his pants got wet from the paddling pool he would take them off thinking he had weed himself.Inevidently he would end up running round the nursery garden stark naked ( a few of the other children did as well).I can't imagine that being allowed today.
He would be the same on the beach, no matter how many changes of pants he would end up with none as soon as a bit of water touched them!.DS1 was more modest and would always keep his on.
I never had any trouble potty training DS2, a wet nappy he would instantly remove.

I've got photos of me in the sea in the 40s, wearing a sun hat and a necklace. I was about 2 or 3. Later I just wore a pair of shorts until I was about 9.

I was always shy of being naked, so no pics of me in the altogether.

P.E was absolute torture for me, having to wear just vest and knickers.

Luckygirl3

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I have an old black and white photograph of my sister and I on Blackpool beach, naked as jay birds (aged 6 and 3) but wearing sun hats whilst making sand castles. Happy days.

Sandy fanny, as we used to call it ..... ouch!!!

That made me laff! 😂

I think a lot of covering up is due to a greater understanding of sun damage to young skin. My grandchildren are well protected from the sun at all times suncream, sun hats, wet suits and clothes.

We did games/PE in brown knickers and an aertex polo top at grammar school in the ‘60s!
Skirts only came later for hockey and netball.

FriedGreenTomatoes2

I have an old black and white photograph of my sister and I on Blackpool beach, naked as jay birds (aged 6 and 3) but wearing sun hats whilst making sand castles. Happy days.

Sandy fanny, as we used to call it ..... ouch!!!

grandtanteJE65

It is a sad world we live in, when small children cannot either be safe naked on the beach or in their own gardens.

One of the aspects of my two cultural childhood was that in Denmark both little boys and little girls could be entirely naked on a beach (up to about the age of six) where in Scotland pants were obligatory for both sexes.

I so agree

AreWeThereYet

I was in Singapore as a young child and once asked my DM if I even had any clothes as a child, as every picture of me (and there are lots) I am just in knickers. Not even any shoes. Apparently I wasn't allowed to dig in the dirt if I had a clothes on so refused to wear any.

I too was born and raised for two years in Singapore, I’ve only got one photo of me in clothes!! All the others are in knickers only haha

It is a sad world we live in, when small children cannot either be safe naked on the beach or in their own gardens.

One of the aspects of my two cultural childhood was that in Denmark both little boys and little girls could be entirely naked on a beach (up to about the age of six) where in Scotland pants were obligatory for both sexes.

I was in Singapore as a young child and once asked my DM if I even had any clothes as a child, as every picture of me (and there are lots) I am just in knickers. Not even any shoes. Apparently I wasn't allowed to dig in the dirt if I had a clothes on so refused to wear any.

In secondary school the girls did PE in navy blue bloomer type nickers and white blouses tucked in. By 11 I was quite a big girl. Imagine how that would go down now! Later they changed it to netball skirts over the knickers.

We did PE in knickers and a top in primary school. I remember we were always asked to tuck our tops into our knickers for some reason.

Is a sad reflection upon this new social media mad age that children cannot enjoy being naked on the beach. But with everyone snapping pics all the time I can understand the fears of parents today.
I even had to remove pics of my GCs when the estate agent came to video our home to go on sale

I have loads of photo's of myself naked as a small child. outside with just a sunhat.. apparently I didn't like wearing clothes..

GrannyGravy13

Wyllow3 9 years of age seems to be the natural progression into being a bit private

I also think this pink loving tomboy has suddenly become rather taken with bikinis after an abroad sun holiday!

Not just at the beach, but in the paddling pool at the park it was a common sight. If you didn't have your costume with you, you just wore your knickers, and walked home with a wet bottom. That was 1960s in London.
In the garden, very often just knickers playing with the garden hose.

My GC wear what looks like quite old fashioned swimwear - long sleeved and with legs, in bright modern designs. Evidently this is much safer than chancing sunburn, but I do wonder if today's children get enough Vitamin D. My AC are also careful with sunscreen for the little ones. When my DC were small, they played in the garden in the paddling pool either naked or wearing shorts; it didn't cross my mind that they should wear anything.

I lived in Hong Kong when I was a child. I was too old (8-10 not to wear a top but my 2-4 year old sister often played out wearing just knickers. My mother was a bit snobbish about it and got the dress maker to run her up some pretty cotton fabric knickers. She rather looked down on those putting their children out in aertex knickers, because they looked too much like underwear.

Wyllow3 9 years of age seems to be the natural progression into being a bit private

We never went naked into the garden as children, it wasn't private. My mum was easy going on nudity but victorian values Dad certainly wasn't.

My son never seemed to want to go naked. On holidays we never seemed to go anywhere children didn't wear swimwear and he'd want to fit in, probably..

Grandchildren in private garden and house run around naked if they want, I've noticed the 9 year old girl has recently stopped doing this as a natural choice.

On the beach in the 40’s no one in only knickers , in play areas no one in only knickers , in garden no one in only knickers

I’ve just remembered the time when I told son 1 to get ready for the bath and realised that son 2 was still out playing. As my commands usually took a wee while to be obeyed, I called from the kitchen to tell son1 to fetch son 2 from the playpark. When neither had appeared I went to investigate, and found son 1, naked as the day he was born, joining in the game in the playpark.
Strangely enough, none of the other children batted an eyelid.

Our DD only wore bikini bottoms on holiday or at home on the beach until she decided she wanted to wear a top, which was probably about 9ish. Always naked in the garden pool till about the same age.

Our younger GC 7 and two 4yr olds are often naked in the garden with absolutely no interest in the difference between the two boys and girl, and complain about wearing swimming attire when at the beach.

I ran a small nursery back in the 1980’s and on hot days there was a paddling pool, bowls of water with toys etc and several of the children chose to strip off to go in the water or run around splashing each other naked. They were dried off and clothed before going home. All the parents were fully aware and thought it normal and great fun. Sadly couldn’t happen today.