There’s another sensible item on nudity, especially as relating to one’s children, over on The Political Naturist. Here’s a taster …

For many parents, allowing a child to run around naked at home is perfectly natural, an expression of physical freedom that represents the essence of childhood, especially in the summer. But for others, unclad bodies are an affront to civility, a source of discomfort and a potentially dangerous attraction for pedophiles. […]

There is no rational reason for ordering a toddler to put on clothes. People will always tell you that it’s “indecent”, or “inappropriate”, but they cannot tell you why. It’s transference of adult shame, built up over years of cultural mores and religious teachings. […]

Around the age of 3 or 4, children begin to differentiate between what’s private and what’s public, experts say, and they usually begin to feel modesty soon after. But parents’ attitudes play the largest role in determining whether children are comfortable being naked at home … If someone has what appears to be an overly strong reaction to seeing young children running around naked, it tells us about their own hang-ups, their own inner conflicts […]

What is it about the sight of naked children which causes people to bristle and turn away? I would think most people would smile, or laugh, at the sight of children at play, clothed or unclothed. Bottling up the natural instincts of children to shed their clothes only teaches them body shame, that there is something wrong and repulsive about their flesh. Adults should not be transferring their own guilt, false modesty and irrational fears to their children. We are all born with nude bodies, we all see ourselves when we change clothes or bathe, so why is it so shocking when we see someone else’s nude body? […]

Thanks heaven for another dose of common sense. More please!