Got a problem with topless toddlers?

[simonsebs]

Got a problem with topless toddlers? (http://blogs.trb.com/features/family/parenting/blog/2009/09/got_a_problem_with_topless_tod.html)

Every time I see something like this I don't know how to feel. Was this kind of thing even an issue years ago?

[Fitz1980]

What a loon, at that age the only outward natural characteristic difference between a boy and a girl is having a penis or a vagina. Wonder how he would feel if the girl had a tom-boy haircut and was wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms?

[timothyc]

I once saw one of those Biography programs on A&E about Hayley Mills. It included family pictures of her topless at about 10 or so at home. This was some years ago. I wonder if they were to show that program today if they would edit that out or not. It was perfectly innocent with her playing wearing only bottoms but with some people reacting to such younger kids imagine a 10 year old.

[Kouak]

My daughter never had a chance to leave the house or go to the beach without a top thanks to her mom and aunt. They loved playing dress up with their Barbie dolls when they grew up and continued with the live versions (my sister-in-law had girls too).

[Bob S.]

I posted on their site.

Two words: pedophile society.

Bob S.

[owl_tn]

I posted on their site.

Two words: pedophile society.

Bob S.

Well stated. Uproar over topless tykes can be just as insidious in the long-term as patterns shown in child pageants from year to year, or perhaps "My First Stripper Pole".

[Yeah, I WISH I could kid about that. Proof: http://www.feministing.com/archives/017505.html]

[RobertL]

Will we wait a long time before somebody claims that children should bathe or shower with a long T-shirt?

[PappaBare]

Oh brother, my granddaughter will be allowed to run as free as she wants for as long as she wants. Granted, right now she is only 5 months old, but if she wants to run around later until the powers that be prevent her from openness and freedom.

[Arnabas]

This is one of those debates that gets strong reactions, as evidenced by the comments on that page. I find it unfortunate that a number of people were kind of attacking the original poster for simply bringing up the conversation.

Needless to say, I have no issue with topless or nude children, teens, adults or seniors.

[Skinview]

I think American society is becoming progessivly more and more prudish, or paranoid, or something along those lines. When I was younger, it wouldn't have occured to me that a naked toddler would even be an issue. Just a few years ago, I saw a photo of a newborn baby that a parent posted online, and the genitals were blanked out.

[Lord Drakkus]

I think American society is becoming progessivly more and more prudish, or paranoid, or something along those lines.

In my observations (Istudy people, and their reactions to things), it seems that people are more paranoid now than prudish. Every time somebody brings up the naked little girl topic somebody invariably says, "I don't really care myself, but what about the pedophiles?" Or, even worse, "Why would you even bring that up, are you some kinda pedophile or something?" It's sad, but that's the way things seem to be these days.

[meredith2kp4]

Pedophilia is nothing new. My grandfather, who was born in 1864, quit his Lutheran church in Brooklyn in 1910 because the pastor was having sex with choir boys.

[Bob S.]

Meredith: "Pedophilia is nothing new."

Of course it isn't new. It has been going on since the first humans walked the Earth. Of course, childhood has changed drastically in the millenia since then.

However, society's reactions to children and nudity has changed. As Skinview put it, there is a paranoia surrounding children and nudity.

Bob S.

[timothyc]

Today I was at my sisters house and my 8 year old niece came out on the back porch without a shirt on. It was a warm day in a private back yard with only family there so I don't see what the big deal was but my sister, my nieces mother made her go back inside to put a shirt on. When she was smaller my sister sometimes let her get away with it as long as she had some kind of bottoms on but not anymore.