Nothing sexual about nudist teens?

[Rex]

Have a look at "Nothing sexual about nudist teens? Right!" www.skinnydipping.info/ (http://www.skinnydipping.info/)
The ignorant and self-opiniated writer, Jacquelyn Mitchard, "welcomes readers' responses".
Let's put her right!

[Rex]

Have a look at "Nothing sexual about nudist teens? Right!" www.skinnydipping.info/ (http://www.skinnydipping.info/)
The ignorant and self-opiniated writer, Jacquelyn Mitchard, "welcomes readers' responses".
Let's put her right!

[florida-david]

too bad this uneducated woman does not have an email address. she starts off very harsh against nudism and get a little better and than ends it on a stupid note. i would suggest that all 6000 of us on thi site write her a letter. she needs to seek facts before writing such a biased anti-nudist artical.

Jacquelyn Mitchard welcomes readers? responses sent to Tribune Media Services Inc., 435 N. Michigan Ave. Suite 1400, Chicago, Ill. 60611.

[Bob S.]

And stu wonders why we still think non-nudists have it wrong and believe that nudity always equals sex. This lady is precisely the reason. I linked this story somewhere else (I think in the "Kids and Nudism" topic in the "Legal Issues"(?) section).

"But a fit teenager?s body is beautiful to any eye, especially if the body is female, and the eye belongs to a male teenager."

In this statement, she assumes that all male teenagers have the hots for all female teenagers. I can attest that fact is absolutely wrong. We all have our own exclusive beauty standards. And she seems to assume that a female doesn't objectify a male body as much. As if females are more sophisticated that they truly go for personality over looks.

"But offering it to teens ? perhaps particularly in this world at this time ? is indeed like having the overpowering urge to flick your disposable lighter next to a stack of propane tanks.
On the other hand, perhaps these camps will thrive. And the parents who send their children there with their blessings may also send their grandchildren. Sooner than they think."

And this is the worst statement that she makes. She thinks that ALL teenagers think about is how to get someone else to have sex with them. That their very behaviour is set up for gaining the relationships for sexual activity. She can't see that nudity is just another wardrobe choice for them and they are just like any other teenager out there. Except, I believe that the teen pregnancy rate for nudist children is probably lower than in the general society. Sex and the glare of the nakedness is blinding her so much that she cannot see the truth and normalcy of nudist nudity.

Bob S.

It's ignorant, uninformed opinions like this that helps to fuel the hysteria against nudist youth camps. The teens at these camps are nudists and used to seeing nudity. People like this woman seem to think that these are sex-crazed teens who have never seen someone of the opposite sex nude, and the first chance they get they will be pairing up and heading for the bushes.

[Rex]

The reply address is Chicago.
The fax no for same address, but Suite 1500, is 312.222.2581
I have emailed Tribune liaison person Kristy Bremer kbremer@tribune.com requesting email address for Jacqueline Mitchard.
Perhaps someone in the Chicago area could get this info more easily.

[Jochanaan]

"But a fit teenager?s body is beautiful to any eye, especially if the body is female, and the eye belongs to a male teenager."

The writer obviously confuses appreciation of beauty with sexual desire. Any artist or artist's model can tell you that the two, though they often happen at the same time, are separate emotions. Even teens can understand the difference!

[Aaron Adams]

One of the things that bugs me about this whole controversy is the notion that teenagers apparently have no self control. I can't speak for nudist teens but I myself can say that I have never had a problem controlling myself when confronted by the sight of a beautiful naked woman. I think most teenagers are quite able to control thier sexual urges.

[soofreeemateomanian]

this woman was obviously never a teen herself.

[NW Nude]

What a closed minded woman. Obviously has body acceptance issues of her own. I don't know what I find more offending, that lack of acceptance for parents of nude teens, or her basic distrust of teens. Many kids and teens will exceed our expectations if we let them. Our kids chose not to be nude in the uncomfortable teen years. The nude teens at our clubs are polite, well behaved, and follow the rules. As far as security, far better than at textiled camps and clubs. Lets all write her and set her straight.

[luvnaturism]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bob S.:
. . . . I believe that the teen pregnancy rate for nudist children is probably lower than in the general society. Sex and the glare of the nakedness is blinding her so much that she cannot see the truth and normalcy of nudist nudity.

Bob S. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>According to UN figures the teen birth rate in the Scandinavian countries is 1/5 that of the US. The average for the countries in the European Union is about 1/4 of the teen birth rate in the US.

No doubt several cultural factors are involved in this, but there are two that especially stand out for me.

One is that in many European countries, and most especially in the Scandinavian countries and Finland, the human body is widely acceptable without clothing. That doesn't mean that most people go nude at the beach, but it's not uncommon and no one cares. Family nudity (think saunas and swimming at the vacation cottage) is routine. Kids grow up seeing naked bodies of various ages, so the whole thing is demystified.

The second cultural factor that I think is highly important to a low teen birthrate is that premarital sex is dealt with matter of factly rather than in the emotional terms that often accompany treating it primarily as a moral issue. European kids are more likely to receive the factual information that they need to avoid pregnancy?and to save their own lives in an age of AIDS.

Lest I be misunderstood, I do think there are important moral issues related to sex, both before and during marriage. But leading from the moral aspect does much less to affect sexual behavior than factual teaching, particularly when speaking to teens who may not accept ones moral premises.

There is an analogy to helping an alcholic recover. Is there a moral issue with addictive drinking? Certainly. But starting there only drives the alcoholic deeper into addiction. Treating the problem factually as a disease helps people get better.

Now, to circle back and end up on topic /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif , the lady who wrote the original article clearly has traveled little and doesn't know much about the world outside her own little circle. But remember that she was writing an opinion piece. There has never been a requirement in journalism for opinion pieces to be written by people who know anything about the subject. /infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif

[aunaturelone]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>She thinks that ALL teenagers think about is how to get someone else to have sex with them <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I went to the site and didn't see anything like the quote I read here, but here goes:

There are some teenagers for whom the sex drive is the dominant feature in their lives. From about age ten on to thirty-something I was insanely sexual by some people's standards.

But that's not bad. Masturbation relieves the greater part of the tension and having a little low level eroticism in the background adds spice.

But, here's what she misses: The presence or absence of clothing didn't have anything to do with it. Throughout my 20s I was able to paticipate in both nudist events and activities. Being nude while around attractive nude girls didn't make me any more sexually excited. Being clothed while around attractive clothed girls didn't prevent me from getting turned on or make it any more difficult to find a willing sex partner.

The amount of erotic stimulation you get from seeing attractive potential lovers is a constant value. It is a function of hormones, pheromones, personal values and the imagination. Put clothing on people doesn't change a thing. Instead of getting turned on by what you can see you get turned on by what you can't. Taken to the extreme, a fundamentalist Moslem boy who sees a woman covered from head to toe in fabric, not an inch of skin visible and the figure only vaguely outlined gets turned on just as much by that as a nudist boy seeing the same girl without a stitch.

There are times where being nude is more of a turn on but they involve direct physical contact. Slow dancing is one, playing twister is another, wrestling is yet another. Clothing reduces the sensation of skin-on-skin friction. These aren't the kind of activities I'd have in the program for a youth nudist resort.

I don't think it's a "bad" thing for teens to get turned on; an awful lot of teen behavior is specifically directed to that end. (For that matter, a lot of boys get erect from competely nonsexual stimuli.) This kind of incidental sexual response is perfectly innocent as long as you remain respectful of the other person. It's just not something most nudists are comfortable with and something parents are even less comfortable with in their adolescents.

[MikeJB]

Well I think that if teens are not used to nudity or seeing it or coming into contact with it on a regular basis like if theyve been clothed all their lives or do it infrequently then once they become nude and come in contact with others who are nude, its only natural that they would get turned on. I mean society always looks at it like its a bad thing but just because you get turned on doesnt mean you wanna have sex or anything, it just means youre excited mostly because its a fun and new experience and your body just needs to adjust to this and if you do it long enough and get comfortable with it then the turn ons become less and less frequent and its just second nature to you but so many people who talk about this only see what happens at first and just asume that this happens all the time and thus think negatively about it and get sexual thoughts and this sort of thing isnt true because nudists enjoy being nude and usually dont think about sex, they think just the way any normal well brought up clothed kid would, only difference is they are nude and in the company of others who are nude.

[aunaturelone]

I must admit I got aroused the first couple of times I got undressed in a clothing optional environment (late teens) but I found it was easy not to be obvious about it, it went away if I ignored it and soon it just stopped happening.

Someone who have an erotic fixation about nakedness around other people might find that the reality is nothing like the fantasy. Of course you have to have an open mind about it or you'll never experience the truth of it.

Women, whose sexual organs aren't visible and whose level of arousal is not easily judged by sight alone, get a free ride on this I'm afraid.

[Ren]

It was such a biased article, it was ridiculous. My favorite part: "I don’t think my 14- and 17-year-old sons would turn down an invitation to visit this camp, though they have uniformly loathed every other sleep-away experience in their lives." But would they participate or would they be the peepers she decries earlier in the piece?

Things happen that are unexplained in the teen years. Like spontaneous arousal in a class while taking a test. Hmmm, that's one sexy piece of paper sitting on my desk!

The only problem is: she has a pulpit from which to shout.

[NudeNFree81]

It seems to me that she is just trying to write a "controversial" article to incite heated respose. Seems to have worked /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Dan and Janette]

For anyone who insists nudist teenagers don't have libidos, this is patently ridiculous.
The difference lies in their self esteem, and sense of self worth. Both are considerably higher than the norm found among today's teens, and this is reflected in the lower out-of-wedlock birth rate than is commmonly found among teenagers in general.
It's not the absence of hormones, it's the abundance of self esteem that makes the difference.

[Doug H]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dan and Janette:
It's not the absence of hormones, it's the abundance of self esteem that makes the difference. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Getting that idea into the mainstream thinking process of not only the media, but also society at large is the issue. Which is what AANR was trying to do with the NY Times article. Unfortunately, a prominent, but underinformed, politician had to overreact, and that started a chain reaction of emotional thinking, instead of rational thinking.

Doug H.

[MikeJB]

Yeah I think its good for teens to be nude and be nude around other teens who are nude because it can really help them see the body in a new light and really help boost their self esteem. Most textile teens seem to have a problem with this and I think its amazing how Stu raised his kids in a textile environment and luckily they turned out ok, instead of being like half the ones over here who get into sex and other things way too early and have this politically correct view of the body, mostly because of the crappy way we teach sex ed in schools over here. Most of these sex ed people here seem to think that sex in the teen years is ok as long as u use protection and know what youre doing and I think thats bs because that just encourages teens to try it early and theres always the chance that something can go wrong and I dont think most teens can handle tthat sort of thing so its best for them to just not do it at all.

[P & C]

Like it or not, I think this is a fairly reliable indicator of the 'opinion on the street' when it comes to nudity and adolescents. I grew up in a home where any mention of social nudity (at ANY age) was immediately dismissed as being foolish and provocative. There was little distinction between being a nudist and hosting weekly orgies - it all seems strange and inappropriate to the uninitiated, especially when you add a dash of puritan religiosity.

So, if my father read this article, he would launch into a monologue about how the world is going to hell - exemplified by a bunch of teenagers playing volleyball in the nude. (Though, I must agree with the author's connotation of 'strip volleyball', which I would equate to the practice of sexy lingerie dances at many popular nudist resorts, but I think that's another thread.) The point being is that we need to look beyond this reactionary response (both my father's and the that of the author of this article) and examine why the American public has such a narrow view when it comes to puritan ideals, especially when many/most have abandoned the church that has been primarily responsible for perpetuating these values.

As a sidebar, we have traveled on repeated occasions with OUR three teenagers to various nudist resorts in France. Indeed, the common practice for the native (French) teenagers at these VERY family oriented resorts has been to casually doff their clothes at the seaside or at the pool, and perhaps even lie out for a bit to enjoy the sun once out of the water, but beyond that, they are quite eager to cover themselves in the interaction with friends. No sense of shame, or even embarrassment per se, but once they're out of the water, most wish to remain (or become) clothed. As nudism in Europe IS a much more common thing, we can assume that 'nudist families' in Europe are in fact much more casual about nudity, AND about NOT being nude. "My parents like to go to this naturist place every summer and I can roll with it." This is quite different than here in the US where you pretty much have to take a militant stand and say, "I'm a nudist dammit! Respect me!"

Covered a lot a ground there - hope some of it makes sense.

Paul

[MikeJB]

Like it or not, I think this is a fairly reliable indicator of the 'opinion on the street' when it comes to nudity and adolescents. I grew up in a home where any mention of social nudity (at ANY age) was immediately dismissed as being foolish and provocative. There was little distinction between being a nudist and hosting weekly orgies - it all seems strange and inappropriate to the uninitiated, especially when you add a dash of puritan religiosity.
-------------------------------------------------

I think that it is really disgusting when people go nuts when you even barely mention the N word and 1) they dont even let you explain and 2) They quote all this religious and moral bs without a shred of proof. They just think that because their god and church says its wrong and just because society does that its just something you live with and its wrong even without any proof. I think this whole attitude is nuts, I mean you should at least hear someone out before making such outbursts, even if you dont agree with them, the best thing to do is just let them vent a bit and then you can come back and say what you gotta say but at least then you can have something to talk about and can say what you think is right and wrong about what they say, but to just totally flame a nudists without even hearing their point of view is just wrong, especially since most textiles dont even know anything about nudism except what they hear from the media and their church and thus really have no say in what its really like. The thing with my father is, he usually lets you put in your opinion but he usually doesnt even hear what you say and begins to ramble about his christian morals and all that bs without even taking notice of anything you say, although he will try to act like he heard you and just simply disagress but it really has to do more with it going in one ear and out the other with him.

-----------------------------------------------
So, if my father read this article, he would launch into a monologue about how the world is going to hell - exemplified by a bunch of teenagers playing volleyball in the nude. (Though, I must agree with the author's connotation of 'strip volleyball', which I would equate to the practice of sexy lingerie dances at many popular nudist resorts, but I think that's another thread.) The point being is that we need to look beyond this reactionary response (both my father's and the that of the author of this article) and examine why the American public has such a narrow view when it comes to puritan ideals, especially when many/most have abandoned the church that has been primarily responsible for perpetuating these values.
-----------------------------------------------

How does a group of teens playing volleyball in the nude exemplify how society is going to hell? That just sounds absurd, I mean what does volleyball in the nude have to do with sex or orgies or anything sinful anyways? Its comments like that that make these people seem totally idiotic, I mean they make such comments but have no real proof to back them up. I bet these people say that youre going to hell because of this, but they dont even explain WHY.


------------------------------------------------
As a sidebar, we have traveled on repeated occasions with OUR three teenagers to various nudist resorts in France. Indeed, the common practice for the native (French) teenagers at these VERY family oriented resorts has been to casually doff their clothes at the seaside or at the pool, and perhaps even lie out for a bit to enjoy the sun once out of the water, but beyond that, they are quite eager to cover themselves in the interaction with friends. No sense of shame, or even embarrassment per se, but once they're out of the water, most wish to remain (or become) clothed. As nudism in Europe IS a much more common thing, we can assume that 'nudist families' in Europe are in fact much more casual about nudity, AND about NOT being nude. "My parents like to go to this naturist place every summer and I can roll with it." This is quite different than here in the US where you pretty much have to take a militant stand and say, "I'm a nudist dammit! Respect me!"
-------------------------------------------------

So these french kids dont mind being nude for a little dip in the pool but wouldnt dream of being nude in front of their friends? That doesnt sound very much like a nudist to me. I do think that most people from europe have a more relaxed attitude about nudity than people over here though. That last statement does sound like something id say to someone because it seems thats the only thing people understand over here is when you stick up for yourself and yell something in their face.

Mike, you are old enough to move out and live your own life. Why don't you?

[P & C]

Easy there my friend! Your response to my father is almost as extreme as my father's response to nudism. It simply is not part of his reality and he doesn't know where to begin when it comes time to put it into context. That's sort of my point. We'll never be able to sway the nay-sayers with equally extreme reactions. We need to figure out the psychology of what they find to be so offensive.

As to the reaction to nudity on the part of French teenagers, I can't say that I've actually HAD this discussion with a French teenager. This is simply my estimation after watching this social phenomenon in action. And, in fact, I believe that most teenagers at French naturist resorts would NOT call themselves nudists. They are simply comfortable taking their clothes off as social custom requires. Their PARENTS are the nudists who have chosen the vacation spot - and many have been coming to the same place since the children were small so the kids have a circle of friends that have grown up together - naked or not.

There again, that's my point about the militant part of nudism. They have nothing to prove - - they're just comfortable being naked in a social environment, and cover up when naked doesn't quite feel right. Isn't that the best case scenario for a 16 year old kid? I, the parent, have the right to be naked whenever I want. They (the teenagers) have the right to wear clothes whenever THEY want.

Paul

[Shane Scott]

I belive there is nothing wrong with teenage naturist just as long as they are not allowed in a room with the door shut and locked, other than that there is nothing really wrong with teenage naturist.It's natural not wrong.

[MikeJB]

Well because im still going through school now and my dad wont let me get a job while im in school so I really cant do anything to make any money so im basically stuck with him for a while. I mean its a nice thought to just move out, but its easier said than done.

[MikeJB]

I know that response sounded a bit extreme and I didnt mean it in hatred or anything, I just dont think its right that your father acts in such a way about nudism without all the facts or without at least hearing you out. I just think if someone is going to say that nudity is bad, they better have some sort of opinion or facts to back themselves up.

[MikeJB]

As for the french teen nudist thing. I just think that if youre gonna be at a nudist resort, you should be naked there. I think its dumb that people would go to a nudist resort but be clothed most of the time. That might give nudists a bad name because theyd wonder "if you really enjoy being nude and being a nudist, then why are you wearing clothes, especially at a nudist resort?". Thats why I like the ones where they make you be naked most places and under most circumstances because thats whats expected there and I just think most people would feel pretty silly being clothed around other people who are all completely naked.

[P & C]

I'm sure the 'French thing' doesn't quite make sense if you've never been there. Let me try it this way. Say you go to a really nice resort with a large pool complex, or perhaps on a beach. When people are swimming or sunning near the pool, they wear the appropriate attire - in non-nudist venues - a swimsuit. Outside of the pool area, some will remain in their swimsuits, say at the nearby snack bar or restaurant, others will cover up to some degree depending on comfort and whim of the moment.

What I'm having trouble conveying is that here in the states we feel obligated to have nudity required rules at nudist resorts to avoid having gawkers hang around and ruin it for everyone. Again, this says more about the up-tight, if not fearful, nature of American culture.

As it happens, the French resorts have similar rules throughout the resort, but the nudity required thing is only enforced at the pool, and even then, the enforcers tend to turn their eyes the other way when it comes to adolescents as it is simply understood that a lot of 16 year olds have enough to stuggle with beyond dogmatic rules about being naked. BUT, if they want to go into the pool, there are no suits allowed.

The scenario I'm trying to describe is one that is more tolerant in every regard - according to what feels right and appropriate. Europeans have figured this out in their visits to naturist resorts and countless beaches all through Europe. That the clothed and unclothed can mingle amongst one another without either feeling put upon to comply.

As for my children, (13 and 15) they are completely at ease in this environment. Like the natives, they have no inhibitions about getting naked to go in the pool or the ocean, but once out of the water, they tend to find a layer of protection of a towel. By contrast, most of the American places we've visited have left them feeling on edge and either lonely due to lack of people their age, and/or put upon to be naked when they'd really rather stay clothed. If they're not comfortable, we (the parents) aren't comfortable, and in all likelihood won't return. Thus, another family lost to nudism in America. Not a good solution by my estimation.

Paul

[Rex]

Hi MikeJB,
From some of what you say, your dad does seem to be somewhat dogmatic at times, but hopefully you would agree that he does have your best interests at heart.
For instance, it does seem strange that he won't let you get a job whilst you're going through college. I think most parents would welcome their son or daughter showing initiative in this respect.
I hope you do well in college and in a future career path and make your dad proud of you.
Apart from anything else, you will then have a better chance of one day saying, "Well dad, I realise you don't exactly approve of me being a nudist, [or the softer approach, "naturist"], but you know I'm a good sort of guy, and you know I really appreciate the flying start you helped to give me in life".

[MikeJB]

Well he says its because I gotta concentrate on my studies but I usually have alot of time on my hands because I dont have that many classes and a job during the afternoon or night would work out and id still have time to do my studies also. He just thinks that the summer time or between semesters would be better than trying to juggle school and work. He likes the fact that I want to get a job though but thinks that I need to wait until I can do both comfortably. As for the nudist thing, until im out of my parents home and on my own I dont think its a wise idea to tell him that im a nudist because he either might not support me as much as far as work and school and or might force me not to be a nudist at all while I live with him and if I keep it secret then I dont have to worry about it, this is one of the very few things id keep secret from him. I feel that he wouldnt accept me being a nudist because he almost thinks that the photos from here that I have had on my computer are pornography even though that isnt true and I just was able to convince him that I got them somewhere else like in an email or someone downloaded them to me. Anyways just the fact that he views simple nudist photos as pornography just goes to show you how closed minded he is and even if he didnt think they were pornography, he would say that a christian shouldnt be looking at such things and or have such things in his home or on his computer.

[stevenf64]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Paul & Carol:
is only enforced at the pool, and even then, the enforcers tend to turn their eyes the other way when it comes to adolescents as it is simply understood that a lot of 16 year olds have enough to stuggle with beyond dogmatic rules about being naked. BUT, if they want to go into the pool, there are no suits allowed.

As for my children, (13 and 15) they are completely at ease in this environment.

most of the American places we've visited have left them feeling on edge and either lonely due to lack of people their age, and/or put upon to be naked when they'd really rather stay clothed. If they're not comfortable, we (the parents) aren't comfortable, and in all likelihood won't return. Thus, another family lost to nudism in America. Not a good solution by my estimation.

Paul <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Paul
You make some great points. I think these are points that lots of people NEED TO HEAR.
I agree with you that I feel one of the reasons that we have a problem with keeping kids involved in nudism has a lot more to do with letting them decide if and when they are comfortable nude then it does with having something to do. ALthough the lack of other kids at most places also puts our children in an uneasy place also.
Just as we as adults dont necessarily like being told what to do or how to think, we go out of our way to do just that with our kids.
I will say that just yesterday though I went to a nude swim that had a good number of kids with their parents and was very happy to see that if the child didnt want to be naked NO ONE gave him or her any flake over this. INCLUDING in the pool.
I dont know what part of PA your in but this one was in MA near NY and was a good time. If you want info on next one let me know and I will be happy to IM you when one comes. A few of the kids were around your childrens age (although I cant be sure, hard to tell).
steve

[P & C]

Thanks for the affirmation. Unfortunately, we live at the southern border of PA, probably a good 4 or 5 hours from MA. Such is life.

Paul

[MikeJB]

Yeah I just think these nudist places worry about gawkers and pediphiles who usually come wearing clothing and just want to oogle these people and cause problems and they feel that if everyone has to be naked then they can spot these people easier and its just their logic that if you come to a nudist resort, you should be naked and if you want to be clothed you can go to a textile resort where youre clothed 24/7. I mean I understand the whole teen thing but youd think that if these kids were brought up right than even when they become teens the sight of their bodies being naked wouldnt be such a big deal to themk because theyd understand all the little things that happen at this stage. I just think there are probably ways around this whole teen-age shyness that can be found so that teens can be naked and feel comfortable and this need to cover up at a nudist resort wouldnt really be an issue.

[Rex]

Thank you all for your excellent responses.
I think Jackie Mitchard would benefit from hearing some of these.
An email sent to tclark@tribune.com will reach her editor, who will forward it on.

[Bob S.]

Paul and Carol,

Regarding the French teens, I believe that the issues at US nudist parks is that the US society in general is more restrictive in regards to nudity than in France. This means that the parks are going to be places where nudity is the preferred dress as opposed to general society where clothing is so imperative. IOW The French parks are clothing optional because of the relaxed feelings about nudity. The US parks are nudity mandated because of the more restrictive feelings about nudity.

The other reason why they are dressing after laying out and swimming is because of what you mentioned, they "would NOT call themselves nudists. They are simply comfortable taking their clothes off as social custom requires." Not every child of a nudist is a nudist as well. They've just learned to be naked in certain places and for certain events.

One last thing, even in some (I would hope most) parks over here, the dress code for children and teens is relaxed somewhat. Nudity in the pool and hot-tub, but they are not overly restrictive about nudity elsewhere.

Bob S.

[Trailscout]

Retaining our young people in nudist society is the goal.

We often see nude children and adults, but our teens are not consistently nude. That's okay!

If our resorts do a good job of attracting a goodly number of teens, have plenty of activities for them, then we have every reason to expect that we will retain them in the nudist culture and they will regain their confidence in their bodies when they reach adulthood. Let's not worry about whether they are constantly nude right now.

Some lucky teens never develop body shame or self-consciousness. Perhaps they had less peer pressure toward body shame and maybe their parents were more faithful to practice nudity at home on a regular basis.

Other families are late-comers to nudism and are still acclimating to this new life.

Consequently we should expect a wide range in degrees of body acceptance among our teens at nudist venues.

Let's focus on making teens feel welcome and focus on providing activities to suit their interests. Everything else will fall in place.

[Naturist Mark]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by MikeJB:
Most of these sex ed people here seem to think that sex in the teen years is ok as long as u use protection and know what youre doing and I think thats bs because that just encourages teens to try it early and theres always the chance that something can go wrong and I dont think most teens can handle tthat sort of thing so its best for them to just not do it at all. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>On what planet?

Sex education in the US tends to be clinical, where they actually do teach it, it often scares kids into celibacy. In some places the backwards lookers only allow 'abstinence education'. Where there is real sex education it never teaches the mechanics of the act (they all know that from their peer groups, movies and cable tv), only the biological process (sperm meets egg etc.) In the more progressive districts they get information on contraception and preventing disease, with a BIG load of scare tactics.

We live in an era where inappropriate and unsafe sex leads not to just unwanted pregnancy, but potentially to death. Some people want to arm our kids with ignorance. Those people are sinners.

resources:
http://www.medication-now.com/sexualhealth/sex-education-taught-in-school.htm
http://www.caps.ucsf.edu/sexedtext.html

[MikeJB]

I dunno, maybe I was wrong. I just personally never really liked the sort of sex-ed they gave at school and it really just had the sort of textile mentality of not telling alot of important stuff about it and thus kids would go elsewhere to find it and they had this stupid double standard of saying that sex in general for teens isnt good but somehow if you use protection that its ok and its your choice, i mean these guys kind of contradict themselves, either its ok or its not. I just think that the sex education I got from school was really messed up and im glad I knew alot of the stuff I did beforehand so I didnt really have to pay attention to alot of it.

[Trailscout]

The thought among nudists is that if boys and girls grow up as nudists, when they reach their teens, the bodies of the opposite sex won't be such an irresistible mystery for them.

Nudists historically have chaperoned their kids very closely, so that their kids were not alone and unsupervised quite as much.

I was taught that sex is how a husband and wife express their love for each other. It is too special to be used for any other purpose. I had a good relationship with my parents and I trusted their judgement on such matters. I am glad I did.

They did not spend a lot of time preaching about condom failures, VD and pregnancy. They gave me the facts, but their approach was much more positive and affirming for them to dwell on negative consequences too long.