There is a time and place for everything, and most of all that applies to nudity.
Despite the antics of naked daredevils, this author knows that society as a whole will never accept being butt naked in public...and that is a good thing. This is especially true in traditionally conservative cultures such as the USofA.
But what about being nude at home? We have explored backyard nudity and came to the conclusion that unless the neighbors are being given an unintended show of body parts that the home is the time and the place. However does this time and place rule apply to young children (always and with good reason a very sensitive subject).
The New York Times today published a major examination of this subject http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/garden/16nudity.html?_r=1&ref=health and the story was not surprisingly inconclusive.
Are children natural nudists? Without question.
Should parents regulate the behavior of their children? Absolutely.
Should parents encourage children to see their bodies as healthy vessels deserving of respect? Some will disagree, but the answer should be "yes."
Should society be on guard against pedophilia? Yes, yes and throw away the key!
Should we adopt a time and place rule taking into account the presence of other children and adults and make sure that children clearly understand these limitations? Yep.
It's time to make the call. If the time and place are proper, and the child is taught what is proper and what is not, then why not teach the first lesson of body acceptance and body potential?
It's never too early to develop the next generations of healthy, happy, well-adjusted nudists.
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