In this day and age, parents have to be constantly on guard for threats to their children. So, when considering joining the nudist/naturist way of life, many parents understandably have concerns. The American Association for Nude Recreation and The Naturist Society both have great resources on their websites to help parents get answers to their questions so that they can be confident that they are not going to cause any harm to their children when they join a family-friendly nudist event, resort, or club.
A few common concerns are below, with each being addressed by one of our parents:
The children will see other people naked and the other people will see them. In our experience, it was never a real issue. We hung out naked at home a lot so they grew up knowing what a naked man and woman looked like. When we went to swims or to a landed club, they had no preconception that there was anything shameful or odd about nudity or being nude in front of others. Like their parents, they enjoy going swimming at a place where they can be nude more than places where a wet clingy swimsuit must be worn.
It is unsafe for the children because of the threat of predators? Here again, we have found that the environment at nudist venues to be very safe and without issues. Because of the screening process, we have always felt safe bringing the children to a club or activity. In many ways, it is like they have many sets of Parents or Aunts and Uncles watching over them. Many adults have shared their pool floats, noodles, played catch, and even snacks with them over the years. We have gone to a club with a big bag of pretzels and the kids have shared them with others and made new adult friends too.
How will the children react to this new environment? Will it be shocking, confusing, or damaging to them? Children are natural nudists and take to it very easily. It might take a whole 10 minutes of feeling slightly awkward but the kids soon discover what fun they are having and any reservations are gone. Several folks have followed the kids’ progress as they have seen them grow from toddlers when we started with the Heartland Naturists 5 years ago. They just love being nudists and I believe most other kids will too.
While every parent has different particular situations and concerns, the underlying concerns are always the same: to make sure their children are safe and happy. Many parents have found that to be true at Heartland Naturists events.
If you have any questions or concerns about how to introduce your family to naturism/nudism, please let us know. We have many parent members who would be happy to talk with you and put your mind at ease before joining us.