Why do kids love to be naked?

My daughter is a streaker. Give her any reason to get those clothes off, and she’s is off running around screaming “Naked Baby!”

I’m putting an end to this. Maybe it is because I’m a guy, but I’m really starting to get concerned about this fascination with nudity. It’s not just streaking; my daughter likes to pull up her dress to her head and show off her panties.

Why is that even fun?

It gets a reaction.

I can’t walk down the street and drop my pants to show off my boxers – it’s not socially acceptable. She needs to learn. My wife said it’s not a big deal – that it won’t affect her when she’s thirty.

Uhh – yeah it will. It’s not really good for the career to pull up your skirt in the middle of a meeting to show off your panties.

I know that there is an acceptable amount of nudity concerning kids, but the issue seems to be a grey area. Women I’ve talked to about this think I’m overreacting. Men agree that I need to nip it in the bud.

There is a difference in the way women and men think about these things. A lot of guys see the nakedness as a precursor to a life of inappropriate nakedness. If she takes off her shirt now, what’s going to happen at a college party?

Women view adolescent nudity through a pure, innocent lens. What could be sweeter than a young, carefree child frolicking naked through the grass? My answer: a carefree child with her clothes on.

Women see the moment, whereas the men see this as a harbinger of lewd behavior.

One thing that happens when my daughter runs around naked is people react. People laugh, and she becomes the center of attention.

Think of two famous actresses: Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. Which is the more vivid picture? Many people know Monroe from that iconic picture of her skirt blowing up from a gust of wind. Others remember her because of her other less-clothed photo-shoots. 

Monroe is the more well-remembered of the two. The reason for this is that people react to skin and nudity. It makes a difference, and it leaves an impression.

At this early age, my daughter is making a connection between her nakedness and people’s reactions. 

I have several jobs as a father, but one of the most important is to build up my daughter’s self-esteem and confidence to a level where she doesn’t have to wear low-cut outfits to get acceptance and attention.

A person who is confident in his or her skin doesn’t need to flash it to make friends. No matter how innocent a naked three-year-old is, I cannot disconnect the thought of this behavior continuing into her teen years.

She is far too young, but I have to worry about her keeping on her clothes. Her whole future depends on it.


This originally appeared in Parenting on the Peninsula