No image. Don’t want to offend anyone.
What’s next? Parents have to wear blindfolds when bathing their kids at home? Perhaps those prudes need to watch how the Japanese handle things.
Mum in hot water at public pool over child nudity ban
Amanda Crozier was dressing her 16-month-old daughter at the side of a public swimming pool when an attendant approached and told her there was a ban on child nudity.
“You’re kidding me, aren’t you?” the mother of four replied.
No, they were not. She was handed a notice that explained the policy was designed to “minimise the risks”.
So began a national debate yesterday. Managers of the pool at the Kaiapoi Aquatic Centre near Christchurch said some swimmers were offended by child nudity and they were also worried about the risk of paedophiles photographing naked children.
National Party family affairs spokeswoman Judith Collins called the centre’s stance “PC nonsense”.
“These [centre management] are saying to this poor young mother that she should feel she is doing something dreadful in changing her daughter. They need to get a life.
“How do they think babies are born? Do they think they come all dressed? Maybe they think there are paedophiles lurking around delivery rooms. People need to start thinking about what exactly they are saying here.”
You could have used the old Coppertone ads…
In some cultures nudity doesn’t imply sexuality. In the modern West it generally does. I don’t know about today, but Japanese families bathing together in public baths was common a few years back. You have to wonder if pedophiles are more common today, or it just went underreported for centuries. It’s got decent people so paranoid, you’re scared to even glance at a child on the street.
Look, i’m the first to agree that you need some flexibility to be able to change your kid. But being an Australian and knowing Kiwi’s are pretty liberal, i’d defend them by saying I think that legislation was put in place to protect their kids against deviants rather than because they are prudish.
People still use public baths naked in Japan. It’s only the western mentality that everything naked is sexual which people cant seem to get over. Paedophilia is like terrorism: if you let it run your lives then it wins. What ever happened to common sense. God only knows what might happen if, god forbid, some mother breast feeds her child! It’s these people who cant differentiate between things that are sexual and infant nurturing that really need to have their heads checked.
RT: Totally totally true. Especially if you’re male. Can someone sit in the park and have a sandwich in the sun without feeling paranoid because some other idiot is on a paedohunt or something? Are families going to have to grow high trees around their gardens? Are you going to have a background check before you buy a camera?
Lord help us if the bible thumpers find out we are all animals. That bunch of prudes should just STFU.
Is it difficult to dress one’s child privately? I find naked babies kind of gross.
Sad. I’ve heard that in parts of the US, it is now illegal to video tape school events, such as sports, because of the fear that the video might be used in an inapproprate way. So if you kid is on the swim team, you can’t even film them at a meet.
Ummm, ok…
How about the philosophy that was said long ago.
If we all went Nude, those deviants would get BORED staring at all the funny parts. Ask your gyno.
we are getting as bad as the middle east, trying to cover the Body of females until; its ALL a dream.. Then we Homoginize our childs lives to the point, that we cover their Eyes if we see a DOG/CAT mating…
eventually, they wount know what to do, on their wedding night.
>Japanese families bathing together in public baths was common
So were Japanese rape comics in vending machines.
Don’t they have bathrooms for this type of thing?
AB CD,
What’s it with you and rape comics? I think that the third time I’ve seen you post about it when Japan was mentioned. Are you furious about it, or just wistfully nostalgic?
Worried about pedophiles? I can understand that, but the kid was 16 months! Even pedophiles wait a few years don’t they?
Even pedophiles wait a few years don’t they? Sadly, no. I was stunned the first time I heard the phrase “infant rape”. Now I’m just disgusted.
Not sure what Australian customs are, but when that occurs in the U.S., I do wonder why the parent is too lazy to go to the restroom to change a child. Who really wants to see that? Is it that inconvenient to take a few minutes away from the pool, shopping or whatever to walk to the restroom?
Many restrooms in family oriented locations even have changing stations for that purpose.
Then are the people that just leave the diaper behind. Always a pleasure…
But of course, you cannot legislate common sense into people…
Actually, I think the rule is that the child must be wearing a swimming nappy (diaper). If a kid craps in the pool, health dept regs mean that they have to close it until all the water has cycled through the filters. It can take an hour or two and cost a lot of money in lost revenue.
So it’s not a ban on nudity, rather a requirement for the proper atire to be worn.
Not sure what Australian customs are, but when that occurs in the U.S., I do wonder why the parent is too lazy to go to the restroom to change a child.
What makes it lazy? An infant or toddler does not have the same bowel control as an older person. I take it you get offended by the sight of a child that young.
Who really wants to see that? Is it that inconvenient to take a few minutes away from the pool, shopping or whatever to walk to the restroom?
Yup, you are offended.
Many restrooms in family oriented locations even have changing stations for that purpose.
And many don’t.
But of course, you cannot legislate common sense into people…
Nor can you legislate hangups, issues, or personal problems.
Tell me, do you have hangups about a woman breast feeding a baby in a public place too? Would you prefer that be done in the washroom too?
I’m moving there, should I be worried? Warn my wife? What are the penalties?
#16 – Mr. H. Fusion
What makes it lazy? An infant or toddler does not have the same bowel control as an older person.
I understand. That is why diapers were invented so that timing and control could be taken out of the equation. Something about being more healthy and civilized. And speaking of older people, what of the elderly? Don’t tell me that it is OK to change Depends in the open based on this point! Poor grandpa!
I take it you get offended by the sight of a child that young.
Actually, I have four children from 1 to 12. So changing diapers has been a very common task in our family! Not once have either my wife or I changed any of the children out in open. Inconvenient – yes. Difficult – no. It is part of being a parent.
Yup, you are offended.
Please include me in the population that regards this as inconsiderate. (And depending on wind direction and diet, anyone within a 25′ radius might have be offended too!)
Tell me, do you have hangups about a woman breast feeding a baby in a public place too? Would you prefer that be done in the washroom too?
Actually yes I do – as do many others. In some locations, areas are set aside just for this. My office even has a private office just for nursing mothers (and we are definitely not a company known for fringe benefits or having a lot of extra space to waste!). For those instances where privacy is not an option, there _are_ alternatives. But perhaps those are not “fresh” or good enough for their children.
I also do not appreciate people who bring their dog “children” into stores. While stores seem to be increasingly hesitant to ask them to not bring pets into stores at the risk of losing their business or creating a scene, what risks are they taking on with liability? What of the customers fiercely allergic to animals? It’s a dog not a child – you can be apart for 30 minutes to run to Home Depot…
Obviously I fall into the category that is not as open-minded and liberal about doing anything anywhere. While perhaps not obvious from my post, I am not an uptight prude. But I do follow some manners from time to time. Which also means that I respect thier choice enough not to force my values upon them. But respect my opinion that I personally think less of the parents…