A yoga teacher recently told me of her shock when she entered the studio to find a naked yogi. She asked him to put some clothes on.
While this is an unexpected (maybe concerning) occurrence, it would not be so with a young child. One minute they are fully clad and the next they are running about starkers. Not only in the home, but at friends’ houses, in the park and at the supermarket.
What is this urge for young children to go au naturel?
As with the yogi, is it a cause for concern?
EARLY EXPERIENCES
According to Dr Jane Elfer, a child and adolescent psychotherapist and spokesperson for the Association of Child Psychotherapists (ACP), the toddler’s wish to take off their clothes is rooted in their earliest experiences. ‘I thought firstly about the birth of a baby. If all goes smoothly, the baby will be placed in the mother’s arms and they will have time to look at each other. They too will have some skin-to-skin time.
‘The baby will take in the scent of her mother as well as the warmth and comfort of her skin.
‘As feeding becomes established, by bottle or breast, the baby will have further experiences of their mother’s and father’s skin. The baby will be bathed and changed. These are often lovely opportunities for bonding and getting to know one another.’
Dr Elfer wonders if being without clothes takes the child back to the pleasure derived from these early experiences. ‘Their senses are awakened, and the same pleasure can be found again in running around without the clutter of nappy or clothes.’
She considers this enjoyment of being naked as perfectly normal. ‘They are merely enjoying the sensation of being bare, the feel of sun or wind on their skin.’
OTHER REASONS FOR ENJOYING NUDITY
There may also be pragmatic reasons why a child opts for nudity:
- Discomfort: when a child gets hot, their clothes may begin to feel sticky or itchy. The obvious response is to remove them. Similarly, if a nappy is uncomfortable, the child may whip it off. They are reducing the sensory overload caused by their clothing.
- As with many behaviours, if removing their clothes results in a lot of attention, then children are likely to do it.
- If the child has just acquired the dexterity to unbutton and unzip, they may enjoy putting their new skill into practice. They may take off their dress or trousers just because they can.
- When learning independence in going to the toilet, children may appear only half-dressed if they need help wiping or doing up their clothes.
UNDRESSING IN EARLY YEARS SETTINGS
Whether the idea of children going naked is welcomed or not, there is a big difference between it happening in the home and in more public places. This includes EYFS settings.
Though many parents and practitioners may agree that being naked is part of a baby’s and young child’s development, issues will arise.
Some will feel that it is a natural, even essential, aspect of being a young child and should be included in their nursery experience.
Some will feel that it is fine in the privacy of the family home, but not beyond that. Some will only feel comfortable with it during the very early months of babyhood. Whatever the case and whatever the reasons, compromises have to be found.
Dr Elfer suggests that practitioners and parents have discussions about children undressing. What boundaries need to be in place? ‘Staff may feel that water play in the garden on warm days, when they have plenty of sunscreen applied, is appropriate with just a nappy or little trainer pants, maybe a light vest.’
She acknowledges, however, that some parents may not be comfortable with this.
WHEN UNDRESSING MAY BE CAUSE FOR CONCERN
Dr Elfer thinks there may be cause for concern if it seems that the toddler or child gives any indication that they have to take their clothes off or if they think adults want them to.
‘My feeling is that this would happen alongside other signs that might alert a practitioner,’ she says. As with any potential safeguarding issue, this should be pursued.
This did happen many years ago when Helen Currie was teaching in a different setting. A young child persistently removed his clothing in the playground. He then started to act out explicitly sexual scenes. This was a clear sign that something was not right and the matter was pursued as a safeguarding issue.
CONCLUSION
Generally, there is nothing wrong with young children removing their clothes. Indeed, it is a shame if children miss out on the joys of being so entirely free and unencumbered.
But, as Dr Elfer says, ‘It should be managed like many of the other challenges childhood presents. Children love to experiment, to try things out – in this way they learn about the world. They are not intending to be “naughty”, but need a gentle and helpful hand to navigate growing up safely and with a growing understanding of the world.’
A common dream is about finding ourselves naked in public. The problem in the dream is not the nudity, but the social context. This is the message that we need help children learn.
There is a time and place for being naked. Even if they decide to become naturists when they grow up, they will still have to abide by this premise.
Professor Pragya Agarwall, mother of three young girls, was speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour about her decision to start screaming during the pandemic (8 February 2022). Professor Agarwall explained on the programme how she is trying to raise her children to be emotionally free, able to express their anger and frustration.
She offers them opportunities to simply scream – in the car, the house, or the garden. One day, just before their screaming session, the girls spontaneously took their clothes off.
It seems that these girls are teaching us something about the link between emotional and bodily freedom.
CASE STUDY: Church Hill and Low Hall Nursery Schools, London
Helen Currie is executive head teacher of Church Hill and Low Hall Nursery Schools in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. Helen says she has never considered children being naked as an option at nursery. For her, this is primarily due to safeguarding and the likely opposition from parents due to religious, cultural or safety reasons.
Helen says, ‘On hot days the children play freely with water and get wet. They then change into dry clothes. When we visit the beach or paddling pools, they change into swimming costumes and their parents applying sun lotion. If a parent is not there, the staff, with parental consent, help the children apply their own lotion. If they need help, staff will ask them and explain what they are doing and why.’
At Church Hill and Low Hall, staff are very matter-of-fact about bodily things, including nudity. ‘We always use the correct terminology for all parts of the body. Equally, we don’t make a fuss or have any sort of dramatic response if a child comes out of the toilet partially undressed, or if younger children take their clothes off. We simply ask if they would like help putting their clothes back on.’
Helen continues, ‘Consent underlines all our work with the children and their bodies. Children’s bodies are private to them. This means that staff will always ask the children if they need help before touching them. This way, the children develop an idea of privacy and consent from very early on.’
This emphasis on consent goes hand in hand with teaching the children that nursery is not the place to be naked.
Dr Elfer agrees. ‘It is acceptable for toddlers to run about the garden without clothes. However, in public places, parents should be cautious. Sadly we know that some people may not be trustworthy. This may be part of a conversation that develops about parts of our bodies being private to just us. It may be part of helping a toddler learn the boundaries of when it is appropriate to take clothes off.’
USEFUL RESOURCES
- The NSPCC’s PANTS campaign: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/pants-underwear-rule
- The Association of Child Psychotherapists: https://childpsychotherapy.org.uk/resources-families/understanding-childhood