Nursery World - A Unique Child

Why do young children tend to like being naked so much? And are there particular times when stripping off should be discouraged? Caroline Vollans investigates

Allowing children to be naked in public places is a contentious issue

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.

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