Hi Folks.  Just reading a post by  Roger and Julie Shower's from a few years ago in which they recount Roger's home dress code while growing up.  This really grabbed my attention as my wife, Patti, and I set out many years ago to foster a nude home environment for our soon-to-be new family while she was pregnant with our first born.  In a nutshell, we started out strong for at least the first 8 years, having basically a clothes-free home environment for us and our two children.  In the home and in the backyard (weather permitting) we all enjoyed going about our day to day as a nudist family where the norm was to be unclothed.  It was wonderful.  As our children got a little older, things fell apart. 

The challenges soon began as our son’s social circles developed through elementary school: he progressed from scheduled playdates, to impromptu freeform get togethers and sleepovers with friends and lots of parents in and out of the house all the while.  The same was true for our daughter as well.  This ever present unpredictability at home put a wrinkle in our unclothed way of living.  Our children began to defer to wearing clothes much of the time at home. We sustained a welcome environment for visitors, but it was one that became textile. Patti and I were afraid at this time that the two of us living as nudists in our home, with our children being free to wear clothes or not, would be a the equivalent of all four of us wearing a scarlet N on our chests.  We were genuinely concerned that our children would become a pariah in our small town.

Despite this, we had over the years, shared with some friends and family our nudist philosophy, sometimes addressing questions when someone would spot an intentionally positioned copy of N Magazine on an end table.  Very few of our friends in the neighborhood ended up admitting a curiosity or interest in trying it out on their own.  Most just seemed nonplussed while others asked in a sort of damning way about the children’s exposure and their participation.  Being forthcoming with those close to us never really went anywhere.  Instead, we were asked to stay clothed when they were in our presence.

Fast forward to the present, the one upshot is that our children, who are now 22 and 19 years old, seem to have a very healthy body image, respectively, and don’t bat an eye if anyone among the four us is nude while they are home on break from college.  (For our daughter, this usually means asking for an opinion on an outfit before putting anything on.  For our son, its usually walking into the kitchen looking for breakfast in an absent-minded way while wearing only a smile.). This to us is an accomplishment. The end point is a positive, it’s just not how we envisioned getting there. 

We’re sharing our experience among our ANW community to ask any of you if you have had similar aims when starting your family.  If you did, what was your experience?  Did you succumb to your own fears like we did?  Did you do something different?  If so, what were the outcomes? 

Thanks for reading. 

sounds like you did the right thing, allowing your children to have control of their own dressing and nudty makes them feel it is part of them and not something they must do because you say so

it is to me similar to a religious upbringing, one my brother hit his teens he was forced to attend by dad, which ended with him having come away from the church completly.

we have to let our children find their own paths and as my dad found forcing my brother into church was completly counterproductive in wanting him to remain in the faith.

the fact your kids are now young adults and seem to be happy wih their nudity is proof in the pudding tthat you did it right.

Kevin, we would say you have done a great job, because you have two kids who have moved into adulthood with a full understanding of themselves and their bodies. Our case has been similar to yours, we raised our kids in the same way, also a boy and girl, but sadly our boy who is twenty one in a couple of weeks, has turned against naturism, due mainly to his friends opinions. Our daughter is a full on naturist aged 17 and is looking like one for life. We still think our son will in time understand better, because he has lived the experience, and we hope one day his friends have less influence over him as he picks a path that is better suited to the person he becomes.

You obviously got the balance right, as both of them understand the pressures of a socially prejudiced society, but they also understand they own their own life and choices, and have chosen to strike a balance that suits them.

Thanks for your kind words of encouragement, Robin & Rin and Steve.  Our two children are certainly comfortable in their own skin - that's the win for us.  Perhaps as they continue to grow and mature they may even consider joining Patti and me on a trip to a club or nude beach.  For now, when we ask we just get the" Gen Z eye roll!"

Thanks for this everyone and especially to Kevin O for kick starting this thread. We are always delighted to see an older Forum topic added to. We love seeing historic depth to these chats. 

Coincidentally this month is my 18th naturist birthday I we have been planning to writing an article/blog about naturism and children in recognition of my naturism reaching "adult age!" Unfortunately we have been a little distracted due to me looking after my mother, and have got a little behind, but we will see what we can do asap. 

Part of what we plan to consider in the article is how things have changed in the last 18 years - in Britain, on the internet, socially and maybe globally. 

Steve and I write as A Naturist Family we started blogging in 2018. Would we start such a blog now? Would we be happy to bring our children up as naturists now? Would we even become naturists outrselves now? 

What naturism is to us hasn't changed. What it is to many naturists hasn't changed. But what it is on the internet has changed, how it is portrayed by venues has changed, who naturism appears to be offered to has changed, and even how it appears to be promoted and presented by some national bodies has changed. Naturism in the UK is not the naturism that I was aware of when becoming a naturist, and it is not the naturism I introduced my children to when they were born. It isn't so much that it is no longer family friendly or suitable for families - it very much is! But it no longer seems comfortable about this and that rubs off. It has become ashamed of families. Family naturism has become an awkward truth as opposed to a proud reality. 

The internet has changed too. In the short period since we became A Naturist Family the internet has become so wrapped up in fear that we would find it hard to call ourselves A Vegetarian Family. The internet no longer feels secure in the idea that people have children, any mention of children is considered dangerous. 

And society has changed. In a few short years we have seen a real narrowing of the minds when it comes to naturism. The internet has made it worse, and the lack of positive promoting of families has made it worse, but it all feeds itself. Society is not as laid back as it was a few years ago. 

It all adds up to a much harder time to be a naturist family. And I wonder if we were not already passionate naturists in 2026 would we be interested now? And I wonder if our children were born in 2026 would we see naturist as a family option. 

ANW sometimes seems to be the only presence that continues to speak out for the idea of families in naturism. 

Kevin O's story is a success story, RnR has had a success story with their daughter - cuurently their son is closer to the sad reality most of the world faces when it comes to naturism. 

Our own son's? I just don't know. At least they have had great experiences to look back on, and are very comfortable with their bodies at home, but as for the future? 

But these are children born 14 and more years ago. Are there going to be success stories in another dozen years or more with children born in the 2020's. It is certainly going to be rare in Britain. 

I would love to hear your thoughts. It could be that away from the UK everything is better for children. It could be that you have a youngster now who is going to be one of the 2030's success stories.

Or it could be that you recognise that if you were starting off today family naturism would not be a consideration. Or maybe you would do it all again exactly the same? 

Share your thoughts. I look forward to your responses.