How Often Do You Let Baby (Or Young Toddler) Run Around Naked?

Updated on May 17, 2011
R.. asks from Cleveland, TN
28 answers

My DD just turned one year old. Up until she was about 7 months old, I was really strict about making sure I got her dressed every single day. Then, gradually, it has gotten to the point that she really only wears clothes 3-4 days out of the week, or if we are going somewhere. I just let her run around in her diaper. Lol. I feel like such a lazy mom... but it cuts down on laundry, she loves it, it's easier to tell when she needs a new diaper, etc. So I was just wondering how many other moms are the same way... or are you strict about wearing clothes?

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So What Happened?

:) Good to know I'm not the only one! She really coulnd't care less about wearing clothes. If they are on her, she's perfectly fine... but it's sooo much easier on me to let her run around in just the diaper. Buck-naked if she looks like she may be getting a rash! lol.

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D.P.

answers from Greenville on

Both my kids (8mos and 4 1/2 yo) love being naked. We just go with it. They have to wear clothes most of the time (going out, school), but if they don't have to , or we aren't going anywhere, then I just let 'em go. I do make my 4 1/2 wear underwear tho. I just can't stand the thought of his dirty butt making contact with my couch. lol

6 moms found this helpful
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B.B.

answers from San Antonio on

I did the same thing with my son, and it has come back to bite me now. He is 3 and he will just randomly take off his shorts and "unders" and want to hang out naked fromt he waist down except socks. When I ask him to put on his shorts his reply is "That's just one more thing to take off for bathtime mommy, plus it makes you work more with wandry (laundry)."

** sigh** - only the logic of a 3 year old. Guess he listened to me more than I thought. :)

** To clarify - I don't mind when we are at home just us, it's when company comes over and he's being stubborn that it's an issue. :)

4 moms found this helpful

P.W.

answers from Dallas on

I wouldn't worry. If you aren't going out what does it matter? Personality will guide you anyway. My youngest child loved being naked and didn't "clean up his act" until he was about 4, or later. It's kind of sad when they start getting embarrassed and their innocence is gone.

I felt it was appropriate to wear clothes when we had company, but if he wanted to be naked when it was just us........ I allowed a free spirit. And I don't think wearing a diaper is naked! He is 20 years old now, and probably the most conservative "sexually" of his friends. So it didn't seem to affect his morality, if that is a concern.

3 moms found this helpful

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G.T.

answers from Modesto on

Mine hung out in a diaper only, I totally agree on the laundry thing.

5 moms found this helpful

R.D.

answers from Richmond on

My son can take his clothes off... so he's usually pretty nudie ;) The older girls, I'd let them be naked until the older one was 4, then it was time to cover up the tatas!!

3 moms found this helpful

M.P.

answers from Provo on

During the week when we are at school or at work, he wears clothes all the time. The weekend he only wears clothes if we go anywhere. What's the point of dressing him? Plus he usually has a little rash from the stupid disposables we are forced into using (daycare wont let us cloth diaper), so I let him go completely naked for most of the morning.

3 moms found this helpful
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L.B.

answers from San Francisco on

My 4yo is a natural born nudist. Ugh. He loves to be naked. He will get dressed when it's time to go out or if someone is coming over. We joke he's going to open up his own nudist colony someday. Oh, and being naked works really well with potty training so it does have it's perks!

2 moms found this helpful
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C.M.

answers from New York on

I let my 15 month old run around naked every night after his bath. After a massage him down, I just let him roam free for about 10 mins or so. Since the weather is on the verge of getting nicer, there will be a lot more naked days in this house, trust me!! Lol

2 moms found this helpful
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J.Y.

answers from Chicago on

My children love to be naked. When there is noone coming over I figure that it is no big deal when they are little. I have made my 8 year old daughter wear underwear and a shirt for the last couple of years as well as my 5 year old son wearing underwear.

2 moms found this helpful
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C.J.

answers from Milwaukee on

It's naked party time as soon as he gets home from school. Four year olds are so uninhibited and he's always warm enough so it's 'game on' around here the rest of the day.

2 moms found this helpful
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B.L.

answers from Lubbock on

oh I am the same way with my about to be 21 month old...if we are not going anywhere it is just pamper around the house ...what is the purpose of clothes if we are not going anywhere.

2 moms found this helpful

M..

answers from St. Louis on

Somedays when we dont go anywhere hes in his jammies, and when I give him a bath I put more jammies on him or if its warm just runs in his diaper!! Its not lazy, its just pointless to dress them up if your not going anywhere.

1 mom found this helpful

M.C.

answers from Pocatello on

If it is nice and warm...why not. I mean... I try to always keep panties or a diaper on my girl at least... but I don't see why a baby cannot be "free" while it is just her (or him) and mom in the house. My daughter gets dressed now every day, but it isn't uncommon to find her peeling some clothes off during the day, and I don't make a fuss about it. In a few years she won't be allowed to run around naked anymore... why make a big deal out of it now?

Obviously- when we go out, or if we have people coming over, she gets dressed. She doesn't usually have any trouble keeping her clothes on in public (except if we are in the toddler clothes section of a dept store... then she wants to strip down and try on all of the clothes right there!) hehe!

I am glad to see that most other parents are relaxed about this too! I honestly have seen very few adults running around naked in public in my life, and of those that I have, I highly doubt it had anything to do with whether they were "nudists" at age 2 or 3!

-M.

1 mom found this helpful
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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

Once she was toilet-trained, I let her run around naked at home any time she wanted to.
Before then, if all she wanted was a diaper, that was fine too.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.M.

answers from Louisville on

if your at home and shes warm enough let her run arround naked!

P.M.

answers from Tampa on

When we are at home... clothing for us is optional. My husband will generally wear pajama pants, I can wear anything or nothing and the same with my 5 y/o. If anyone is expected over or we leave the house for any reason - we all get dressed (of course).

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M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I let my son do this, but TRIED to make sure that my daughter always had at least a t-shirt on too.

M.

T.B.

answers from Bloomington on

I am a little OCD, so not usually. I get them dressed everyday, but occasionally my boys go shirtless.

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K.P.

answers from Memphis on

YES!!! I'm not the only one! Glad to know I'm not alone :-D

Actually, my kids are older now, so they do get dressed every day, but when they were younger, I would usually dress them, but not get bothered if they didn't have clothes on. When they potty-trained, I would frequently have them running around in just a T-shirt so that they would have less to remove (or get wet) when going to the bathroom.

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J.A.

answers from San Francisco on

I let my daughter run around naked all the time, they are so much more comfortable! If she is not comfortable in clothes too, maybe try softer more stretchy things, rather than jeans.

E.B.

answers from Seattle on

Clothes...whats that?? My kids are never fully dressed to this day...They are 6, 4 and three. If we are home its shorts and thats it...and that is only with my older two...My three year old is still in diapers, so he will run around in those. I only turn a little pink, when my youngest runs out without anything on. But he has been known to lounge even outside with the other kids in his diaper...weather permitting of course. My middle guy refuses to wear a shirt, it is a fight to get him in one even to go leave...and the first thing he does when he gets home is takes it off. If my kids see people out without their shirts on i.e. shooting hoops or doing yard work. they will ask me if they can take their shirts off too. I always rebut with....no, not until we get home...only so I dont find their shirts stuffed under the seat a week later!

My kids also hate shoes....of any kind. yes, I make them put them on when we are out. But, I will say if we are just going to get BB at school, it is a fight I am not fighting...They can go barefoot! They also will spend all day out barefoot playing! They know I dont want to hear whining when they have splinters in there feet..in our house that is just another sign it is warming up out side!!!

I was not always this way. I started when each of them was going through 4 outfits a day! thats where I gave up. It is easier and less expensive to wipe the dirt off of their skin! also I end up throwing them in the bath at the end of everyday during the summer.....so a little dirt never hurt(in winter my kids bathe every other day to every every other day depending on crankiness and what not)...dont feel lazy...feel blessed you are not doing 10 loads of laundry every day!!!!

A.D.

answers from Norfolk on

my two kids are always naked. They're 8 months and 2.5 years old, and there is WAY too much laundry as it is. We were at a beach house last week with a private pool and hot tub, and them and all their little cousins (all 5 and under) just swam and ran around naked the whole time. Wet bathing suits are too much of a pain ha
My toddler also rarely wears shoes when it's warm out. He hates them, and so do I!

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A.C.

answers from Springfield on

My son is 4 and would rather wear just his underwear all the time if I let him! But then again when my hubby comes home from work all he wears is his boxers and a t-shirt! Hmmmm...I wonder who he gets it from? ;)

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G.F.

answers from McAllen on

Let her be, if she's comfortable and the weather permits. I am fine with that too. you cut back on light expenses, just dress her nicely when she goes out.

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M.S.

answers from San Francisco on

My kids love to be naked. I don't mind if we aren't going anywhere, they can run around in their underwear and diaper etc. It does cut down on laundry--- lol-no shame here in our family.

M

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B.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

I never thought of wearing a diaper of being nude.

We lived in the country and had a stream and a small pond the kids could swim in. The younger ones went "skinny dipping" for a short time. (They weren't allowed to go swimming without a lifeguard, usually me.) The older ones did too when they were alone.

The kids are likely to imitate their parents so if you or your husband go nude in your home, your kids are likely to do so too.

Good luck to you and yours.

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K.L.

answers from Nashville on

My DD always seems to be cold, so we don't do it often. She does frequently ask to take off her bottoms while we're at home, though, so she's just running around in a shirt and panties. Before she was PTed, I let her just go in a shirt and diaper. Besides the laundry issue, it made changing the diaper a lot easier.

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D.N.

answers from Chicago on

My first were usually home with dad and would wear onsies or just diapers if it was hot. Clothes usually only used if it was colder. I let my 3 yr old run around lately since it has been a lot warmer with just underpants. Although, she snuck outside with daddy yesterday after taking her clothes off--ALL of them. I found her standing in front of the house with socks on, and nothing else.
And think of the laundry you are saving--less water, less soap, less time.

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