Is naturism appropriate for families?

As a newcomer to nude recreation this is one issue that I haven’t really made up my mind about even though all nudist/naturist organizations stress that since nudism is about positive body acceptance and positive body awareness, it appropriate for everyone. Families with children are encouraged to visit naturist venues and events. One organization goes so far as to say that any venue or event that purports to be “naturist” but excludes children “should be viewed with skepticism” because in their opinion such exclusions are sometimes used as a signal that an event is sexual rather than naturist in nature.

I have no interest in passing judgment on how other people choose to raise their children and to a large degree the arguments presented by nudist organizations about the wholesome family orientation and nurturing environment of their sponsored venues and activities make a good deal of sense. Still embracing their beliefs that children need not protected from nudity in the context of nude recreation is the most difficult part of social nudism for me to accept for a number of reasons.

First, it would be disingenuous for me to deny that I wouldn’t be uncomfortable at a resort or activity where I was nude in the presence of children. Perhaps it is true that it is my ultra conservative upbringing and background that makes this the case. I have actually talked with several adults who were raised in nudist families and who were taken to resorts and other venues since childhood and all told me that it was a very positive part of their upbringing. While I know I and the majority of other people care about children and that it breaks our heart and makes us angry to hear or read about children being abused, exploited or harmed in any way by sexual predators, given the kind of society in which we live it would be most unrealistic to believe that within the nudist community, pedophiles and predators do not exist just as they do in every other avenue of society. Recently in fact, an owner of a Texas based nudist resort was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, apparently as a result of photographs he had taken of children visiting his resort with their families. Another thing that really drives home this point for me is a recent series that aired on one of the major networks on the subject of pedophile stings. I was amazed at some who were caught. Many of them certainly did not “look” like a pedophile and did not meet the stereotypical image we often have of a child molester.

I’m not sure who is right on this issue but I know personally, for the time being I will restrict my participation to public venues designed for consenting adults and avoid the more family oriented resorts because this is simply right for me. In some respects, I understand the arguments about nude recreation being good for the entire family and that children in naturist families learn to appreciate the body as part of their natural environment and grow up with healthful attitudes accepting the physical nature of both sexes and all ages without fear or shame. But on some level I think this hurts nude recreation because it is an issue that the non-nudist community often points to as the reason why nudity is “lewd”, immoral and shouldn’t be permitted.