What is the issue with my son playing outside shirtless? Is not wearing a shirt outside inappropriate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am uptight and a prude and very judgmental but as long as he's wearing sunscreen I can't see why it's a problem.

Me too. Maybe wouldn't be so fast to say I'm a prude, lol, but others might.

And I had an incident as a child where all the boys were going shirtless one hot summer day and I wanted to as well. I was five and my mom said girls can't because we have breasts. I did not have breasts or anything close to it, so of course this argument made no sense to me and still annoys me to this day.

But if kids want to play outside shirtless and sun protection issues are taken care of, go for it.

I agree with a previous poster about grown men going shirtless, and sweating all over the place. It's gross.

[Anonymous]

I definitely don’t have any concerns with boys playing outside shirtless. I’m just shocked at a 6yo being thoughtful enough to make sure his shirt ends up inside! I always send my boys back outside to clean up after they’re done playing. It’s not uncommon for them to find somebody’s socks, shoes, or shirt in our yard when the weather is warm. Sometimes it’s one of theirs and sometimes it belongs to a friend.

I am surprised this is a new issue for you though. Has your son never played outside shirtless until now? Something you could ask DH: what’s the difference between him being shirtless for soccer or hide and seek vs sprinklers, slip n slide, or pool?

[Anonymous]

It's fine with me but I prefer that my son wears a shirt. One reason is sun exposure, and the second is I don't want him to think twice before rolling on the ground or touching a tree or whatever activity that feels better on fabric vs bare skin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Now that the weather has broken my 6yo son has been outside playing a lot more often. Recently in the week where the temps here high 80s he came in and removed his shirt and went back out to play soccer and hide and go seek with the neighborhood kids.

My husband came home and called him inside instructing him to put on a shirt. I had no issue with him being shirtless outside in the 80+ degree heat.

A few days later our neighbor approached me with the same sentiment that she saw he had come in to put a shirt on and assumed I had called him in to do so.

What is the exact issue with a boy child playing outside shirtless?

FWIW, no weight issue or skin sensitivity issue. He had on tennis shoes and basketball shorts as usual.

Is not wearing a shirt outside inappropriate?

Asking for insight here - DH reasoning is that he just wasn’t allowed to as a kid, I have no brothers. I never assumed anything was wrong with tbh being shirtless outside for boys or men. We have neighbors who are shirtless outside in their twenties. They often are washing their cars or walkin/jogging for exercise in the neighborhood.

Ask your husband's parents. Why are you asking strangers to explain your husband to you?

[Anonymous]

With sunscreen, fine.

[Anonymous]

I don't allow it unless there are also swimming trunks involved. It's uncouth.

[Anonymous]

It would never cross my mind to tell my boys (6 and 9) that they couldn’t play outside in just shorts in warm weather. How bizarre.

For the girl moms out there, I wouldnt bat an eye at a prepubescent girl playing shirtless either, although I understand there’d be more controversy around this given that we live in a puritanical society.

But if anyone said someone to my boys along the lines of they need to wear shirts when they’re outside in the sprinkler or playing basketball down the street, I’d go knock on their door and ask them to stop policing what my children wear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you opposed to shirtless people exercising on a hot day, what are your thoughts about girls showing up to school practically naked?

I’m more offended by butt cheeks hanging out than an exposed torso.

Shut up, trash bag boy mom.

Or don’t. Let every girl your dumb fug boys pursue understand that you’re their mommy. They deserve fair warning.

So boys must cover up, and girls may do what they like 😂

[Anonymous]

Hell I’m just happy if my kids put pants on in the summer

[Anonymous]

sunburn would be my only issue for my pale kid. Otherwise, people are being weird. It's fine.

[Anonymous]

It feels a little low class. I don’t know why, it just does.

[Anonymous]

Sunscreen needs to be applied every two hours. And the spray is not good.

Wear a shirt. And protect the kids from the sun.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wirecutter-show/id1762217793?i=1000708431607

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's fine with me but I prefer that my son wears a shirt. One reason is sun exposure, and the second is I don't want him to think twice before rolling on the ground or touching a tree or whatever activity that feels better on fabric vs bare skin.

lol my kid would take his shirt off so he CAN roll on the ground and not get the shirt muddy. Or climb a tree and not get a hole in his clothes. They have a tiny bit of respect for me and the time I spend getting their clothes clean. And my son has def scrubbed at his own baseball diamond or grass stained knees in the laundry room. I always make sure they have play clothes that they can destroy of course.

[Anonymous]

This story of boys’ horrible burns stuck with me

Boys were told to wear shirts but didn’t.

https://abc7.com/sunburn-shaunna-broadway-happiness-is-a-learning-center/888801/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you opposed to shirtless people exercising on a hot day, what are your thoughts about girls showing up to school practically naked?

I’m more offended by butt cheeks hanging out than an exposed torso.

REDACTED

So boys must cover up, and girls may do what they like 😂

Don't quote disgusting trolls; that just spreads their garbage farther.