I'm about to go on holiday to sunnier climes and one thing I can absolutely guarantee I won't be doing whilst there is sunbathing topless. Packing a bikini is about as brave as I can be these days – but I don't think I'd have a problem with other mums choosing to tan their typically-white-bits beside the pool in my presence. Would you?
Not everyone shares my view, though. One mum took to Mumsnet this week to voice her opinion on the subject of mums sunbathing topless, and it's kicked off quite the online furore.
Huffington Post reports:
A mum has sparked a debate after asking online whether it was unreasonable to be annoyed at a woman sunbathing topless at a family resort.
The mother posted her query on Mumsnet, explaining that the lady who was sunbathing next to her family “seemed to enjoy lying topless every day”.
“She has a son who looks about 15, and a daughter who looks about five,” the woman wrote on August 18.
“I think it’s really inappropriate to sunbathe topless on a family resort in full view of everyone and right by the toddler pool, and with her own son around.”
Hmm. Thing is, topless sunbathing is the norm for women of all ages in parts of Europe, so I'm not sure it's appropriate to question other people's cultural norms when you're travelling abroad.
Interestingly, most of the comments on the thread suggested that the poster was being unreasonable for objecting to the other mum's topless sunbathing.
One commenter wrote:
“What exactly is offensive about her breasts? Are they spouting curse words as people go past? I assume you’re also offended by any topless man around as well? Unless she is dangling her nipples in your cocktail, I fail to see the problem.”
Ha! That's not to say I wouldn't feel a little awkward if my pre-teen sons were around when our fellow pool-goers whipped off their bikini tops, but that's because it's not something I'd feel comfortable doing. No reason why I should expect complete strangers to adhere to my preferences though.
What's your view? Would topless sunbathing at a family resort bother you? Is it something you'd do on holiday with your kids? Leave us a comment below or come and join the conversation over on our Facebook page.
I think it is healthy for children to see bodies for what they are bodies. Everybody has a body it is not something secret or dirty. Normalise all bodies and take the sexual stigma away. I wouldn't have a problem with my sons seeing that on holiday at the beach.