My Daughter Wants to Be Naked All the Time

I've known a lot of kids that do this, so I think it's normal. But if you want her diaper to stay on, you can try duct tape on the tabs. :)

I have a 3 yr. old nudist, too! I have read that this is normal behavior. I don't make a big deal about it or try to fight it. This usually happens when she's getting dressed in the morning or ready to put on PJs at night. If this is going on when I'm trying to get her ready to get out the door, I tell her I understand she's having fun, but that it's not OK to go outside the house naked. Usually, she'll ask why and then when I explain, she'll comply and get dressed.

Sorry I'm not more helpful with suggestions.

Oh yes this is normal. And you are so lucky that she doesn't do this in public. All of kids went thru this phase around 2-3 and 2 of them loved to run down the street naked. They would stand at the bottom of the stairs and disrobe and take off as soon as they could get the door opened and it was always when I was in the bathroom. My nieghbors always laughed at me chasing after them. it doesn't last long and I can't really remember anything in particular that worked with every child, Sorry.
Good luck!!

Ahhh, C. - welcome to the wonderful world of "I can do it myself"! Your daughter has "discovered" a new ability - tht ability to strip naked, yahoo. My 3 year old does this, too. Try to focus her on getting dressed, instead. Say something like "Hey, let's see if you can put your socks on." Get her to try to dress herself. It won't TOTALLY take the focus off of stripping off, but it should help some. Also, what I do is tell my daughter that at "tubbie time" she can take her clothes off. That usually will keep her happy. I just try to focus her on other things she can do on her own. I know it's frustrating - that's what I think when I'm yelling at my kids "You DO realize it's -19, right???" Oddly - they don't care, the nut jobs! I feel your pain, but there is nothing abnormal about it - she's proud she can do something on her own - she's growing up!

My daughter likes to go naked or just wear minimal clothing too - her favorite attire now is a bathing suit or a sundress, even in the coldest weather.

I think you're wise to consider the possibility of a power struggle, so it's a good idea to back off and let it go if she's warm enough. If our daughter is really adamant about not wanting to get dressed, sometimes we just take her outside on the porch so she can see how cold it is, and then decide for herself if she wants to put clothes on. That way it's her choice and guess what -- it works every time! You have to be prepared to accept her choice if you do this.

When you're just hanging out inside, maybe you could set limits, such as if she wants to be completely naked, she has to stay in her room or a certain place in the house. You could also try ignoring it for some time and see what happens - she may outgrow it. Or maybe insist that she at least wear a bathing suit or simple dress or SOMETHING in case someone comes over! :)

ONe of my other two daughters also did that for a brief period, and she outgrew it in a matter of months. I remember her running through the house with a diaper on her head, singing "I'm naked, I'm naked, I'm very very naked!" over and over again. You'll laugh about this phase in a few years, I'm pretty sure! :)

I always think its funny when they strip down...I usually feel the same way when I get home. Off come the shoes, sometimes socks, and when its been a particularly tough day its straight to the jammies for me.

I use it as a 'teachable moment' for my kids though. I explain about their private parts being just that. And while its OK to take baths and showers while naked its not OK to show off private parts around the house. I insist on at least underwear/diaper. HTH.

Hi C.! It is very normal for her to want to be naked. My 3 year old still likes to strip down sometimes. I do not make a big deal about it and let her. No harm, no foul.

I would say do not make a big deal about it and as long as she is not freezing or doing it in public, let her. It will build confidence.
= )

I started chuckling the moment I saw the title of your request, because it brought back memories of my girls at that age. I think it is extremely common at that age. We always let them be naked for 5-10 minutes after their bath, explaining that it was okay only for a few minutes, and then we would get dressed. Otherwise I made sure I kept them at least diapered. At the very least to keep messes from happening on the floor! If they would remove the diaper, I would explain that they needed to keep some clothes on. The main thing was to not let them wear me out. For every time they removed the diaper, I would immediately put it back on. After a few tries, they would start to fuss at me and I knew they were reaching their own breaking point. The realization was setting in that Mom meant what she said, and they were going to have to stay dressed. After that, they basically gave up. They definitely both developed a sense of modesty shortly after that. But I do smile at the memory of how much they loved that 5 minutes of freedom they would get!
Your comment on wishing you knew what was normal and what to be concerned about- that, too, is normal. We all have to figure it out as we go, and there wide ranges of how people parent. For me, the best thing I did was see what a number of other moms do (and this website is a great place for that!) and see what feels right and fits best for you personally. It helps to see what is in the range of normal. And if you should run into a critical mom who thinks her way is the only way (and you will, they are out there!) just remember none of us has all the answers and there is way more than one way to do this job of parenting. Love your little one, set some boundaries and be consistent. You'll do fabulous!

Hi C.,
Not all kids do that, but it is not abherrant behavior. Most kids don't really develop a sense of modesty until between the ages of 4 - 6.

It is actually a good potty training tool.

Does it bother you when she is naked?

My daughter is 5 and still does this. I love it. Be thankful that your laundry is kept at a minimum. :)

Hi C., I don't know if it's normal or not but I had a friend that had a son that did the exact same thing. Her friends that came over thought she was crazy for letting him do that but she really couldn't stop him. Like you said it's almost like a power struggle. My 1yo DD is almost that way right now. I struggle to put her diaper and clothes on, socks NEVER stay on. The rest I can put back on but with a definite struggle. I know it's frustrating but do you just laugh about it sometimes? In a few months when she has grown out of it you will be laughing so hard.. I wish I had some great advice for you but all I can offer you is support... Good luck. Hang in there.

My oldest daughter who will be 6 in two months used to do this all the time, so much so that we were concerned when we sent her to preschool at 3 1/2 that she would try to take off her clothes at school. The teacher asked us what we hoped for her at preschool, and my husband and I both said that she would keep her clothing on. She would get undressed the minute we walked in our door and loved being naked. Now my middle daughter, who is 3 1/2 does the same thing. My husband and I joke that she gets undressed before we even get everyone in the house. It is like you blink and she is naked. But she also keeps her clothes on at school and most other public places. Now our oldest keeps her clothes on most days until almost bedtime when she is getting ready for bath and pjs, but she still occasionally ends up naked in the evenings or nights. Good luck, and I say just enjoy the innocence and fact that they are not in the least bit embarrassed. They certainly make life interesting!

Hi my name is L.. I've been married for 13 yrs, and have 7yr old daughter & 5 yr old son. I just have to say, KIDS LOVE NUDITY!!!! They are fascinated with thier own bodies, as well as yours! My two still try to stay naked as long as possible after thier baths, and my son just stopped stripping outside about a year and a half ago! It's "JUST A PHASE!!! Right?

I think it's normal. They think it's FUNny, most especially when our reaction is entertaining.
Mine's potty trained so I don't mind her running nude. When she went through this "I'm NAKED!" stage, I just explained I thought she'd be chilly if she didn't put clothes on, and let it go.

I guess it depends on personal feelings about nudity too, in my family of origin (artists) nudity doesn't necessarily MEAN anything, good, bad or otherwise. Babies are always cute naked!
In figuring out what's "NORMAL" I usually have to examine my family of origin issues first, in order to separate my instincts from conditioned feeling.

I think it is normal for two year olds, mainly because she found out she can do it herself. A new trick is always hard as it does become a power struggle.
I would compromise with her, say "you know it is winter, I need you to keep your pullup on and a shirt, otherwise while we are at home, you can run around without your other clothes". Or go get dress up clothes for her, a new fairy princess dress may quickly become a new obsession.
I can say neither of mine went through this phase, however I know many that have.
The diaper off is the biggest issue, as you don't want to find poop in the corner or her playing in it. Be firm about that one, have her help you pick out her clothes too, teaching her to "get dressed" herself is huge too.
She just found something new and it will be tough but pick your battles about it.

My 2 year old son wants to be naked too. It is probably just the age. I guess it really doesn't bother me at home and it is kind of funny. He doesn't take his clothes off in public or anything. So, no advice here, but you aren't alone.

Hi C. - yes it is normal - my almost 4 year old did it regularly for a few months and now we have "naked run" through the house when we don't get her jammmies on fast enough at night- maybe 1 x a week? she laughs, runs around, hopes mom or dad will chase her and then comes back to the bathroom "having got it out of her system." It is cute and I think totally normal - my MIL was horrified when we told her what the granddaughter was doing but we don't run around naked so I think our daughter figured it out that it was better to have clothes on - shoes are another matter - but that is a different story! :)
Good luck!

Join the club! I think my daughter is going to join a nudist colony. She is three and still loves to be naked. I don't worry about it, to me it means that my daughter is comfortable with her body and I want her to feel good about it for as long as possible. Sometimes we have disagreements when I think it is too cold to be naked, but I usually let it go as she can tell me when she is cold. I think it is just another way to explore the world and their bodies.

I think it's absolutely normal behavior. I have 3 kids, 4yo twin boys and a 3yo daughter - they all LOVE to be naked. Oh well - they enjoy run around the house chasing each other for an hour and then get tired. They don't ever take their clothes off at school or at friends' houses, so it doesn't worry me. I love their freedom, envy it & don't want to get them to be ashamed of their bodies.

Totally normal, as everyone has said. Only thing I would watch for it skin sensitivity. Some children's sensory nervous system doesn't develop the same as others. If she is especially sensitive to textures on her skin, you may want to keep an eye on it. (I mean textures that don't bother you or other kids her age... like grass or carpet on the hands or feet, or fuzzy clothes on their tummy)... obviously she's fine with most of that or she wouldn't be running around naked with her feet on different textures :)

There is sensory development rehabilitation that is vital for development of children with certain disorders. If she's comfortable wearing clothes, but just loves to take them off, she's totally normal :) Take a picture once in a while, you just might forget how cute she was streaking everywhere she goes!!!!

Sorry, this makes me smile though...My mom says I was the same as a little kid...always taking my clothes off... my parents couldn't find me in my bed one morning, but found me outside climbing the wood pile by myself and naked. Apparently they went to a coctail party, when I was about 4 years old, where a child psycholgist was saying this was very disturbing behavior and thought, "well, thank god she doesn't do it anymore" only to get home later that evening where I was a with a babysitter, and standing completely naked at the top of the stairs. I think I turned out pretty normal, not a stripper, exhibitionist or w/ any sexual or image issues. I suspect your daughter is normal, and will start to feel less and less comfortable w/ her naked self as she gets older,as we all do.

I think it is normal. When my daughter was that age she was the same way. I instituted "naked time", every evening after dinner and before bath she was allowed some time to just run around naked. Then bath and jammies followed with no battle. I still tell people about "naked time", I thought it was cute. At this age she can get away with it, let her run free for a bit and enjoy!

Totally Normal!! My son went through the same faze. He was pretty good about keeping his diaper on, but clothes were a constant struggle. We live in Montana and at the time of his nakedness it was the middle of winter. I was constantly turning up the heat to keep him from getting too cold. (If it had been summer there wouldn't have been a problem....I say let em go naked....saves laundry) I eventually realized that it was partial comfort and partial power struggle. Like your daughter, he was good about clothing in public, but as soon as we got home he wanted out. I eventually got the problem solved by having some of his favorite and most comfy clothes (ie, sweat pants, soft t-shirts, etc...) readily available to him. Once we returned home I would allow him to take off his clothes and then pick out what he wanted to wear from the "comfy" pile. They were all clothes he felt he could move and lounge in as well as put on himself easily. He seemed to be more comfortable and also feel like he had some control and independence with the situation. Hope this helps. Good Luck!

Oh it is so totally normal! This month's Parent's magazine has an article about this and other quirky toddler behaviors and what to do about them. It is a good article, I recommed buying the issue if possible. Little kids just like the feeling of being naked better than being clothed, but they will start to learn modesty when they get a little older, like 4 or 5 usually. My 6 year old has just started to be too embarrassed to change in front of anyone but me or her Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa are no longer allowed to help her change. So just be patient for awhile, and discuss where and when it is OK to be naked and where and when it is not. Also, maybe you should cut the tags off her clothes, and use undershirts if she is bothered by the texture of her clothes. Good luck!

C.,
Congradulations, you have raised a child that feels free and open when she is at home. What is the major concern?
Does she need her diaper? If she is not toilet trained then you get to explain to her that you need to have her wear her diaper to keep the house clean.
Sorry, I'm on your daughter's side here.
Perhaps you can explain to me why clothes is a necessity.
With my whole heart, C.

In my experience, it is normal - both of my kids did this at around the same age. At least yours is only doing it at home. My daughter liked to disrobe in public, and it took me awhile to convince her that this is not okay.

I handled this by allowing for "naked time" at home in the privacy of our house or our fenced, private back yard. Both of my kids just liked the feeling of wandering around in nothing but their own skin. So I set up the ground rules - only at home, in private, not with company, not without asking first - and let it happen. As my son said, "Mommy, I feel good wearing skin!"

I actually found "naked time" helpful for potty training, too, because folks who had accidents in the house didn't get naked time. I carried the kid potty to wherever we were playing, used a doll to model what to, and helped the child decide when to try. Very helpful for learning to pee in a potty!

Hi C., like everyone else I think this is completely normal behavior. Both of my daughters went through the naked stage between 2 & 3. The only thing I want to add is that you may want to use naked time as a way to introduce potty teaching. We did that with our youngest and it worked out great. Best of luck and enjoy your little streaker, it doesn't last long!:)

I think it is a phase, my daughter did it too, and at 4.5 she still likes to have less clothes on (when we're in the house). The one that is more challenging is that she CHANGED her clothes very frequently and so be glad at this point that she's just taking them off and not pulling other things out of her drawers to wear for maybe 5-10 minutes, and at that age, that's all it takes to get something on them...I pretty much do a supersized load of Pink clothes every weekend. She's my one and only too, and the light of our lives. Enjoy being a mom and don't worry too much, (its unproductive wasted energy). If everyone is safe and happy, then your doing a great job as mom.

It's great! Until she cuts loose with pee-pee or poo-poo and she will...

well C. its a normal phase of life and i go through the same exact thing.the best thing you do all you can do is limit her time on being naked and keep her in sight so when its time you can put diaper back on

Totally normal. My daughter was like that until about 2 1/2, and now she is very modest.

it's normal 2 year old behavior!!! and it WILL become a power struggle if you choose to make it one! Good luck!