When in public, kids should wear clothes. That may be a little prudish of me to say, but it's the conclusion I must reach after reading Ellen Friedrichs's essay, "Clothing Optional."

In the latest installment of Bad Parent, Ellen confesses that her two-year-old daughter Clementine frequently runs around naked in public places and, despite some misgivings, she ultimately thinks this will give her a positive self-image. I understand the fine line Ellen walks as she struggles with when to tell her little girl to cover up. Understandably, she doesn't want to send any signals that might make Clementine feel shame about her body. But there is one very important reason why no child should, in the parlance of Bart Simpson, strut around nude: Safety.

Ellen mentions a concern about sunburn, which is a very valid one. Unless she wants to spend an extra 15 minutes trying to lather sunscreen into every one of the kid's crevices, Clementine is probably getting way too much sun exposure. But it also seems like there's the potential for other injury.

It's one thing to let your little one run around jaybird-style in her room after her pre-bed bath. But it's another thing to let her, as Ellen describes, remain unclothed in in a public park or on a playground. 

I realize that a cotton onesie is hardly a suit of armor, but imagine what could happen to your kid if she falls down without clothes or a diaper between her and the dirt/wood chips/other random junk that can be found on the playground? Without shoes or socks on, she could step on anything. And if she gets involved in some active play with another kid, who knows where she might accidentally get punched or bitten?

And then there is the propriety factor. Yes, it's good to let the girl know that her body is a two-year-old wonderland. But it seems like there is also an important lesson to be taught about limits and rules. In life, we're not allowed to just run around naked (thank God). Isn't that something we can teach our kids without making them any less proud of how they look and who they are?

I don't know, maybe I'm being conformist and uptight. All I know is there are some parts of my child's body I don't want to have to pick leaves and gravel out of.