WDMMMT

[rugbywife]

K, current event story from a city near me.

8 year old kid goes to the splash pad with her two brothers (older I presume). Brothers take off their shirts to go play in the water, so does sister. Lifeguard tells her to put her shirt back on (she does) because the city rules are 4yrs+ girls must wear a a shirt. Parents are pissed this happened (her parents).

Additional note: it is technically legal for women to go topless in our province

[Deleted]

While I would prefer my 8 year old DD to wear a shirt, it is legal for women in ON to be topless, and it should be up to her and her parents to choose what is right for her to wear.

[jeaniebueller]

I wouldn't be pissed if I were her parents but I also would not let my 8 year old girl remove her shirt in public.

[meltoine]

So the city says girls and women over 4yo must wear a shirt, but the province says they don't have to?

I guess it depends on which law takes precedent, and I'm not familiar enough with Canada to know the answer. Here, the state law would take precedent (I think) so I would take it up with the management of the water park and the city council, since the park bases their rule on the city's.

[rugbywife]

Am I really the only kid to have gone topless at that age? I have pictures from either my 8th or 9th birthday party, at the pool, and I am in only a bikini bottom in half of them.

[rugbywife]

Jun 24, 2015 12:08:45 GMT -5 meltoine said:

So the city says girls and women over 4yo must wear a shirt, but the province says they don't have to?

I guess it depends on which law takes precedent, and I'm not familiar enough with Canada to know the answer. Here, the state law would take precedent (I think) so I would take it up with the management of the water park and the city council, since the park bases their rule on the city's.

Province rule would supersede. Regardless, I don't think the issue parents have is with the law.

[longtimenopost]

I think the lifeguard was in the right. He/she was just following the rules of his position.

I definitely ran around naked until 5ish, but not in public. This could be a cultural thing. When I lived in Denmark, most kids under 10 and women over 70 were topless .

[MadamePresident]

Next time put her in swimming trunks?

[rugbywife]

They don't think she should have been told to put her shirt on. I have no idea if they knew about the city reg.

[meltoine]

Jun 24, 2015 12:11:06 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

Jun 24, 2015 12:08:45 GMT -5 meltoine said:

So the city says girls and women over 4yo must wear a shirt, but the province says they don't have to?

I guess it depends on which law takes precedent, and I'm not familiar enough with Canada to know the answer. Here, the state law would take precedent (I think) so I would take it up with the management of the water park and the city council, since the park bases their rule on the city's.

Province rule would supersede. Regardless, I don't think the issue parents have is with the law.

I get that their issue isn't with the law, but I don't see what they can do about it if the lifeguard's request was that the girl obey the law. If it were an adult drinking alcohol in violation of an open container law, it'd be the same situation. 

I understand and being upset about it from a gender equality standpoint, but if the law is that women cannot be topless then the parents' beef is with the legislators, not the park and they should address it with the city council.

If the issue is that the park has a policy that goes above and beyond the law (like requiring shirts for females when the law does not) then their beef is with the park and they should contact management and ask that the policy be changed.

If the lifeguard just thought it was indecent and took it upon him/herself to ask the girl to cover up, then the beef is still with the park but instead of asking them to change a policy I'd be asking that the lifeguard undergo additional training and possibly discipline. And potentially for a refund of the girl's ticket, since she was unfairly targeted by a member of their staff. 

[countthestars]

Jun 24, 2015 12:10:05 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

Am I really the only kid to have gone topless at that age? I have pictures from either my 8th or 9th birthday party, at the pool, and I am in only a bikini bottom in half of them.

That is not common here, at least in my circle. Maybe with just my sister but definitely not at a party.

[cleosprite]

If the rules of the park are that she needs to have a shirt on, then she needs to have a shirt on. Parents can't get pissed about that.

But if province law supersedes city rules, then it's a weird and stupid rule to have. Parents can get pissed about that.

Nobody should be pissed at the lifeguard. He was just doing his job.

[rugbywife]

I don't think there was a plan for her to strip. It was more like, hey, let's go run through the water. Oh look, my bros took of their shirts, I should do the same.

[rugbywife]

I don't think they were pissed at the LG.

[Deleted]

And this is a public park, not a paid-admission private park, right? I think some people might be missing that. Splash pads are common and free here. They don't generally have staff, though.

[rugbywife]

Jun 24, 2015 12:22:51 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

And this is a public park, not a paid-admission private park, right? I think some people might be missing that. Splash pads are common and free here. They don't generally have staff, though.

I know, that surprised me. I should go find an article.

[rugbywife]

www.cbc.ca/m/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/guelph-parents-angry-after-topless-girl-8-told-to-cover-up-1.3124762

[countthestars]

I guess I'm confused about what the parents are pissed about? So they are mad that the city has a law that females over 4 must wear a shirt? Or something else?

[rugbywife]

Interesting. It only applies to supervised areas, not to the unsupervised ones.

It was a wading pool, not a splash pad.

[rugbywife]

Jun 24, 2015 12:27:08 GMT -5 countthestars said:

I guess I'm confused about what the parents are pissed about? So they are mad that the city has a law that females over 4 must wear a shirt? Or something else?

That there aren't the same rules for girls and boys.

[SJ]

If there is a city rule that states women over 4 need to be wearing shirts, then I have no idea what the issue is. Who are they mad at? Are they trying to change the city rule?

[countthestars]

I read the article. I don't know. I can't get it up over this. I am a prude though.

[Deleted]

I am a stuffy American and my family are not naked people, so no, I didn't go topless at that age.

I'm not horrified that kids do but this seems also not weird they have a rule and asked the little girl to follow it.

[SJ]

I guess if the area/province has no rule against women going topless, then the city rule should match that.

That is by no means the norm where I live or in my family, and I would not want my daughter going topless at that age.

[rugbywife]

For the record, not suggesting it's wrong if you didn't go topless. Just wondering if I was the only one!!

[rugbywife]

Jun 24, 2015 12:34:09 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

It seems weird to me that the Guelph city rule would contradict the provincial law.

I thought so too. I think the provincial law came into play around 98? I was in uni I think. I wonder if the municipal law preceded it and was just never called into question before.

[Deleted]

Jun 24, 2015 12:35:34 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

Jun 24, 2015 12:34:09 GMT -5 @vicmo said:

It seems weird to me that the Guelph city rule would contradict the provincial law.

I thought so too. I think the provincial law came into play around 98? I was in uni I think. I wonder if the municipal law preceded it and was just never called into question before.

I think it said the rule was made in 2002.

I would think if push came to shove, the provincial law would win, but there's really nowhere to take it. 

[rugbywife]

Jun 24, 2015 12:36:35 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

Jun 24, 2015 12:35:34 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

I thought so too. I think the provincial law came into play around 98? I was in uni I think. I wonder if the municipal law preceded it and was just never called into question before.

I think it said the rule was made in 2002.

I would think if push came to shove, the provincial law would win, but there's really nowhere to take it. 

human rights tribunal? Lol. I don't think the parents are THAT pissed.

[Deleted]

Jun 24, 2015 12:37:40 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

Jun 24, 2015 12:36:35 GMT -5 @tokenhoser said:

I think it said the rule was made in 2002.

I would think if push came to shove, the provincial law would win, but there's really nowhere to take it. 

human rights tribunal? Lol. I don't think the parents are THAT pissed.

We just had a case in SK where a woman took a barber shop that refused her a haircut to the human rights tribunal. People feel strongly about things.

Hopefully not these people and these things.

I don't know... I get their point even if it's not what I wanted or what I want for my kids. I would think we can let social pressure solve this, no rule required. 

[rugbywife]

Also for the record, my 14 month old went topless at the splash pad yesterday.