A mother was criticised on a well-known parenting forum after she slipped off her top on holidays.
A woman sparked a heated discussion by saying:
"There is a lady who keeps ending up on the sun loungers opposite us, who seems to enjoy lying topless by the pool everyday. She has a son who looks about 15, and a daughter who looks about 5," she wrote.
"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. Am I being unreasonable in feeling uncomfortable and wishing she'd cover up?"
Immediately, many parents came to the defence of the mum who chose to sunbath topless.
They claimed that the comment was "over the top" and 'prudish'.
"Eh, yeah.... you're off your rocker to be honest. Have a cocktail and relax on your holiday," said one user.
Another said: "Unless she is dangling her nipples in your cocktail or slapping your husband in the face with her boobs then I fail to see the problem."
Others agreed that topless sunbathing is inappropriate, because "breasts are sexual" and because it was in front of her teenage son.
"To me my breasts are sexual, yes they have also fed my babies, but in between times their main role is providing sexual pleasure for me and my husband - we do not enjoy my husband's chest in the same way!" wrote one mum.
However sexual they may be, breasts are also just another part of the body that also happen to have a biological function.
The discussion does raise an interesting point about what we're teaching our children.
On one hand, we encourage them to celebrate their bodies and be comfortable in their own skin, but then some are outraged if they glimpse of a boob on the beach.
What does this teach them and where do we draw the line?
There is a certain level of taboo surrounding breasts. I have sunbathed topless in the past before I had kids. I was very comfortable doing that. Now I don't - mostly because I don't have time to sunbathe, I'm jumping up and down so often.
As a society, we are trying to move away from the 'cover up' mentality, so that women can feel comfortable feeding their gorgeous babies in public.
Slamming each other for nip slips or for choosing not to get tan lines isn't a hugely supportive stance. Once it doesn't cross the line of decency, why shouldn't she do as she chooses?
What do you think, ladies? Do we need to get over it?
