

Not a sunbather at the park. As parents, we sometimes forget that the world doesn't revolve around us. A dump truck bounds down the street, waking our sleeping baby, and we think: "Seriously?! Who gets trash in the middle of the day?!" Or a motorcycle zooms past us as we walk with our child, scaring the bejeezus out of them and making them cry. "Who could be so mean?!" we mutter. But the fact is, the world doesn't revolve around us. Never did, and never will.

A group of parents are currently up in arms because young women have decided to enjoy the warm weather at a local playground -- by sunbathing in their bikinis. Yes, there are scantily-clad college-aged girls at a park with kids -- and mamas no like.

Last week, tanners were kicked out of the park in the Stuy Town part of NYC after a soccer league complained; and The Stuyvesant Town Report blog is currently rife with complaints from parents. "This playground should NOT be used for sunbathing," the blog's anonymous author stated. "We’ve heard that complaints were made, and now it’s time for management to ... show some balls." And on the flip side, the bronzed co-eds, naturally, think the outrage is ridiculous. One tanner pointed out: "I pay just as much rent as they do. Just because I don’t have a child doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be able to be here"; while another said: "We pay outrageous money to live here. Let us sunbathe for a few hours."

Fact is, a park is a public place. And let me tell you, when you live in NYC, and it's nice out, you do what you can to be outside. If that means getting some sun at a park kids play at, so be it. It isn't like the girls are sunbathing in the nude. They're in their swimsuits. Would it be a little jarring to see a bikini-clad girl at the park you usually take your kid? I suppose. But causing a stink over it is absolutely ridiculous.

I really hope that the moms who are upset over the sunbathing women aren't the ones who think it's insane for anyone to get pissed that they would breastfeed sans nursing cover in public. Why should they be able to show their breasts, and these women not be able to show (part of) theirs? They're boobs! Everyone needs to get over it! I, personally, think moms should be able to whip out their boobs anywhere they damn please. But I also think girls and guys should be able to wear swimsuits and catch a few rays on a nice day.

Parents, we have to realize that the world doesn't stop and roll out the red carpet for us anywhere we go. Yes, our kids are the most important things in the world to us, and we're more cognizant of other parents, but there are other people on this earth, and sometimes, they just want a little sunshine, too. Deal with it.

Would you be mad if you saw a sunbather at your kid's park?

Image via Hamner_Fotos/Flickr