I have a question for moms with boys. My three (almost four) year old has been, well...playing with himself. Which of course I know is normal. But now I find him using his toys to rub against his underwear. I try to tell him not to do it, but in a very gentle way, as not to make him feel bad about it, because in my eyes, he is not doing anything "wrong". But I am just wondering if any moms have had experience with this, and how you deterred your child from doing this without making him feel quilty.
This is a good question!
ReplyDeleteWe always have had a talk about doing this. My end kind of goes like this (it takes a few of these talks to break a habit!):
Does it feel good to do that? Well, here's the thing, touching your winky (or whatever you call it!) is not something you should do around other people. It is for private places only. Can you name a few places where you shouldn't touch yourself? (Park, store, friends' homes, wherever you don't want him doing it.) Now let's think of places where it's OK. (bedroom, bathroom, anywhere alone...)
This way, you're not giving this a "bad" rap. It's just like, "It's not OK to scream in the library," rather than, "This is shameful and don't ever do it!"
Both my boys have gone through this stage. We told them both to know it off and my husband tells them if they are touching it then it must be dirty and they need a bath. They both quit eventually.
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