[nanci_121]

My 5 year old son has been masturbating ever since I can remember, but after he turned 2, he learned not to do it in public, although I know he has continued to do it fairly regularly on his own. He started learning this year in school the different parts of the body, including sexual organs. He hasn't asked anything about how a baby is born or anything yet, but I don't know what to say when he does ask. But there is one question he asked yesterday before going to school, and it shocked me and I had no clue for what to give as a response, and I have absolutely no idea how much information needs to be given either. What he asked was, "Mom, I use my penis to go to the washroom, but when I'm alone I like to play with it, and it feels so good when I rub it up and down. Why does it do that?" I didn't know what to say, except that everybody does it and it feels good to everybody, but we don't talk about it or do it in front of people. That was all I said, is it enough information do you think?

[angelcakes22uk]

Masturbation is deliberate self-stimulation that results in self-comfort or sexual arousal. Many parents are alarmed to find their young child engaged in such activities. Our Western society does not generally like to think of children as sexual beings, but sexual development is as much a part of their normal growth and development as is learning language, playing, and getting the proper nutrition in order to grow
It is a common childhood habit. Most children—both boys and girls—play with their genitals (private parts) fairly regularly by the age of 5-6 years. By age 15, almost 100% of boys and 25% of girls have masturbated to the point of orgasm. Estimates of the rate of adult masturbation are about 95-99% of men and 40-60% of women

Talk about being private. Children need to learn limits, they need to
Understand when they can be naked and when they need to wear clothes.
They will learn that they need to be naked in the bath tub, they will learn that
They should be dressed for school or in a store. Children sometimes touch
Themselves to feel good. They need to learn that they should do that only in private, look for natural times to talk about these rules.

[serialwife]

Barnes and Noble and Amazon have a lot of books on this subject and they are grouped by age. Just get one with illustrations that can be easly explained as his explorations continue.

[serialwife]

I am not sure if we are living in the 1950's or what with the last reply. Please don't make your child feel like circus freak for masturbation. It is normal for children to explore. If you make a child think sex is dirty or give the child false ideations of what could happen from masturbating you could do major damage. Do you know how many pedophiles and child molesters I talk to everyday that tell me " Sex is wrong" "I was told not to touch myself it was dirty" I am not saying that will happen in every situation but it is a possibility. This is not the victorian era... children should be properly educated. Otherwise prepare yourself to be a grandparent at a very young age.

[Fr_Chuck]

Actually no, the majority of children don't do this that often and I would discuss this problem ( and it is a problem) with your family doctor.

[airbats-goku]

Wow. A real variety of responses here. Those stats do seem a little high but talk to you doctor or ask a child psychologist. The explanation about privacy and propriety sounds good.

As far as mike's comment goes... yikes. Tell the child that and then wait until their first encounter with a person who is blind. Especially if it is another child. "Eeww.. you touch yourself! That's how you went blind!" That'll be great when he gets sent home from school for inappropriate conduct or gets the tar beaten out of him by the other kids for his ignorance that you taught him. Nice one. Let the child suffer because the parent wants to get around a topic that is uncomfortable for them. I don't remember anything about parenting being comfortable. Everyone has the right to their own opinion and I respect that. However, the child has the right to proper information so that he can have an educated opinion. Even at five years old.