He discovers his body
For some time now, after his bath, our little boy has been enjoying walking around the house naked. And since he no longer wears a diaper, he goes from discovery to discovery. He seems fascinated by his penis and touches it regularly. Whether there are people at home or not, it doesn’t matter, he continues his activity. A situation that generally makes parents uncomfortable, especially when the guests laugh about it. “At 2 years old, many little ones are still wearing diapers and they have little opportunity to see or touch their penis. All naked in summer, for example, the child can discover his body and feel a pleasant sensation when touching himself. But that doesn’t mean masturbation, ”warns psychologist Harry Ifergan.
A book to go further on the subject … “Zizis et Zézettes”: from modesty to embarrassment or the desire to laugh, including pleasure and the first notions of intimacy, this “P’tit Pourquoi” answers to all the questions of the little ones, simply and precisely. By Jess Pauwels (Illustration) Camille Laurans (Author). Milan Editions. From 3 years old.
Teach him modesty
Most of the time, touching his penis is trivial for the child. He is simply curious about what he sees and which until then was often hidden behind his bed. It is therefore rather a healthy and natural curiosity! Of course, that’s no reason to let him do it in front of everyone. We therefore calmly explain to him that it is his privacy and that he must not frolic naked in front of others and even less touch himself in front of them. This is a valid rule for everyone. We can tell him to go to his room if he wants to discover his body more quietly and out of sight. In all cases, even if the situation is embarrassing, we react without excess, without scolding him, or yelling at him or punishing him. “We avoid intervening too strongly so as not to mark the child. We speak to him softly and in a detached manner. He must not think that what he is doing bothers us too much. Otherwise, he risks playing it and making it an additional means of marking his opposition to his parents, ”continues Harry Ifergan. Let us not forget that at this age the child is in the midst of the opposition phase!
What if he touches his friends? What does one say ?
If the child continues to touch himself in public despite everything or wants to play “pee-pee” with his classmates at nursery or school, he is again explained that it is his body and that no one has. the right to touch it. Likewise, the bodies of boyfriends are also private. We do not touch the private parts. Now is the time to make him aware of modesty, respect for privacy, to tell him what it is possible to do or not. We can help, if necessary, children’s books on the subject to explain all this to him in suitable words. If we do not make too much of it but set the rules from the start, he will understand that he has the right to discover his body in appropriate places, when he is alone. Note, however, that the “sense of intimacy” is acquired only at the age of 9 years for girls and around 11 years for boys.