so wrong

[Ash]

i was on the channel 4 forums today browsing the parenting section and came across this :
http://community.channel4.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/8280090101/m/1050046257

is it just me or is this wrong and disturbing, if it was my child i dont know what i would do, the child obviously doesnt know what they are doing

i dont want to offend anyone by this

[BRIE]

all children do it! its just experimenting they dont know what their doing isnt acceptable in public! any doctor will tell you not to incourage or discourage it & it will pass.

[Ash]

i have a 3year old girl and ive never ever seen her do anything theres a difference between them touching but to be placing a toy down there and making noises!

[jsherris]

i dont want to offend anyone by this



Oh Dear! I don't think many folks would be offended by this - unless it was THEIR little one! :lol:

I've got 3 girls (all grown up now) & a 3 yr old granddaughter, and we've never had this problem, but my best friend did with her little girl!
Altho it was quite disconcerting, & it's human nature to tell them to stop... usually screaming the word at the top of your voice..... it is usually something that they grow out of.
It's also not necessarily a habit that they are copying either - some kids like chocolate, some like worms, some like self-exploration - each to their own...but chocolate's MUCH better!!
Julie.

[corgiman]

Not all children do it but some do, as has already been said, it is not something as a parent that I would make an issue of, distraction works wonders with children.

[karia]

It's a natural way of seeking comfort, we teach them to rock back and forth after all.

You are placing 'adult sexual perspectives' upon something much more innocent.

K

[JAWS]

I think you are quite right about the 'adult sexual perspectives' being placed on the behaviour. Very young children often do things which would be unacceptable for adults to do in public.
How often do very small children run round the house, even when there are visitors, completely naked without a second thought from anybody.

Maybe I lead a very sheltered life but I don't know many adults who would either do that or be comfortable if somebody else did it in their presence.

[percy toboggan]

It's a natural way of seeking comfort, we teach them to rock back and forth after all.

You are placing 'adult sexual perspectives' upon something much more innocent.

K

Good common-sense reaction.
I can tell yer a woman!

[Lolabelle]

I don't think that it is all that unusual. One of my neices, when she was about 2, used to sit on the sprinkler, and I know that no one had shown her that, I asked her why she wanted to do that and she said it felt nice and offered me a go!
We didn't make a bit deal of it and it stopped of its own accord. Kids do this kind of thing.

[Sandra_B]

I think it's normal for children to touch themselves. My youngest was quite fond of fondling himself for a while, we told him it was fine if he wanted to do that but he had to go to his bedroom to do it. Aparrently being sent to his room took some of the pleasure out of it as it wasn't a long phase at all!

[Ash]

in my opinion there is a huge difference between a child innocently touching themselves to having a toy between there legs and rubbing and going red in the face and groaning!

its not right

[NickInTheNorth]

got to disagree with you yet again ash :D

To the child there is no difference. The difference is something we learn about as we grow older. No matter what they touch themselves with it is innocent.

Just the same as to a baby a toy is suitable to put into their mouth whereas to us it is not. It's a learning thing.

I have 2 daughters, now aged 10 and 8, one went through a phase of it the other never did. It's life.

[Alice in Blunderland]

My youngest places a teddy between her legs and rocks ( thats the politest way I can describe it ) herself to sleep. The older kids titter with laughter at it but I just ignore her. It is happening less now that she is getting older :)

[badger]

in my opinion there is a huge difference between a child innocently touching themselves to having a toy between there legs and rubbing and going red in the face and groaning!

its not right

Really there is nothing wrong with this, it's only the adult interpretation put on it that's not right. If a small child discovers something accidentally that they enjoy then they're going to go on doing it until they realise it's not something that others do or they just grow out of it. Babies enjoy sucking and touching their mother's breasts because it's not just food, it's comfort and warmth and security. There's nothing sexual about it.