Flag as Not Acceptable?
We review flagged content and enforce our Terms of Use, in which content must never be:
- Profane or sexually explicit
- Disrespectful or abusive
- Infringing of copyright
Parentpedia
Genital Touching
What Experts Say
Dr. Sigmund Freud described the time between about 3 and 6 years of age as the phallic stage. He came to this after spending much time observing children -- and noticing that children of this age touch their genitals. And there are many parents out there who have had these same Freud-like observations!
It's completely natural for young children to touch their genitals. However, it's generally not considered socially appropriate for children to do this in public, especially in school settings.
To help eliminate genital touching in public, teach your kids the difference between public and private. Try to do this in a way that makes your child feel comfortable rather than shamed, so be sure to use a neutral tone of voice for these conversations and use encouragement rather than punishment to reinforce the behavior.
If genital touching continues despite repeated conversations and reminders, parents may wish to see a child psychologist who can help parents with behavioral interventions such as setting up a behavior chart, creating social stories about genital touching, and implementing routines to reduce such behaviors.
ParentPedia contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of ParentPedia, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.
The contents of ParentPedia are intended for educational purposes only. Such contents are not intended to, and do not, constitute medical or healthcare advice or diagnosis, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Reliance on information presented on ParentPedia is at your own risk.
Thank You!
Thank you for helping us maintain a friendly, high quality community at Family.com. This comment will be reviewed by a community moderator.
