2 Year Old "Playing" with Self

It is completely normal. little girls do it too. Be careful when you talk to him about it because you don't want to instill shame and make him think that there is something about himself that he should hide. Also, don't make a big deal out of it, he will grow out of it (for a little while until he hits puberty).

I have a 3 year old that started this a couple months ago. I soon found out that when he put his hands in his pants, he needed to go potty. I would ask him if he wanted to potty and he would insist that he didn't. I went ahead and put him on the toilet anyway and wouldn't you know it, he pee'd. After he finished, he didn't "play" with it anymore. Ever since, any time I catch him "playing" with it, I would take him to the bathroom. Every time he has pee'd. Maybe it's just a sign like it is with my son. Good luck!

I hate to say this...but I am afraid he may have seen someone do this...at that age they mimic everything..but don't make a big to do over it...just say not nice and put is pants back on...and ignore it. if you correct him with a time out when he does it.. or take a favorite toy away, this will teach him that is not a thing he should be doing. Children are never too young to teach right from wrong...it is easier to teach from pull up age than start when they are twelve.
L.

Boys start finding and playing with their toys at a very early age. It is normal. I personally would not draw a bunch of attention to it with the child and then it will pass. Our childrens minds can't handle too much information on that topic. So the more you may be trying to help or make him understand... Could be causing him much confusion because in his innocent mind... He is just exploring and learning. It is adults more mature minds that it is maturbation. As hard as it may seem, I would say try to divert attention elsewhere versus trying to correct him and make it the thing that not only feels good, but what he also gets a lot of attention for. You will see in my profile I have a girl... But I helped raise my nephew... And he found his toy at a very young age too. - hope this helps.

This is nothing to worry about. It is amazing how early in life our little men can't resist touching their genitals!! I am a mother of two young boys (3 and 5) and they both went through a phase of it too. I think the most important part is to not make a big deal of it. Just explain to him that it's not nice to do it in front of people. Completely normal stuff. Hope this helps!

Why is it wrong for him to do this in private? It's not like he's doing it at the dinner table or while watching tv with the family. Masturbating is a normal function and humans do it all through their lives. The fact that he is doing it in bedrooms and asking you very specifically for privacy is a very good thing. He obviously already knows that he should only do it in private so I wouldn't worry about him doing it in public. You don't want to shame him for doing something that feels completely natural to him. I would explain that it is something that you do only in your bedroom. And if you are worried about him doing it at someone's home and that they might shame him when he does just explain to them the situation beforehand and how you would like to handle it.

I have a six year old grandson who discovered himself when he was just one. We would catch him doing the same thing. We would tell him not to do it but in a way as to not make him feel bad. I think this is natural and he is just curious about it. And yes he outgrew it. He no longer does this. I believe that your son will do so also.

as far as I know it is very normal, just teach him private parts are for playing with in private, by his self, no one else. He only touches his own and no one elses and visa versa. Make sure he has not been in a vulnerable situation where he may have been abused... I was raped at age 5, and started acting out sexually soon after.

I actually just read a magazine artical in "American Baby" magazine about this exact thing. They said in the article that it is normal and okay if he is doing this in private. They said not to discourage him or scare him of touching himself and that you should just make sure you let him know that that is something you do in private by himself and also that he is the only one that is allowed to do that. I personally don't see anything wrong with it as long as he doesn't do it in public or other inappropriate places. It's not like he understands what he is doing he is just be coureous about his body.

This is normal, especially at that age. They are just discoverin themselves. I have two boys that both went through that at that same age. I just explained that they had to be in the bathroom to do that. My family doctor said that it was normal, so I just let them be. They soon quit, just a short phase is all. :)

My son is now 6, when he was two he went through this stage also. His doctor said that it was compleatly normal. We explained to our son that it should not happen and if he was to do it he need to go to his room. We told him that it was something to he needed to do in private. It only lasted a few months and he stoped doing it before he was three. It is just a phase. Dont worry.

Hi J.!
I feel your pain. I have two boys of my own. Just last night my 3 year old was laying in our bed watching tv, drinking a sprite with his hand down his pants. It's totally normal. Your guy is just exploring and will be either playing, scratching, adjusting or just holding himself for the rest of his life. Guys are just weird. Good luck!

-K.

I think it's perfectly normal. I think that's when my son discovered himself too. I also think it's especially fine that he wants to do it in private. That's what I told my son, that it's fine - just do it in private. I don't want him to think that his body is shameful.

My oldest son did that too! I was horrified because he seemed obsessed with it! But I talked to a few moms who said, nah, just a boy thing, and they will quit after a year or so - well, they were right. He just quit, eventually. We kept telling him to keep his hands out of his pants. We tried not to make a huge deal out of it, but he needed to be coached to quit the behavior. I think he just "discovered" that it felt good, and it became comforting to him. It was innocent, and he just had to grow out of it.

It is normal for self explorations at two as long as it takes place in private and not in public. No worries!! His reactions to you shows he knows "privates" are private. BUT I hope your discussion with him involved the proper names of body parts.

S.

Hello! YOu have already gotten alot of good advice. I just recently went through this with my now 3 year old. It is just a stage that too will pass. I "caught" my curious little one doing it at the dining room table!! That really is all that it is--curiousity. My advice is to not make a big deal out of it or it becomes a big deal to them. I just told my son that it is okay to look/touch it, but only when he is in the bathroom. That cured it. The permission to do that made it not a big deal to him, but he had the sense that it is not appropriate all the time. Good luck--I promise this stage won't last too long!

I have a 4 1/2 year old son and he also started around that age - then quit and now does it again. I talked to his Doctor about it and she said that it is completely normal. You don't want to make a huge deal about it because then of course they will do it all the more. Just try to teach them that it is private and to do it in private and not in front of ppl. It is almost impossible to try to get them to completely stop - they are curious about their body but it is normal. Hope this helps a little.

This is the why:
Your son is probably experiencing sensory related relief when he touches his genital area. My 2 1/2 year old has sensory processing disorder and one way he receives sensory input to his brain, is through his tactile sense (this can be through scratching, rubbing, pulling, etc). I noticed that when he is stressed about being in the bath he pulls at his genitals...and that it seemed to calm him. I too was concerned and asked his occupational therapist if my concern was warranted. She told me that often children, especially ones with sensory needs, but also most children who have not fully achieved emotional self-regulation, touch and fondle their "private" areas. The reason for this is because there are so many nerve endings and the amount of sensory input sent to the brain can be very soothing for a child who is still developing their regulatory emotions.

Here's what I would do:
I tried not to make too much aknowledgement of my son's actions since he might want a future reaction out of me by repeating the behavior. Then i gave him other things to stimulate his senses. I give him playdough often, we play with dry pasta/beans/rice, and snow when it's available!

Good luck!

You may trying ignorning it and see if he stops. You may be reinforcing the act by giving it attention.

I have 2 boys it is normal. I just have to explain to them it is inappropriate to do it in public or where anyone can see you. Just have to stay consisted with keep it in your pants no one wants to see your pee-pee. It took us one month of telling them no. But we also knows boys will be boys. All kids go through exploring themselves.

I am not a doctor, but I would have to say you need to ask his Pediatrician about this. I would have to say that this is a very young age at two years old your son should not have any curiosity I would think this is very young. I would ask him why he finds this interesting or I hate to say it but ask some questions that are easy for him to answer about if he has seen this type of behavior or if anyone has shown him this, I do have a minor in Psychology and from all of my knowledge this is a very young age, it could just be curiosity but I would have you and your husband talk to him in a very nonjudgmental manor and tell him that this is not appropriate behavior and you would appreciate it if he would stop this is not mentally safe for him as well as very sanitary for him to be touching himself.

This is very normal for a child. Your son is just exploring his body and will outgrow this. You can try to divert his attention, but he will just go back to it later. Don't worry about him. He's not the only child to have ever done this and he won't be the last. Just make sure that he knows these are his private parts and that no one else is allowed to touch those parts, unless it is you bathing him.

Don't make him feel bad for that kind of activity. It's the worse thing you can do for your child's sense of self and especially their (much) later sense of sexual self. He has no concept of that activity being "wrong", he just knows it feels good. And, yes, it is very common at that age.

As long as he is doing it in his bedroom, I would just let it go and leave him alone. I would make it really clear to him that that if he feels he needs to do that, he needs to do it in his bedroom alone. Not out in the living room in front of the family and most certainly not out in public. It's a private activity, that's why they're called "privates".

Very normal at that age. He's realized it feels different and that's got his curiosity going.

Just tell him that needs to be done only in private and leave it at that. Try not to give him the impression that it's "bad" but just something you don't do in front of others.

Yes it is normal, have two boys in my house and it usually starts as soon as they realize that their genitals are there LOL and it doesn't stop. My older son 7, has to make sure he is in the privacy of his room, and not infringing on anyone else. Try to explain that is a private issue with his body and it should be done in private, and give him that privacy. So that he doesn't do it in public etc. Hope this helps.

I'd just let it go. He's really just curious. Our parents as teachers advisor said it's perfectly normal at this age and he's just discovering body parts. You can use this as an educational opportunity. Just be careful not to label it as "bad" behavior.

Glad I had girls! Yes, it's normal but if he takes his diaper off in bed and cuts loose with "pee pee or poo poo" it's more fun than a barrel of monkeys, right? There's so much more to growing up than this but I guess this is better than the kids that hump for 2 hours.

YES, YES it is normal! They begin a love affair with themselves early on and it continues through life ;) I've had this discussion with a number of my friends with little boys and we agreed to set up an "ok" area to explore oneself. My friend and I both had the bathroom as an ok place to explore, and my friend told her son it was something you didn't do in front of people. We joked that they would never leave the bathroom since that was the only ok place to toot, pick your nose, and explore ;) I also notice that exploration tends to spike around the time of potty training since your little boys life will revolve around his private parts and their functions. We don't really see it much at all now that he is 5. Of course, this does not take into account any moral/religious beliefs. Hope this helps!

In my experience, with my daughter and working in child care, this is normal. It's not sexual, it's curiosity about their body. My daughter would touch herself, and I simply told her that it was okay for her to touch herself, but she could only do it in the privacy of her room or her bed, when she was alone. I told her that no body else should ever touch those parts. She never did it at inappropriate times. You don't need to worry, children are just learning, and exploring, it doesn't have the same connotation for them as it does for us.

Yes it's normal and yes you're doing the right thing. Keep telling him no and hopefully he will get through this stage soon.
D.-mom to 9

I have only one thing to add to all the great advise that's they are curious and relax; when my son started doing this, I was concerned too, but my wise mother-in-law (mother to 9 and one foster child) suggested distracting them, for instance when my son started to do it in the bathtub, I would find something else for him to do with his hands. Good luck.
K -

I used to be a pre-school teacher and my first classroom was 3 year olds. Since most of them were already using the potty and had underwear, the access was a lot easier! I clearly remember conducting Circle Time and looking down to see "parts" pulled out of the legs of shorts and being flipped back and forth a bit mindlessly. So, to answer your question, it is quite normal! The "down there" parts are very interesting to kids, because it is sort of mysterious. Definitely have the appropriate time and place conversation with him, but don't fret that he is weird. The worst thing to do is make him feel weird about it or himself because of it. He will be doing MUCH weirder stuff soon! LOL Good Luck!

Welcome to the world of boys! I have two boys (3 years old) and they both do it! My husband and I talked to their pediatrician and he said it was perfectly normal behavior. He also said not to make a big issue out of it and eventually they will stop. Don't worry yourself...your little guy is just fine! Hope this helps.

Not to worry, boys tend to do this a lot and the age is not the issue, my son started this at 10 months old. He still does it at 6, but at least understands that he is only allowed to do this in his room or the bathroom. Your son will learn to control the urges in the very near future.

Remind yourself that there are bigger battles ahead...

That is totally normal for a 2 year old. Right now it has nothing to do with sex or masturbation. He found something that feels good, so he does it. Instead of yelling "no, no, no" tell him that's something that should be done by himself only in his room. Making him feel like it's bad or wrong now, may cause him to have problems when he's older and it does become about sex.

Very, very typical -- for both boys and girls. It feels good. He's learning about his body. We didn't make a big deal of it when our kids (a boy and a girl) went through that stage. We just reminded them that's something for private time. They out grow it -- until 10 or 12!

J.
http://www.vogelpix.com

Welcome to the Club J.! We have the same problem with our soon to be 3 yr old Grandson. He started doing this several months ago. Our daughter in law has done the same as you, talking hasn't gotten through to him yet. He is very smart for his age, has been speaking in long sentence since he was 18 months. Understanding what he says.
We haven't got a clue as to why now or how to curb this behavior. Like you we are concerned he will do this at a horrible time. Like when he told a elderly lady in Wal-mart months ago he had a stinky butt. She laughed I turned red.

If anyone has suggestions I would be more then happy to read them also. I raised two son's but I do not remember having to deal with this. Maybe Sometimers took over :)
God Bless and Good Luck
NanaK

Just emphasizing what everyone else has stated.
Yes, this is normal. Let it be normal and okay to him and for him. His yelling "out, out"--not good, though, he has figured out disappointment somewhere/somehow with you two. Therefore, Please reassure him, that it is okay, and just teach him to calmly ask for privacy. As soon as you and your husband start reacting like it is no big deal, it will be no big deal to him as well. The calmer he is about it, the more you will realize that he has accepted the normalcy. He won't even remember doing it either, when he ages.

Hi, mom of two boys (8 and 15 now) TOTALLY normal. I do not know of any little boy who has not played with it. I agree, relax and DON'T make it a big deal. Being comfortable with it know is very key in setting the tone for how you will address bigger issues when they are older. We talked very openly and comfortablly with our kids, educating them about their bodies etc. It has served all of us very well in the pre-teen, teen years!

it's normal. we talked to our son about only doing this at home. we want him to have a healthy outlook on masturbation, that it's not dirty but private.

Totally normal, I was told by my doctor not to make a big deal about it just to tell him that if he is going to do that he needs to go in his room. I was horrifed. Something to remember is it is not a sexual thing it is a feel good thing. Just goes to show you they start thinking with the wrong part of their body early. I have always said that!! HAHA

Well, Most likely he is going to do it in public. I believe the best course of action is to be discreet. Not say, "HEY, GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF YOUR PANTS!" so that everyone else turns their attention to what he is doing.
Which by the way is perfectly normal. My first son found his quite a bit earlier than my second. However, there are a ton of things interesting about it and they are curious creatures. Once I asked my son what he was doing. He went on to tell me how the skin felt different in different places. I do try to remind them and remind them( and remind them )to keep their hands out of their pants and that those are private parts that we keep covered up.
I DO NOT AND WILL NOT encourage them to explore in private. I know that they will. They have already proved that in public. But, that is not behavior that you really want to encourage on many different levels. It sounds like you are doing the right things. Don't just let it go. You are right in reminding him to keep them in his pants and his pants on. I went through some of that with my first boy. Just know that you will probably want to pull your hair out before this stage is over. And this too shall pass.
All the parents that I have talked to have just shrugged it off. They have all dealt with it, and tried to play it low key with constant reminders, b/c boys will be boys and that is all a part of it.
I wish you the best. Ang

All my boys did it about that age and we talked to them and eventually they did it in less noticiable times (night, their bedroom) Although my middle son thought it was the funnyest thing to after getting a wet (eaither bath or swimming) go streaking.

I dont know what more to tell you or how to "stop" it. It worked differently for each of my sons.

Your child is normal. All little children find their private parts very interesting. I have 2 boys and I found that if I got upset about it, they did it more. When I kind of laughed and said, Hey will you keep your privates private. They usually laughed and quit. He is not being "sexual" he is just exploring his own little world. When he yells NO and to get out, you need to make sure you are the parents and you are in control of the situation. Give him another alternative he likes to do such as riding his trike, definitely something with his hands.

Good luck.

When my son was about that age he started doing the same thing. He eventually grew out of it. I asked our doctor about it and he said they do that because it feels good and not to worry. So I didn't and he eventually stopped. Good luck