Touching one's genitalia by infants of any sex is perfectly natural. As infants develop control of their limbs and hands and begin investigating their bodies, this stage may begin as early as four to six months. Their hands will reach for everything, including their ears, feet, and privates.
Until around the age of six, both boys and girls are allowed to touch their genitalia whenever they choose, whether during a diaper change, sleep, or out in public. Babies of both sexes often explore their bodies by rubbing or pulling at their genitalia or penis, respectively.
Your infant may engage in ventures of exploration on a sporadic basis or regularly. Neither one is abnormal. Your baby's natural curiosity may be satisfied after a few rubs, at which point they may stop, only to resume later.
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How To Respond When Your Baby Touches Their Privates
How should you respond if you see your kid engaging in masturbation for the first time? Quietly, even if doing so makes you uneasy. Don't make a child feel guilty about genital touching by laughing at them or making them feel ashamed. Doing so might lead to an increase in shame or repression related to sexuality.
Do not interrupt your baby's explorations with your own thoughts or opinions. As a parent, you may capitalize on your child's natural inclination to learn about the world around them by helping them explore their own bodies.
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Make sure your child knows the difference between their penis and testicles or vulva and vagina by reciting the right anatomical terms during their next bath. Putting on a diaper and trousers and giving the youngster a toy might distract them from their genitalia if they are drawing unwanted attention.
At about two, you may reassure your child that it's perfectly normal for them to start touching and exploring their genitalia but that this is a private activity that has to take place in their own space.
It's also important to make it clear to your kid early on that they shouldn't let anybody touch or look at their private parts. Explain to older kids that they can just say "No" and come to you immediately if they experience any "bad" touching.
If your kid is old enough to understand what you're saying, you may tell them to wait until they're alone at home before touching their genitalia again. If they persist, you may ask them to go to their room or the restroom. If your kid has to be reminded, that's okay. That, too, is to be expected.
Around the time they start school, most youngsters realize that they are the only ones actively browsing around in their trousers, and they cease exploring in public.
If your kid is still publicly probing his or her privates at age five or six, or if this behavior appears abnormally intense to the point that it disrupts daily activities or play, you should consult a doctor. If you need to maintain your composure, continue with the "fine but private" message.
When Exploring Their Body Becomes A Problem
You shouldn't worry too much if your infant is stroking or pulling at their genitalia; this behavior is usually indicative of normal exploration.
However, fabric softeners, tight clothes, moist diapers, and other irritants may cause vulvovaginitis, which manifests as redness, swelling, and discomfort around the vagina and/or vulva in some infant females.
Infected redness and swelling of the head of the penis or foreskin, known as balanitis, may affect infant boys. Babies may start rubbing their genitalia if they experience any of these issues.
Keep an eye out for skin lesions, redness, swelling, discharge, or other indicators of irritation in your baby's genital region, even though it's typically simple to discern the difference between your kid exploring happily and responding to itching or pain. If you are concerned about your child's health, you should contact their doctor.
Excessive genital contact in children of any age may sometimes indicate a problem or a hint of physical or sexual abuse. However, this is not always the case. Make an appointment with your child's pediatrician if you see any of the following patterns in his or her behavior:
- Frequent and unavoidable.
- Despite having a conversation with your kid, it still occurs in public.
- Inflicts actual, physical suffering
- Coexists with other behavioral or emotional difficulties, such as depression, anxiety, irritability, or wetting the bed.
- Reenacts sexual behavior often reserved for adults.
