He hunches on stuff animals and he makes noises. he keeps doing this repeatly after punishing him.
2007-01-21 06:04:17 · 16 answers · asked by Trina 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
well, ignore it...I don't think he is masterbating, and anyone who says he is is wrong..their sexual parts are NOT developed yet, no matter what anyone tells you..now he might be seeing someone doing this, so be sure NOT to let him be sneaking around,..but my advice, is to totally ignore it...and you could also tell him to stop, because he is going to tear up his toys if he plays like that...do NOT mention anything about sex to him, or what you "think" he is doing.
2007-01-21 06:10:12 · answer #1 · answered by MotherKittyKat 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
There are two possibilities. One is that he's been exposed to this behaviour in an abusive fashion by an older child or adult; I woudn't want to create an hysterical panic, because kids play with themselves all the time (see the other possibility) but given that he's imitating what adults do - humping animals and making noises - this is unusual for a child to invent by themselves. Can you find a non-threatening (I emphasise non-threatening and this could be difficult if you've punished him already) way of asking him how he got these particular ideas in his head?
Do please stop punishing him, and I mean this most sincerely. The second possibility is that it's self-invented. All children play with their bodies - all parts - including the parts that give them pleasure. Usually they don't pay lots of attention to their genitals because they're not as pleasureable to a child as they are to a grown-up, and it has no more significance than picking their noses. The reason why he's carrying on doing it after you've been punishing him is that he's now discovered another way for a toddler to get mum's attention (and annoy her) which, as we all know, they love doing. If you ignore the behaviour it'll stop ... or considerably reduce in frequency.
Do please ask yourself what in your own history makes you afraid of your child's sexuality - to the point of punishing him. You're setting yourself up for some more serious problems later, I promise you, however he's acquired this particular behaviour pattern.
2007-01-21 06:19:40 · answer #2 · answered by mrsgavanrossem 5 · 6⤊ 0⤋
I am a nurse and I will tell you that masturbation is natural at this age and trying to stop it can cause your child to be embarrassed about talking to you about sex when he is older. He should be taught that it is innappropriate to do it except in the privacy of his own room. More than likely the reason he does it after being punished is because it is a stress reliever just as sex can be for us adults. One way to maybe help decrease the behavoir would to teach him other ways to deal with his emotions after being punished without making him feel guilty or ashamed about the masturbation. Also analyse your punishing habits and make sure they are appropriate for his age. At three it should be a three minute time out and diversional activities. Make sure you reward him when he does good things and if no real harm is done ignore some of the bad stuff. It is my opinion that spanking should only be used when the child is doing something that puts them in harms way even though I am guilty of using it more than I should but it should never be out of anger. And as with most things kids do it is probably just a phase and will pass eventually.
2007-01-22 02:18:47 · answer #3 · answered by Nurse Jessica 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It is not unusual for kids this age to engage in this activity. It is not sexual at this point in their lives. They are just experimenting with something that feeling good, girls do it as well as boys. If you feel it is happening excessively though bring it up with your pediatrician immediately. If truly excessive it can be one of the signs of sexual abuse, but don't immediately jump to conclusions either way. Get an expert opinion on what is considered truly excessive and what they think is the pupose behind it.The biggest thing is not to "punish" him for it in either case as it will cause him to be ashamed of the action and it can lead to other sexual issues as the child gets older. Right now he needs to understand that it is an action you do in the privacy of your own room not in front of everyone. Just ask him to go to his room when he begins this behavior till you can get some expert advice.
2007-01-21 06:28:42 · answer #4 · answered by Yo_horse 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's completely normal behavior. Some kids discover masterbation on their own early than others. Many kids do this to comfort themselves before they fall asleep. The best thing to do is to tell him that it's a private activity and if he wants to do that to go do it in his room, alone. It's actually pretty healthy, as long as he does it alone, and as long as it isn't interfering with his normal routine.
Definitely talk to your pediatrician about this if you are still feeling confused after all these different responses.
http://www.todaysparent.com/preschool/askus/article.jsp?content=20050401_170459_896&page=1
http://www.kidshealth.org/parent/growth/sexual_health/development.html
2007-01-21 07:04:00 · answer #5 · answered by Amanda L 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It is completley normal for young children to masturbate - hell some babies do it. They figure this out on thier own - noone has to teach them this and it is not because he saw anything and it does feel good to him. PLEASE do not punish him for this, tell him that is something you do in private. If you punish him for this be prepared for the therapy bill later on.
This is no big deal and it is extremly common!
2007-01-21 06:34:59 · answer #6 · answered by jillmarie2000 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Dont punish him, its natural. Punishing him can really mess with his mind. Tell him that its to be done when he is alone in his room or in the tub. You shouldn't be discouraging it but rather letting him explore, its a natrual thing
2007-01-21 06:50:53 · answer #7 · answered by Lori R 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
There are certain psycho-sexual stages of development. Anal, oral, and phallic. He is experiencing these as he grows. He is not masturbating. Try to divert his attention to something else, but try not to punish him. He isn't doing anything wrong.
2007-01-21 06:13:04 · answer #8 · answered by David L 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm very sorry to hear that you've punished him. I hope you haven't done psychological damage for his life.
When your son does that you should tell him that's something we do in private in our room and let it go at that.
If he continues to simulate intercourse with animals I would have to wonder where he learned that from...? Is it possible your child is being sexually abused?
2007-01-21 06:13:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
he is in the phallic stage of his development. so innocent self-exploration is completely normal..
but when it comes to him doing things like that..its imitation and may not be healthy.
perhaps consider therapy because he is in a very fragile stage of life...everything that happens now molds him and will, in some shape or form, stay with him forever.
2007-01-21 06:32:32 · answer #10 · answered by cryingtree1979 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋