Hi, I have a 5 yo son. He is a normal boy, except for one thing. On more than one occasion I have caught him touching his penis. I have tried to explain to him that this is not ok and that he shouldn't do it, but he keeps it on anyway. Please help! Why is he acting this way? Is there something I can do to stop this behavior?
Hi, five year olds are very fascinated with their bodies and how they work. It is not such a big deal that your son is touching his penis. In fact, most children your son's age act this way. What is more important is how you deal with this situation. It is not enough just to say that things like this are not ok. This way you are not teaching your son anything valuable. Instead, you should have a serious conversation with him about personal body parts. Try to explain that it is not proper behavior to touch his penis whenever he wants to. These things are done in private, where others cannot see him. But if his penis touching interferes with his daily activities, you should consider taking your son to a therapist. I am sure that there is nothing wrong with your son and that you are just overreacting.