Naked child games

Even though you know it's normal and lots of children do it, you'll probably still be embarrassed if your child starts masturbating in front of company. If you can't ignore it or laugh it off, distraction is your best bet. Masturbation is a lot like nose-picking — she does it because she's bored, because her hands are free, and because she can. If your child's hands stray toward her crotch at inopportune moments in front of your in-laws, for example keep a toy close by to give her instead.

Invite her to do a puzzle, play with blocks, or toss a ball around — anything that keeps her hands out of her pants. Look to yourself. Parents' reactions to masturbation may pose the greatest danger for kids. If your child is made to feel guilty for exploring her body, or made to feel that what she's doing is dirty or naughty, she may associate sexual or pleasurable feelings with guilt and shame.

Lots of people grow up with conflicting feelings about sex, and finding a place where you can talk these feelings through with other adults will help you handle these issues now and in the future.

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When creating and updating content, we rely on credible sources: respected health organizations, professional groups of doctors and other experts, and published studies in peer-reviewed journals. We believe you should always know the source of the information you're seeing. Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. American Academy of Pediatrics. Mayo Clinic. Sex education: Talking to toddlers and preschoolers about sex. Nemours Foundation. Understanding early sexual development.

Join now to personalize. Photo credit: iStock. Why it happens What to do. Until her second birthday or thereabouts, your toddler is unlikely to pay much attention to whether you or anyone else has clothes on. But at some point, usually around 24 months, she'll begin to develop a sense of herself as a separate person, which includes a sense of her body and yours as having private parts. The question is, are you comfortable with your toddler seeing you naked?

Some parents are very open with nudity, seeing it as a way to teach their children to accept and take pride in their own bodies. Others feel it's really only okay for their toddler to see the body of the parent of the same sex. Still others think any nudity is problematic, worrying that it will send confusing sexual messages or prematurely instill awareness of sexuality. Once your toddler begins to grasp that she has control over her own body as an individual, she may start to resist you when you change her diaper or clothes in public.

At this point she may also be sensing that public nudity doesn't jibe with the rules of polite society. If she starts reacting to your nakedness with signs of embarrassment such as silly smiles, giggling, or shielding her eyes with her hand, it's probably smart to cover up. That said, if you feel strongly that you have the right to be naked in the privacy of your own home, you just need to do a little extra work.

Tell your child that while the body is nothing to be ashamed of, going without clothes should be reserved for private times and places. Explain that you consider your home a private space where it's okay to wear nothing if no one else is around. Sources BabyCenter's editorial team is committed to providing the most helpful and trustworthy pregnancy and parenting information in the world. Susanne Ayers Denham, Ph. Featured video.

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