All little boys play with their penises, it is just a fact of life. For infants and young toddlers the penis is no different than their toes, or fingers, or knees. It is just another body part to be explored and discovered, one that be quite humorous during diaper changes and bath time.

As they grow older some will outgrow the curiosity and simply stop on their own. Others may continue to twiddle with themselves when they are bored or interested in the body part. A parent needs to remember that children do not have the social conditioning that adults have, they have no concept of sex and shame that most adults associate with their genitalia. It is not dirty or wrong, and trying too hard to discourage their exploration can cause feelings of shame and embarrassment about their body. Those feelings can lead to sexual problems as adults.

For a young child it is best to gently and calmly explain that touching and playing with their penis is not something that we do in public. Try not to make them feel that they are doing something wrong, just let them know that they need to either be in their bedroom or in the bathroom if they are curios and want to do that. Acting nonchalant about it will keep your child at ease.

Sooner or later most young children loose intrest and move on. Some may return in curiosity once in a while, but for the most part as the boy grows older he has already examined his penis enough to no longer be curious about it. By the time he begins school the majority of young boys will have already moved on past that normal stage of development. At least, until the teenage years.

Learn more about this author, Summer Minor.
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