In preschool children , common pathological habits are quite common, such as sucking toys, fingers, nail biting, masturbation (masturbation). A situation may arise when the parent finds the child playing with his genitals. The first reaction is shock, sometimes the desire to punish for misbehavior. But after the numbness has passed, do not shout and slap the child’s hands, you should calmly deal with this issue and understand how to behave and what to do when the children are engaged in “this”.
Masturbation in a young child. What to do?
You have a wonderful baby growing, and one day there comes a time when you notice that the child is touching or playing with his genitals. The question arises: what is it? Children's curiosity, which is quite natural in the development of the baby, or a pathological habit - masturbation (masturbation)? And can children do this?
Formulation of the problem
Often during the development period, the baby develops an interest in studying the male and female body. Children consider the naked bodies of peers and adults, while at the same time studying the sensations of their own body is no less interesting for them. Toddlers examine their genitals by playing, scratching, teasing or touching them. In this situation, there is nothing to worry about, an informative process is underway. But if at the same time the child experiences positive emotions that become dominant for him, then the stimulation of the genitals becomes constant.
Can children do this?
At 2-3 years old, it’s too early to talk with the baby about masturbation, since he does not understand what masturbation is, he does not know that touching himself and others in intimate places is considered indecent. Masturbation is a way of self-satisfaction in which there is an emotional discharge. Often "this" happens before going to bed in a secluded place. If masturbation occurs regularly, then this becomes a pathological habit.
If a child openly asks questions about the structure of the body, the differences between a man and a woman or a girl and a woman, then you should behave tactfully and answer children's questions, and not be ashamed of them. This is a natural interest and a new step in the development of the psyche and knowledge of the world. Usually, interest arises between the ages of 3 to 6 years, then disappears, until adolescence.
Prerequisites for the emergence of child masturbation
Physiological - due to active temperament, discharge from mental stress is necessary.- Psychological - the child has a feeling of uselessness, he considers himself lonely, unloved, there is a lack of parental love and attention.
- Clinical - poor sleep and long falling asleep lead to the need for emotional discharge.
Also, other phenomena can become the reasons for the appearance of masturbation:
- isolation from children's society;
- high excitability and emotionality in the child;
- the coldness of the mother or the impulsiveness of the father;
- physical punishment;
- if the sex of the child did not live up to parental expectations.
What to do?
So, young children do this quite often. If you find a child masturbating, then, first of all, you should not faint, scold your child or engage in assault. It should show endurance and maximum tact.
If the child is small, then try to calmly switch his attention to another occupation. If this is a child of school age, then calm behavior is also necessary. When he will be able to listen to you, you should discuss the current situation, but in no case should he be scolded and intimidated. Such behavior on the part of parents can only exacerbate the situation. Just tell yourself that it’s normal if the children are doing “this.” At school, perhaps a psychologist will talk with them, but at home, talk with your child, do not “throw” him.
What needs to be done so that masturbation does not become a pathological habit?
First of all, it is necessary to find out the cause of the appearance of masturbation. Do not attach much importance to this and intimidate the baby with the terrible consequences of a bad habit. Most often, threats and intimidation cripple the psyche of a child and break the future.
You can not even discuss an unpleasant topic, just change the methods of education. Often children do this from a lack of attention even when parents leave it to themselves. Praise your baby more often, encourage the expression of feelings and emotions, provide him with a sufficient amount of physical activity. Give your child freedom of choice, as often as possible communicate with him on free topics, avoid notations and moralizing, teach him how to react to the appearance of negative emotions. Timely treat diseases related to urology or gynecology.
It is also necessary to monitor the condition of the clothes that the child wears. Things should be clean, comfortable. Do not humiliate the child, discussing the topic of masturbation with strangers, do not arrange interrogations and examinations. Help your child find hobbies, new entertainments, so that being alone, he can occupy himself.
We must not forget that masturbation is a way to get rid of negative emotions. If you remove the source of tension, then the need for a splash of emotions will disappear. If the pathological habit does not go away before the age of 10, you need to contact specialists, since the cause of masturbation at this age can be caused by the influence of people with mental disorders.
Increased child hypersexuality or early psychosexual development can cause masturbation. Many children do this because they cannot cope with such manifestations of early development on their own. Intimidation in this situation is useless. The child needs your help and understanding. You should know that early psychosexual development can and should be treated, otherwise masturbation will subsequently be fixed, which can cause serious mental deviations in the child.
Finally
The desire of parents to eliminate the external attributes of the problem will not solve the cause of the pathological habit. For prophylaxis, intra-family relationships, interaction with the child should be normalized, and soft trusting relationships with him should be established. Satisfy the child’s emotional needs for care and affection, regularly organize recreational physical activities, and also contribute to the development of the child’s creativity. And then the problem that the children are engaged in "this" will disappear itself!