Child masturbation — how should parents respond?

[Yonder]

My daughter is 5 years old, and I recently started noticing that she touches herself in her private area. At first, I thought it was just accidental, but I see that it keeps happening. I’m very worried about whether this is normal and how to behave correctly — I don’t want to scare her or make her feel ashamed. Has anyone else experienced this?

[Anabire]

We had the same situation with our son when he was 4 years old. At first, we panicked, but then we came across a helpful article: https://sumy24.com.ua/dytyacha-masturbatsiya-yak-zrozumity-ta-reaguvaty-poglyad-seksologa/ It explains everything clearly — at this age, such behavior can be part of exploring one’s body. The main thing is not to scold or yell, but to calmly explain that this is personal and should be done in private. The article reassured us and gave simple examples of how to talk to a child without fear or embarrassment.

[Author]

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