How can I stop my 6 yr. old from touching his private parts?

Question

My 6 yr. old son has a habit of always grabbing himself. He doesn't even realize hes doing it until my husband or me tell him what hes doing. i want him to stop or understand why he does it.

Answer 1

Have a long talk with him. ....

Answer 2

i don't think they ever stop..It just gets worse the older they get..lol No really I think all you can do is keep telling him when he does it & eventually he will will stop.

Answer 3

Become Catholic

Answer 4

i would suggest a harmless story to stop him from going down there e.g you will get spots if you keep touching it.

something like that but make sure its not something that he will get scared over.

Answer 5

ask why he touches them.  Be sure he doesnt ahve a cut or rash of some sort bothering him first.

then explain why you dont do that when people can see.

Answer 6

The appropriate compromise is that he should only do it in private.

I've read that such behavior can be a sign of sexual abuse.  You might question him about that.  Or maybe he has a rash, or ill-fitting clothes.

Otherwise, they're his parts, he can touch them all he wants, even m********e if he's so inclined, just not in front of others.  He should be able to understand that.

Answer 7

this is just usual behaviors it is experiencing their natural you know growing up but if you do see him abusing it i would take him to a childs doctor it may be hurting or like an infection

Answer 8

just say stop

Answer 9

All boys do this at this age. It is a nervous reaction and it calms us. Boys also do this to hold pee, instead of going to the bathroom. When we are out, I would always remind my sons by calling it to their attention as soon as I notice it and ask them if they need a restroom out loud, and then to please stop that. If it is a pee emergency, then some holding in a boy that small is o.k. as he is trying his best to hold it in. I do not tell them anything if they are in the privacy of our home and it's just us. Such as bath or bed times, in the back yard, etc. If all of us are watching tv, then we ask them to go to their room to do it because that is a private thing, not something to do in front of all of us. It only takes a little while before they catch on.

Answer 10

its totally normal i mean hes at that age where hes discovered it feels good when he touches himself there...im being serious not trying to be gross...

what i would do is just sit down with him and explain to him its not appropriate.

goodluck!

Answer 11

point it out to him everytime he does it--you said yourself he doesn't realize he's doing it!  We used a code word so if we were in public, we could remind him to stop, like "Benjamin, buttercup."  An d he'd realize he was doing it.  It didn't take long for him to stop.

Answer 12

You can't stop him.  It's normal cause it feels great.

But you can tell him to do it in private only, not in front of other people.  GUIDE him.  Tell him he's ok, and not a freak, but it's not nice to do in public.

Answer 13

Tell him that next time he does it in front of anyone

that he'll be punished.

honestly.

Bc he doesn't know that it's something that you do by

yourself.lol

Just tell him that ppl think it's weird bc it's something that

you do in privet.

like peeing.

Ask him if he likes to pee in front of ppl?

Answer 14

tell him that he shouldnt do it anymore because it is bad!!!! and if he does that you will punish him!!!

Answer 15

i have two sons (both teenagers now) and i never had that problem. im sorry i cant help you.

Answer 16

Talking wont do ANYTHING...if u have any girls in the family u should make them imitate him/ do it too. boys that age DONT wanna be like girls/women and despise of their ways/think they have cooteez right? So why wouldnt this work? Honestly try it.

they call me maguiver

Answer 17

It's a phase he will grow out of it..

Answer 18

Just explain that that is something he should do in private (no, he is not masturbating) and keep reminding him. Theres really nothing you can do for a miracle cure so to speak. I'm sure he'll be grabbing his crotch for the rest of his life. I have yet to meet a man who doesnt ;)

Answer 19

Hes 6, he isn't touching himself for pleasure, its just a place to put his hands... if for some adverse reason it bothers you tell him to stop, not much else you can do.

Answer 20

ignore him when he does it ,as long as he  is getting attention from ya'll, when he does it he will continue.  so just ignore  him when he does it, do not let him know, u know he is doing it, an  he will stop since he will not be getting attention from it...........

Answer 21

it is noramal do not draw attention to it he will stop

Answer 22

Is it a nervous habit, since you say he doesn't realize he is doing it?

You probably need to sit down with him and just have a talk, and tell him that he needs to be careful not to do that, because it really doesn't look good.

Also, is it just when he needs to go to the bathroom?  Is he waiting too long before he goes?

Mayeb come up with something like calling his name and shaking your head "no" to keep reminding him.

Answer 23

Some workout, or physical activity, playing outside, etc, would help a little, but don´t take me wrong, this is the age when they touch themselves, so let him do so, try not to make such a big deal of it, while he notice, he will try to use it as his "calling attention" weapon over daddy and mommy...so just play distract him as much as possible and forget about it...

Answer 24

Being the mother of 2 grown boys, believe me it is normal.  I also know it can be embarassing.  Have your husband speak with him.  Just bring it to his attention and also keep in mind that they do out grow this habit. It's a boy thing.

Answer 25

Keep encouraging him to stop this behavior or it may continue throughout school years and other children will make fun of him and/or the girls will be grossed out.  I still remember a boy a couple years behind me in school that did it all the time without noticing, and he did it on stage at our Christmas concert and his parents were mortified! Plus all of us girls thought he was disgusting

Answer 26

because he is exploring his self.  do not scolled him for that. it could cause him to be embarrassed of himself later in life.

Answer 27

He is just going through a phase, so to say give him time and he will stop on his own. This can be very frustrating for a parent, but it will pass.

Answer 28

It's a boy thing. It's his let him play with it lol.

Answer 29

It sounds like your son is exploring his body and becoming familiar with it. As a man, I think this is normal at that age. He'll stop eventually. Just don't draw his attention to it. His dad may need to tell him that it's not appropiate to do it in front of other people.

Answer 30

Ha, ha, I am so glad I am not the only one that has had to address this. I just told my son in a very casual way that it is rude to touch his private parts in front of others and left it at that. He still did it once in a while and I just had to look at him and shake my head and he would know to stop. I think some boys don't realize they are even doing it some times.

Answer 31

When he got potty-trained, he had to "hold" his privates a lot to practice. So, I think that it has become a habit for him. As he grows, he'll stop doing it.