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From birth to toddler age, children learn many things and explore everything around them. This is not except for children to be curious about their own bodies and find ways to explore. Therefore, some children often put their hands in the private area, also known as masturbation, making parents not bewildered. However, this is completely natural and normal.
1. What are the effects of children putting their hands in the private area?
Right from birth to toddler age, children always explore and learn everything around to learn many things and satisfy their curiosity. In it, children will also be curious about their own body and find ways to explore. Therefore, some children often play with their private areas, also known as masturbation.
Child masturbation is the childish act of fidgeting with the genitals, this is a sexual characteristic of childhood that parents find it difficult to respond to comfortably and accept it. Some people may even think that a child's hand in the private area is unacceptable behavior. However, according to a study by the University of Michigan in the US, most of the time between the ages of 5-6, young people often touch their private areas.
By the age of 15 almost 25% of girls and 100% of boys have reached orgasm from masturbation. Therefore, the behavior of children playing with their private parts is a form of body exploration that occurs in both sexes. During this age, children are still developing their own feelings, so this is a normal behavior that is not shameful or sexual. However, parents should also distinguish this behavior from cases where children scratching their genitals may be infected.
2. What to do when children often put their hands in the private area?
When seeing a child playing in the private area, parents should first try to keep themselves in a calm mood, not panic. Then, distract the child with a story or game that the child loves. If the distraction doesn't work, explain to the child that this is a behavior that should not be in public.
In addition, it is necessary to increase physical activity for children, and at the same time take care of loving gestures of parents. When children participate in physical activity, the body will release more energy and spirit to help limit masturbation in children. Talk to your preschool teacher or caregiver every day about how to react when your child plays with their genitals and how to handle it so that the child is not confused too many opinions. The special thing is that parents should not punish children when they see children touching their private parts, nor yelling about this. Because the first years of life are so important in children's lives, their experiences and their relationships with those around them. Those early foundations have a significant impact on a child's academic and behavioral outcomes, as well as the mental and physical health that take place in a child's life.
In short, the behavior of children often putting their hands in the private area is a natural condition when children are curious to learn about their body. Therefore, parents should not be too worried, but calmly distract their children and let them participate in more outdoor activities as well as practice physical activities to help children release energy, limit children's distractions. palpation of the vagina.
For more nutritional knowledge and child care for each age, parents should regularly visit the website vimec.com and make an appointment with the leading doctors, pediatric and nutrition experts of the National General Hospital. Vinmec when needing advice on children's health.
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