what to say to my son 6 when he is upset about an erection

[iamworkingonit]

My son gets angry and upset when he has an erection. I say to him that, it happens to little boys and it is nothing to worry about..................however I feel it is an inadequate response. Any ideas?

[UnplainJane]

I also have a 6yo boy but he never even mentions it when he gets one. Occasionally when he was younger be would laugh at it but we have always laughed along which has made him feel that it's fine and normal I guess. He has asked why it does it in the past and we have told him it's just what happens sometimes and not made a deal over it.

Has your DS always had that reaction to it? Have you asked why it bothers him so much? Maybe because it is something he doesn't understand/has control over. Some kids can struggle with lack of control over their bodies.

[lehcar75]

I remember when my husband and I heard our son shouting at his in the bathroom just after he woke up.

"Go down you stupid willy, go down!"

[margaritasbythesea]

My son seems to be very bothered by his as well, although not every time, and very prone to getting them. He doesn't always get upset but sometimes he can't carry on what he is doing because of them and can get quite angry and upset. We try and be very relaxed about it, give him his space. We don't tell him off if he gets upset about it.


It gets very difficult at meal times as the sound of eating often, he says, provokes it. I tend to make to that shouting is not allowed at the table as you would anyway, but let him get down from the table for a while to calm down. I don't really know what else to do.

He came downstairs after bedtime tonight with one and asked me why it happened. I just said that it did happen to boys and men and then he asked if I got them and then the conversation kind of wondered off into wee wee and poo poo territory

[BertieBotts]

Interesting. DS hasn't mentioned his for ages, he used to think it was strange as a toddler. Apparently my brother aged three or four became very concerned that it might keep growing and "Mummy soon it might reach the ceiling!"

Maybe it's an idea to get him a book about bodies so that he can see it's not just him it happens to? The only thing is that most of the ones which mention erections seem to be puberty related which might be a bit advanced yet.

You could maybe explain in an age appropriate way that it's caused by hormones and once the hormone surge is gone then it will go away by itself.