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AIBU?

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4 year olds and sex - what the hell?!!

60 replies

QwertyScrewdriver · 28/02/2017 16:58

So about three weeks ago I was with my son on a play date at his friend's house (a girl), they are both 4 and have played together since a few weeks old. They wanted to play together in the friends upstairs playroom. As me and the other mum went back down to get a cuppa she said, out of earshot, 'Play nicely kids, don't have sex' and chuckled. I thought it odd but ignored it as I assumed she had a brain fart and would rather forget it entirely, speaking from experience when I've said something totally awkward and then spend the next 20 minutes replaying it in my head while cringing.
Cut to today and she said in front of her daughter how cross her husband would be if he found out she had a boy in her room alone. THEY ARE 4 YEARS OLD FFS! Then went to great length to explain to her that if my DS had a sleepover he would be expected to sleep downstairs alone (not in any one of their 3 spare bedrooms) as boys shouldn't sleep in the same rooms as girls and if he was in a room near her he might try to sneak in. It's completely out the question anyway as he wouldn't be sleeping over there but it's made me feel really awkward. One of our friends has a DD who slept in the bed when her mum had a baby, as the photos were posted on facebook, so girls are exempt from the rule.
AIBU to feel really put out by it, like she's suggesting my DS or boys in general can't keep their hands to themselves even from this early age? I know the PANTS rule is being pushed now and I wholeheartedly agree with this but is this level of 'protection' really necessary?
(Sorry if I'm not coming across in the right way, I'm in shock!)

OP posts:
QwertyScrewdriver · 28/02/2017 19:50

No iogo

OP posts:
randomer · 28/02/2017 19:43

thin skating on ice are you

iogo · 28/02/2017 18:14

Are they 2nd or 3rd generation travellers? Might explain her view.

MewlingQuim · 28/02/2017 17:54

WTF Confused

My 5y DD and unrelated friend's 5y DS share a bath together. FFS they are far too little to think like that.

And I'm a child abuse survivor so I am paranoid as fuck with regards to DD's safety.

brasty · 28/02/2017 17:53

Children do play at this age - show me yours and I will show you mine. That is very common. Is it that she wants to avoid?

QwertyScrewdriver · 28/02/2017 17:51

I remember being in primary, must have been about 8, and being a 'bridesmaid' for my friend who got married to her boyfriend in the playground. She was very developed for her age as she started puberty early and she went to the cloakroom to 'make a baby' which was actually letting him touch her boobs so you may have a point there lozzylizzy. However at that age we'd already discussed in school the difference between boys and girls and started to touch on the subject of babies. No way would I ever dream of suggesting something like this of 4 year olds!

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QwertyScrewdriver · 28/02/2017 17:45

I spoke to DM about this and I said her DD is going to end up completely rebelling as a teenager or think how brilliant it is that she's managed to trick her parents into letting her 'friend' sleep over when actually its her girlfriend.

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lozzylizzy · 28/02/2017 17:44

When I was a kid it was another girl that decided to squeeze our bits when we were hiding in a sleeping bag! She was squeezing her nose when I punched her in it.

To be honest I have always found its primary school girls that push the boyfriend/girlfriend sort of stuff imo! (Not saying all girls!)

QwertyScrewdriver · 28/02/2017 17:36

It's surely sending the wrong message as it's teaching her DD that she has to be cautious of boys and that it's only boys that could do that.

The irony is that when we go there and DS needs the loo her daughter ALWAYS follows him in, he's often become upset and she'll tell her daughter 'Qwerty's DS doesn't like it when you go in there on the toilet', whereas if it was the other way round I'm sure she'd be saying 'You shouldn't go in there when my DD is on the toilet'

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April229 · 28/02/2017 17:35

Ridiculous. I assume she hasn't contemplated the idea her daughter may later be a lesbian in which case woukd the female friend also be banished to the downstairs overnight?

I think you should mention that the assumption that she is sharing with her daughter at a really young age that boys of almost any age are likely sexual predictors may terrify her and that it's very early to be thinking like this about either child.

Nocabbageinmyeye · 28/02/2017 17:34

Don't have sex to two four year olds Confused so weird. I think I'd leave it now but if any other reference was made I would be saying it to her

Rixera · 28/02/2017 17:31

Then she risks damaging her daughter.

SaudadeObama · 28/02/2017 17:31

As the mother of a 4 year old boy I find this quite very fucking disturbing. I would start distancing myself.

arainydayinearlyspring · 28/02/2017 17:29

Indeed Rix but let's just say she isn't at a point where she recognises that what happened is wrong.

Kiroro · 28/02/2017 17:28

And if she has a genuine fear coming from an experience, it is her job to go to counselling or use appropriate language like 'I'd rather you two play downstairs', or 'DD doesn't have friends in her bedroom'.

Quite.

QwertyScrewdriver · 28/02/2017 17:28

Yes I would definitely not be letting him sleep over there! I keep thinking of the little things she's said or done in the past that I dismissed but now wondering if she's actually always been hinting towards this. She does have a lot of funny ways but she's a lovely friend so it does seem quite odd

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Rixera · 28/02/2017 17:26

But rainyday, I was too and I wouldn't tell a four year old not to have sex with his also four year old friend. In fact the thought is nauseating. That's more sexualising than letting two children play!

And if she has a genuine fear coming from an experience, it is her job to go to counselling or use appropriate language like 'I'd rather you two play downstairs', or 'DD doesn't have friends in her bedroom'.

Jaysis · 28/02/2017 17:21

I'd be dropping her as a friend tbh, she sounds fucked up.

If there ever was an incident where the children were talking about privates or wee-wees you can be sure she'd blame the boy for being a pervert.

arainydayinearlyspring · 28/02/2017 17:20

It's not about behaviour so I wouldn't worry about that.

If you've been sexually interfered with in some way as a child, the whole 'but they're children' doesn't wash, as you were a child and sexualised.

I wouldn't have my child go there on unsupervised playdates, but certainly she has had something horrible happen from this anecdote.

cosytoaster · 28/02/2017 17:19

YANBU - she's being totally ridiculous

QwertyScrewdriver · 28/02/2017 17:17

Arainyday I hadn't thought about that. Her kids, her choice I guess. It did make me feel awkward, as though I'm raising some kind of monster.

It wouldn't even cross my mind to think they would do anything like that at this age! I know it HAS and DOES happen, but it makes me sad that in her mind my son could do something to her but our friends daughter (who is a very badly behaved child) couldn't as she's a girl.

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Tomorrowillbeachicken · 28/02/2017 17:15

Woman is a freak

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 28/02/2017 17:11

I'd probably decline any sleepover invitations there.
It's all very odd.

harderandharder2breathe · 28/02/2017 17:08

I'd steer clear of anyone who would leave a small child downstairs alone rather than "risk" them in the same room as another small child of the opposite sex

arainydayinearlyspring · 28/02/2017 17:06

I wouldn't have unrelated children in a bath, TBH.