To ask if it's futile trying to stop a 7.5 year old boy showing off and being silly?

[Pushpins40]

Exactly that. He'll try to be the real clown, the silly one - sometimes it's good natured, other times (like today in a changing room with two other kids, a girl and a boy that he's doing a swimming class with) he starts shouting, 'I can see you vagina and your penis!'.

It's embarrassing and very annoying. If it's not that sort of stuff, it's just generally trying to push boundaries, be the funny one.

How do I stop it? Can I? Am I being realistic given his age? He
We talk to him about it and I think he 'hears' but then, in the moment, of course he does exactly the same.

@clicketyclick66 because current advice is to ensure kids know the real words for body parts so if anything happens there is no confusion or they don't get dismissed.

Op I agree with you about some of the others on here. You have an excitable and attention seeking 7yo who's worked out which buttons to press - hardly that unusual. My dd was very similar at that age but 2 years on has calmed down a lot and still enjoys giggling about penises and vaginas but at least hasn't repeated the moonie she did when a boy came to tea - his mum a gp didn't bat an eyelid (although obvs I was mortified and she got a bollocking later!). As to what you can do its a case of telling them off and trying to calm down and remove and talking to them later as there's little point of any serious conversation at the time, but they do grow out of it.

You’d have had a hard time not laughing, HotSauce??
If your young daughter had a random boy squawking “I can see your vagina” at her?
You sound very, very strange.

Yep

"if you do that again I will kiss you at school in front of your friends"… the kiss of death.... works even better if you have red lipstick

The comments were rude and inappropriate but I wouldn't be giving it another thought. You told him off and I assume if it happens again he'll miss going swimming but to suggest he's anything other than a normal 7 year old is ridiculous.
As for why would a child know the names of their own body parts and that of the other gender?

Bloody hell some horrible replies here!

Sexual?! Don't be ridiculous he's 7. He could as well have shouted 'bottom, fart, poo pants'

He was being silly and attention seeking and quite immature. No need for the massive over reaction. I liked the answer of removing him from the situation to calm him down and explain what he said was inappropriate. Everyone else just sounds mad.

That just teaches him that it's ok to humiliate people.

That was re the kissing him with lipstick on

Young boys are often very silly, my own DS and DGS including, but your DS's behaviour went beyond that. Stop excusing his inappropriate behaviour and nip it in the bud now. You're clearly not getting the message through to him. Try harder.

He’s not acting normal.
I can see your penis and vagina isn’t normal. He’s trying to humiliate people. If he can’t behave and you’re sure there’s so SN keep him until he learns to behave. Hes 7 not 3.

Try harder.

Can you even hear yourself?

Embracing your son in front of his friends / other pool users is not the way to go.

PIP&RIP
Praise in public & reprimand in private.

The theory is that good behaviour gains attention and bad gets censure and consequences. So take him to one side, tell him off, make him sit in the changing room for 10mins missing some of his swimming time and then continue as per usual.

It sounds like you are dealing with it which is great.

However the issue often feels futile because they repeat the behaviour because it he's attention.

So - I spoke to him harshly in front of everyone, I spoke to him after and we've spoken to him again. That's a lot of attention he's got for an unacceptable comment.

At 7 he will see the attention are far more important than the words he used. I think at 7yo they can know things are unacceptable to say but not necessarily grasp the adult level concept of why.

He now knows he'll get attention again (we will embarrass him) if he repeats it.

Reading back what I've written I know that sounds harsh but I'm honestly not trying to pick fault just explain the child psychology behind it!

It would probably be better to do the pants rule nscpp stuff with him and then give a simple explanation. That it goes for commenting on parts under the pants. Tell him next and every time he comments inappropriately he'll be immediately removed and taken home.

Then repeat with any other inappropriate behaviours.

7yo though are generally known for the silliness and silliness is fine - they have to let off steam somehow. But have a firm boundary and be clear about what's silly and what's downright unacceptable.

And have a it's hard work!

The lesson was over, Bosswitch.

And you know what, thanks for your comments but all I can think is, fucking hell, I hope you aren't teaching any kids in a few years if you think calling him a tosser is appropriate. I can imagine you're extremely mediocre if this is your tone.

DSS is about this age and is very silly. I situations like you describe I shut it down with a stern look and quick "That is not appropriate". I let him be silly if it's not inappropriate though.

So is OP just going to attack posters or address her sons behaviour? Tune in for the next episode!

You'renotkiddingme - that's really good advice, thanks

You seem to be wanting people to say “boys will be boys”.

His behaviour was poor and “being spoken to” and threatened with embarrasment wasn’t much consequence.

Loopytiles, we constantly give consequences over behaviour. Does that help you understand that I take behaviour seriously? I didn't in this instance. We spoke to him. We will sanction him from here on in.

I understand he's wants to be funny, but shouting those things wasn't funny. It was rude, inappropriate and embarrassing, and at 7 he should know better.

Does he have any siblings, by the way? Sometimes kids regress a bit if there's a new baby or a toddler getting lots of attention.

Being spoken to, or embarrassed, isn’t a sanction.