AIBU to care so much about my son humping?

[user1496302802]

My son is 2.5 and his also a late talker. No development delays, just says about 5 words but it’s as bright as a button.

My issue is that I’d say roughly for the past 8 months he has been humping all the time! He normally just does it at home or round my mums as she has him 3 days a week whilst I work. The other day he done it round my friends house and I asked her to tell him to stop and to stand up every time he did it and he listened to her. When he does it at home he doesn’t listen to us or my mum. We have to physically pick him up and distract him but he goes straight back to it moments later. He basically lays on the floor with his hands on his front parts. Over clothes and will just lift his bum up and down. Please note there is no way he is being abused or seen anything sexual remotely so I would appreciate if those type of comments were not put below. Please help it’s driving me bonkers!

Have you tried ignoring him when he does it? Give him no attention, no eye contact.

When he does something else, give him lots of praise and posotive reinforcement.

I’m no expert but this is fairly normal isn’t it? Quite a few of my friends’ DC have done this (boys and girls). They all grow out of it!

Both my DC went through phases of it. As long as he's not making himself sore, I'd just ignore it. With dd, it was the furniture, DS just humped the floor.

Dd did this, we had a veeerrrry awkward chat with her nursery school.

It tended to be when she was tired. Early nights helped and yes she grew out of it, actually when she moved to a bed from the cot. I’d totally forgotten about it til now.

Just ignore it. He'll stop eventually. Pay him absolutely no attention when he does it. When he stops and goes to play with a toy or whatever praise him for how nicely he's playing with the car/train etc.

none of my nephews have done it or anyone ive come into contact with recently....but my friends brother did! until he was about 9. his mum was mortified. she ended up buying him a "Humping pillow" to stop him using her good ones!!! he used to also lay on the arm of the sofa and rub himself against it. she tried telling him off, asking him to do it when he was alone, banning things etc. nothing worked. he would ever do it when he was watching tv and things and it was almost subconscious sometimes. once again no abuse and he laughs about it now (he kind of has to as his sisters bring it up at every family occasion to embarrass him)...he said he just liked the feeling and it actually wasn't even a sexual thing!

I wouldn't share personal stories of that sort

I've seen this type of thread before
I'm reporting

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gratification_disorder

I worked in a nursery and virtually every lil boy we’d have to say “get your hands out of your trousers” about 20 times a day. Just ignore it if you’re at home and if you are anywere else tell him to stop it. I think it’s usually a comfort thing. It’s not sexual at all, they are just obsessed with their penises!!! (Quite common with girls too)

DH recently admitted to doing this as a child lmao. He must have been older than your DS as he remembers doing it and getting told off. I think its a comfort thing, nothing perverse or to worry about.

It's a comfort thing. Very normal and often happens when children are tired.

Just ignore, distract or redirect and it will pass.

I wouldn't share personal stories of that sort

Stories about your children doing something that slightly worried their mums, you mean?

My non verbal 4 year old does this a lot. He’s diagnosed Autism & is very sensory seeking.
I tend to ignore it in the house because he is trying to self regulate but when I’m public I will distract him to something else.

Oh my 7 year old does this, he's done it for years. He's got a big teddy bear that he adores and when he's tired and grumpy he does it on that. We did query it with someone else (can't now think who) and were told it was normal so we just tell him to "stop bouncing". He's never done it in public though.

my bestie's daughter does this- she's 8 now and has done it since she was about 3!

I have never heard of this with children I think I would probably just try to ignore it as much as possible, but thats so weird!

And now I can breathe s huge sign of relief. Both my children do it and I have been worrying so much. Glad to hear it's normal! Hoping they grow out of it soon!

I use to sleep with my bum in the air. My cousin to it is a comfort thing as everyone else said ignore it he will grow out of it. Children are weird sometime

Calling it weird or disgusting isn’t really helping is it? I thought the point of these threads was to help people out. Anyhoo to those with actual helpful advice... cheers! It’s nice to know my little one is not alone. I’ve tried ignoring him but I’m worried it will make him sore.

but thats so weird!

Except it’s not weird, because lots of children do it, even if you haven’t encountered them. Mine haven’t so far (both girls) but I’ve known a lot of friends’ children who do.

My DS never did this but DD does.

I work with and a lot of them do it too. Honestly, it's completely normal!

Don't turn it into a "bad" thing, I just explain that it's something you do in private and ask if she wants some alone time. Most of the time she gets distracted by me just asking as it breaks the train of thought.

I work with children obviously, not sure how I missed that

Totally normal and there another thread about some little boys obsession with penises. Just children finding out about their bodies and , just as some children like to suck their thumb or hair stroking etc as a pleasure thing, others find this.

I've seen my nephew do this. It's not that weird, animals do it too. It's just socially awkward.