sexual exploration -whats normal for a 2.5 year old

[tostaky]

Today DS made to remarks:

• he said he had a big willie (out in the park and having a wee agaisnt a tree)
• he asked me "what is it for?" pointing to his anus in the bath tonight so i told him it was for pooing

so when i got him in pyjama i asked him if someonehad touched his willie at nursery and he said yes, naming another little boy. then i asked the same question about his bottom and he named the same little boy again. he also said it was for fun.

should i be concerned or is it age appropriate self exploration?

It could be perfectly normal but I would most certainly mention it to the staff. For one thing, how had another child touched your sons penis and anus without anyone noticing?

yes I would mention it to the nursery as well & keep an eye on things.

do you know the little boy concerened/his parents?

fwiw DS 5 still takes great delight especially in the bath of showing me his 'big willie' at this age he would say willie big, willie small etc and think it was great - even to the point of 3.5 my being called into nnursery as he'd apparently flashed it to his little friends (or at least a group were flashing each other) apparently it's normal, but none the less I still kept an eye on things.

just read the section on "playing doctors" in "what to expect...." and it says it happens b/w 3 and 6 years old... DS is only 2.5 though....

and DS has never made any mention about the size of his willie, so i found it strange when he said it was big

i know the other little boy, he is the older one at nursery, just a normal toddler. his mum seems fine too.
I am def planning to mention it at nursery. i suspect it might have happen when they went to the loo, the staff often takes 2 or 3 of them at the same time. I am going to ask that he doesnt go to the toilet with that specific little boy and that they keep an eye.

TBH I would class "has anyone at nursery touched your willie" as a *leading question". To a young child the answer no will not get much of a repsonse whereas yes would get more questions asked of him.

Asking what his anus is for is not sexual exploration BTW IMO, it is just curiosity over his own body.

I've known lots of little boys over the years and they have all been obsessed with willies and bums. A friend's DS would proudly get his out to show anyone possible and only stopped when a lady behind th counter in Boots said she would cut it off with her scissors! I don't think he showed it off in publuic after that!!! Another friend's son is regularly comparing his to his baby brothers as the baby's is larger and older son is disconcerted by this.

By all means mention it at nursery so they keep an eye on the children and any willie talk but I wouldn't overly worry.

WhoWhoWho is right: why did you feel the need to ask if someone had touched his willie? It almost seems as if you are waiting for something to happen. Either of my dcs would have answered yes to that quite regardless of whether anything had happened, simply because children are very quick on picking up on what answer you expect of them. But noticing their body parts and how they behave is perfectly normal, and doesn't need to be connected with any interactions with another person.