oh god DD has just been 'playing with her bottom'

[maishoffwcingras]

I could hear her going to the bathroom just now (thought she was asleep), so I shouted up 'are you ok?' - silence, I asked her 'what are you doing?', silence, I called her once again then went up. She looked a little embarrassed and said she'd been washing her hands. So when I asked her why she seemed embarrassed and I said don't be silly, tell me, to which she replied 'I've been sort of playing with my bottom'.

eeek. I just said 'why are you playing with your bottom you're meant to be asleep, try to go to sleep now it's late there's a good girl'

She's just turned 7. Is this normal at this age? Younger I understand that they fiddle but I was a little bit taken aback . Do I just let it be or do I mention something (it's not like she was doing it in public).

You know the answer because you were young and finding out about yourself once too. Leave it be.

I know - I just don't remember exploring that young (maybe I just have a crap memory)

Little boys, and older ones, play with their willies from a much earlier age.
As long as she recognises that it's a private thing, and she's not fiddling because she's itchy or sore, then I can't see a problem.

Maybe it's time to stop pushing her for answers when she doesn't want to tell you something like this too!

I wasn't really pushing for answers as it didn't even cross my mind that that's what she was doing, I just thought she was just delaying going to bed which is why I asked her a few times what she was doing (as I could hear she was up from downstairs).

Anyway I won't mention it to her again but if she were to bring it up I'll just make sure she knows it's ok to do in private

Worms?

It didn't come across to me as pushing for answers, more of a rhetorical/exasperated question like "Why are you reading, you're meant to be asleep!"

WORMS!

I was going to say worms, I had them at that age and was too scared to tell anyone, they must have gone away eventually as I never mentioned it.

Does she call her vagina her bottom? It's just not really the thing we explore, is it?

Do you mean her bottom or her vagina?

yes bertie exactly

worms - I don't think so, she would have said itching, & also she was sort of embarrassed/coy

she said bottom but she does call that general area bottom . I do use the word vagina with her but for example if she's in the bath I do tend to say right, let's wash your bottom (meaning bottom, vagina, upper thigh etc)

Worms can go across to the vagina though (ick) although I'd agree with the description it sounds like she was playing, not scratching an itch.

eww nice. She had thrush a few weeks ago & told me it was itchy, this was definitely playing (& that was the word she used)

this is why we need the word vulva

I know shalli, it's just not a word that people use very much is it, wonder why.

maybe she needs the word!
maybe her 'playing' was not so much to do with pleasure but curiosity, trying to figure out what is there- maybe a chat with some pictures would help (afraid I can't reccommend)
alternatively if it was to do with pleasure I guess she just needs the message about privacy.

Just let her know its ok to do it in private. Its perfectly normal.