"Fiddling" not funny anymore...

[3cherubs]

This may seem like an odd sort of problem, but my 2 year old boy fiddles with himself since being potty trained. It has become a habit - he now sucks his fingers with one hand and has his other hand in his pants - almost like a child playing with their hair which sucking their thumb!

We keep reminding him, but it really is a habit now - anyone have any ideas on how to break this habit???

DH still fiddles when watching TV (when his brain is switched off) and he's 28! Sorry I have no advice how to break the habit without terrifying your son. Can you gently make fun of him - tell him daddy and the bigger boys don't do it and that they'll tease him?

my dd does it too It's only a recent thing but she potty trained v late. i just tell her we don't play with our bits

How about sending him to his bedroom when he does it very gently saying it is a private thing to do in private? Might help.

What about dungarees to make if difficult

We have a similar problem with our DS ? 3 next week.

Since he was about 16-18 months he has habitually ?humped? his teddy bear.
Full on wiggle, moaning, groaning and sweating for England!!
On the occasions he has been doing this on a morning prior to me getting him out of bed, I see full evidence that he is enjoying it IYSWIM.
I have tried to ignore it in the hopes that it would resolve itself, but 18 months on it just gets worse.
I have recently tried to discourage him by telling him that teddy doesn?t like to be squashed like that ? but he doesn?t care.
Not sure what to do about it ? but like 3cherrubs ? it?s not funny any more and I am becoming quite concerned. Sex fiend in the making?
[horror]

Sorry to laugh but I found that quite funny!!!! I know it isn't funny really as my 5 year old girl lies on her tummy and rubs up and down she calls it "doing her tickle" and it can be quite embarrassing because she sometimes moans a bit, we try to ignore her and hope she will get fed up in time. She can't understand whats wrong with it its quite normal for her to do it and so we just try and divert her into doing something else.

My ds who is 3 plays with his too but we just put that down to the fact that he's male and he will always probably play with it. I find it more worrying in a girl and she only has been doing it for the past six months or so.

It is perfectly natural and nothing to be concerned about IMO. My dd touches herself a bit and as she is 5, dh and I now tell her to leave herself alone when she is with people as she has to learn it is not acceptable in public. But a 2 year old boy can't be expected to understand that. Just bear with it for now and don't mention it too much because if he is anything like our 2 yo ds3, the more you try to stop certain behaviour, the more he will do it. When he is a bit older you can start telling him not to do it in public.

BTW< I would imagine dungarees would allow easier access as they are looser round the waist!

I wouldn't worry about it, but start to gently tell him that it is something he should do in private. I know he is a bit young right now but I guess to keep gently telling him may reinforce it for when he gets a bit older.

Don't think they grow out of it though. Nearly all my inmates walk around the prison with one or both hands down the front of their trousers. Must be a comfort thing too.

he is 2 ffs stop stressing

I think the idea of asking him to go to his bedroom to do it, is a good idea. He needs to learn that it's ok and natural but that it's something to be done in private, not in front of others.
I wouldn't be more worried with a girl, I think it's pretty normal either way.
My DS is only 8mths but he grabs his as soon as the nappy's off!

At 2 I wouldn't worry at all. And if you say ANYTHING you almost guarantee that he will do it more!

DS spends ages poking his pelvis into the air and marvelling at his 'dancing willie'. yes, yes, quite marvelous.....yawn!

My 4.5 yr DS has humped since he was 18 months, and i mean proper humping with a bottle or cup between his legs, he grunts and gets erections I have always ignored this behaviour as it is perfectly normally for children to feel mild sexual pleasure.

He no longer does it in front of people and will always go to his room, and if i walk in on him he will stop and become embarresed.

Experts say if you make a too bigger deal of it, children could become ashamed of thier sexuality when they hit puberty, and even into adulthood.

Give him two items to hold, one in each hand - that should do the trick

I remember starting this when I was around two. imo it's perfectly normal and to young children its just a bit of comfort. The worst thing a parent can do and I speak from experience is too tell your child that it is dirty or wrong or make them feel ashamed. my own parents did this too me, out of fear and embarrassment I think. They called me dirty and told me I would shrivel up inside if I carried on. It didn't stop me, I just carried on in private but it made me grow up with the fear that I was dirty, I feared I couldn't have children and I thought I was the only one . It wasn't until I hit my early teens when I found out that what I was doing was perfectly normal and it was a huge weight off my shoulders.
Best thing to do (and I wish my mum and dad had done this) is to gently explain that it is ok to but its something we do in private and not in front of others. He should soon get the message. . My own dd and ds haven't started this yet but my dd is fascinated by her and her brothers 'differences' ahem

Both my ds's do it, one's now 12 and the other's 9. They're very proud when they make it go erect, but trouble is the 12 year olds is starting to get bigger now and he's extremely proud of it!

I've never made a big deal of it to be honest, if it's getting on my nerves I'll say something like "don't you think you should be in your room doing that?".

Most of the little boys at school have their hands down their pants at some stage or another.

My niece has been doing similar, dry-humping cushions etc, since she was very small (is now 4). She calls it 'playing horsey' and I think that might be where it started. Her parents have been trying to get her to stop, taking away rewards and telling her off if she's caught doing it (sometimes happens several times each day). It isn't nice to see but I'm wondering whether, as suggested by some on here, making it into a big deal and something 'wrong' or 'naughty' will affect her when she's old enough to understand. I don't really see any way of stopping her.