Twins touching each other's genitals in bath...

[MerryMarigold]

...they are 4 and girl/ boy twins. Anyone had experience of this? Is this common and how did you deal with it? Should I stop them from having a bath together anymore? Tonight they were doing it and talking in silly voices about the other one's "willy" and "foof". Not sure if they will remember this and be really embarrassed. Don't need to make a big point of telling them to stop, but maybe better to stop bathtime together.

I wouldn't stop bathtimes together, but I would say that bottoms are private, and not to touch anyones' bottom.

I think it's quite normal childhood curiosity, I remember "comparing" with my cousin at about the same age and don't find it embarrassing.

I think venus is right to tell them that it's a private place that nobody else is allowed to touch.

oh boy/girl twins are just odd (bitter experience) - just carry on....

Ha! Reminds me of my two. DS said to DD "if you do that again it will stand up". He was 8 and she was 4. That was the last shared bath they had!

All kids do it - no matter the age difference (well, within reason of course!).

I think it's important to say something, without making it a big deal. I just say things like, 'No, you don't pull anyone else's willy/poke anyone else's bits, it might hurt them'. Rather than 'don't touch!'.

Some of the conversations you will be privy to are hilarious - especially boys!!

Oh and putting bubbles in the bath helps - they don't fiddle so much with what they can't see.

For heavens sake lighten up, they are 4 years old!

Thanks. We do say the private thing and not for other people to touch. And we are quite free and open in our family. I walk around naked and have bathed with them sometimes. They ask about everything (esp ds2 who is very into bodies). I was just worried whether it is starting a weird bond between them, but I guess not. Ds1 and Ds2 fiddle with each other's willies and we say the same things to stop as someone can get hurt because it's very sensitive. I think it was the silly voices got me going a bit ! There were bubbles in the bath, but they'd got to the stage where they were all popped and there wasn't much bubble left!

Goralka, why are b/g twins odd? Please share!

Mine are 14 now but at that age they were very.......physically close lets say...probably more than a brother and a sister with an age difference, but then they had shared a pregnancy so not surprising.....

Goralka, I can imagine! I think it helps that I have an older ds, who is also very close to both of them (in different ways), so it does diffuse them a bit.

All mine are girls, so hopefully this is one issue which I will miss out on. Thought I would post though because as a kid I shared a bath with my younger brother and I remember having a lot of fun. We made-up our own kind of mini swimming lessons. I'm guessing the novelty of different genitals will wear off.

Its just exploration, if I was 4 and someone else had a willy that I obviously didn't have, I'd be intrigued too . Its something they grow out of, my b/g twins are now 7 and never bat an eyelid about one another's bodies, whereas DD2 who is now 3.5yrs is obsessed with DS's bits - which he thinks is hilarious. Having said that, we all had a bath together last night and she was also very interested in my boobs! Its just learning, curiousity. Its all part and parcel of being brothers and sisters in my view.

Hmmm...exploration! They've been exploring for 4 years now, you'd have thought the novelty would've worn off!!