Body privacy: young children

[Leish]

Can anyone offer advice for some good books, appropriate for 5-6 year old boys about bodies and body privacy between him and his friends? Just starting to have a few issues around genitalia and one of his friends, and think that a good book might help me and my husband to keep the dialogue going. Thanks in advance xx

A quick peruse of amazon gives mainly books aimed at protecting children from abuse - good touch bad touch kind of thing. I think these would still be appropriate as they explain the private-ness of certain parts without making them dirty.

But I would also suggest that at 5-6 exploring bodies is very natural and he is finding out what is appropriate through this kind of play. Perhaps someone on here can offer a way of discussing it if you explain the issues? Or not, if you want to keep them private

Do you really need a book? Talk about it when the problem arises so that it's fresh in the mind. Remind him about privacy if there are occasions where he'll be getting changed... swimming lessons etc. Appreciate you want to keep the dialogue going but going on about something when it's not immediately relevant can be confusing or even alarming for young children

I bought a book called 'your body belongs to you' to help me explain privacy etc. with my DD. it's very basic, aimed at younger than 5/6 but it was just simple enough to explain without introducing more heavy issues. Got mine on amazon.

I agree, buying a book makes too big a deal of something that is natural curiousity and can be managed just with a brief chat when it happens

Not everyone knows the right thing to say in the right way. I didn't have a clue how to explain to my DD why she should suddenly be aware of her body, keep it private, when she, had until starting school, no awareness that being naked was something for her to worry about. I've always found using a book helps us discuss things, and the illustrations helped DD visualise what I was trying to say. Not to everyone's taste but it suited me with my DD.

Thanks everyone - that was quick! I'm absolutely fine (as fine as you can be!) about talking with him and I know that he's exploring too, and again completely understand. But he's learnt a lot from stories before and loves to read. I have seen the books on amazon and in fact bought one for my niece when she was little, but they scream about abuse on the covers and the stories are all about adults touching children or in situations with adults that are making them uncomfortable and this is not what i'm looking for. I was trying to look for something that was more about children sharing their bodies with each other but can't find anything. I know that they don't see it as sexual behaviour, and that of course as adults we do, but i definitely want to discourage it as the next person they share their body may well not be an innocent friend but someone much worse. Does that make sense? I just want to reinforce things gently and thought that a book might be helpful. Maybe not!

OP the book I bought doesn't scream abuse, and is very basic in explaining the areas of the body that are considered private i.e. the parts of your body covered by your swim costume. It highlights that it is ok for your parent to see/ touch when washing etc. and that doctors/nurses are ok to see you without underwear if you are I'll etc. it doesn't cover children being curios, just explains what is private and who is ok to touch/see and why.

I know what you mean about some of the books. I bought one which was so inappropriate and had a slight religious slant too which was just not good.

Bloody iPhone! Sorry for typos.

Ooo crikey, I don't want to mix another huge concept with it lol. I've found the book tat you referred to and it looks a bit more like what I was looking for but still ot quite right. If I find anything I'll let you know. Hopefully it's a good indication that it's not such a thing to worry about (unlike abuse) because if it were, someone might have written a story book about it by now. :0) thanks though - I really appreciate your help. It's good just to be able to talk about it xx