# Playing with his penis?



## mmfoote (Mar 6, 2006)

My 2yo son has recently potty learned and is doing great. The other side of things is now that he can feel his penis through his pants, he is always holding and squeezing it. I'll ask: "Do you need to go potty? You're holding your penis." And he'll respond with, "No, I'm holding my neck," and then he'll hold his neck (I have no idea where he got that from







) I've also tried saying, "Your penis isn't a toy, let's find something else to play with. (But I don't really like that one.)

I don't want to make him think his penis is evil or something, but what can I say or do to get him not to squeeze himself so much? Has anyone else gone through this? Is it just a phase that I shouldn't worry about? Am I calling more attention to it by saying something? Or are there appropriate things I can say to minimize the behavior?

Thanks!

Melissa


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## colobus237 (Feb 2, 2004)

I'd leave it be. It's his penis, it's newly freed, and he's not hurting anything.
If he's still doing it when he's older, you could tell him about certain things being best done in private...but right now I'd assume it's just a phase.


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)

My daughter did this for awhile, and I pretty much ignored it. She still does it some, but not as much. I think it's a phase, part of body-discovery, and will be less of an issue if you don't make it one.

Good luck!


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## annakiss (Apr 4, 2003)

Penises are fun! My kids love theirs. I would let it be, or if you must say something, just ask that he touch it when he is by himself. If he keeps doing, I'd ignore it. This could go on for a long long while. DS1 has been playing with his nonstop since he discovered it about 2 1/2 years ago.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

I'd ignore it. Perfectly normal.

-Angela


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## sunnysideup (Jan 9, 2005)

All kids go through this very normal and healthy phase. Ignore it.


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## kamilla626 (Mar 18, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mmfoote*
...but what can I say or do to get him not to squeeze himself so much?

I don't think you need to "get him" not to play with it. He probably won't injure himself, so there's no reason to discourage it at his age.


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## Joannarachel (Dec 10, 2005)

I think he's just delighting in the fact that he can access a newly freed body-part...same way he would have if you had kept his elbow wrapped up in a diaper for the last two years









When he gets a little older, maybe gently direct him to a private space if he wants to play with his penis, lol.


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## Je'anna L C (Mar 10, 2006)

Well hey - my DS of 8 months is a part time E.C. baby, and my DH is a 32 year old married man - and they both play with theirs non-stop, so I say just learn to live with it!
(Dh looks over my shoulder as I type this and says "I do NOT! I Just rearrange it from time to time!


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## mmfoote (Mar 6, 2006)

Thanks mamas!

That will be one less thing in the day that I will have to worry about or focus on







I could use a little more free time!

Melissa


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## thismama (Mar 3, 2004)




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## *LoveBugMama* (Aug 2, 2003)

I think what you are describing is very, very common and perfectly normal.









In fact, I just read about this. (I THINK it was an article at Motherings frontpage a little while ago, but am not 100% sure) A woman (she was some sort of expert on the subject) wrote that it is actualle important that little boys stretch their penis. It helps their forskin to be healthy. I can`t remember the details.

Hmm, maybe it was an article about NOT circumcising, whe I think about it.


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## MillingNome (Nov 18, 2005)

You every notice how often baseball grab themselves!??!







You may be taking on a losing battle! What I did with ds is tell him a time and place for everything. If you must, that may be one of those those things best left to quieter surrounding. I was very carefully not to shame him though. Last thing I need for him is to have a hang up in that area. He still will "adjust" himself but when I look at him doing it he just says it's on the "wrong side"! It cracks me up and as a woman I know I will never understand. I just let it be for as long as he doesn't go over board.


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## BusyMommy (Nov 20, 2001)

Quote:

I'd leave it be. It's his penis, it's newly freed, and he's not hurting anything.


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## oregongirlie (Mar 14, 2006)

Quote:

"No, I'm holding my neck,"
THAT is really cute.


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## Juliensiss (Dec 6, 2005)

I tell my DS, it is ok to play with your penis in private. I am afraid he will get some sexual hang up if I try to get him to stop.


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## bookwitch (Jun 30, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ccohenou*
I'd leave it be. It's his penis, it's newly freed, and he's not hurting anything.
If he's still doing it when he's older, you could tell him about certain things being best done in private...but right now I'd assume it's just a phase.

Heehee. I just know one of these days my m-i-l is going to have a seizure because I tell my little girl something similar when she starts playing with herself.

"It's fine to do that, but that is something you do only in private, when there is no one else around."

I just know one of these days my m-i-l is going to tell her not to do it, and she's going to come out with, 'I can do it in private.'


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## lilsishomemade (Feb 12, 2005)

heehee, I only have boys, and my older two have been doing this everytime their diapers are off since they could reach it







My dh says they are "bathtime porn stars" which cracks me up.

When my mother mentioned the fact that my little brother seemed to play with himself a lot to the doctor one time, the doctor told her, "Well, yeh, it feels good!" He told her it was very normal and nothing wrong with it, so just leave it be, and when he's older, guide him into the socially acceptable rules, etc.


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## bellona (Feb 17, 2006)

My boys play with theirs. Yk, I never knew how extremely stretchy those things were









At least in uncirc'd boys it's really good because I believe the foreskin is fused to the penis (thus the don't retract rule). Boys need to help it un-fuse by playing with it and pulling on it.

Although I let my boys do their thing...there are sometimes it's just down right embarassing (like when 82yo super conservative grandma comes to visit







). With the little one I am a master at redirection. The second that little hand goes for it I try to catch his interest with something else. With older ds I just tell him that it's a private thing to do and he is more than welcome to play with it in his room or in the bathroom.

I was raised in a total prudish way, so it was a little rough for me at first


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## bluets (Mar 15, 2005)

my 14-month-old has started doing a naked dance after his bath and he discovered the other night that when he jiggles, so does his penis. he thought this was the coolest thing. of course, i thought it was cool too, so i encouraged it! as fascinated as he is with his body parts, i think i am more fascinated with his discovery of them.


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## Max'sMama (Apr 3, 2004)

I agree with the 'ignore it idea'. DS is just over 2 and plays with it. Really embarassed Dh one night when he was asking about it and
I said, 'Yes, that is your penis' (as he fondled himself)
DS: 'my penis, daddy have penis?'
Me: 'yes daddy has a penis',
DS: 'Mommy penis?'
I had to go with no on this one and he was so confused









Almost as funny as when he started saying and doing the 'shake shake' after he pottied! Guess he saw DH doing that after he finished pee'ing! That really cracked everyone up, especially the 70 year old in the public bathroom one day!


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## PeacefulSeams (Apr 10, 2006)

My son plays with his all the time. I think it is calming to him. I just tell him that we do that in private. He will go into his room and about 5 minutes later come out and say "I'm finished playing with my pee-pee now" I have to watch it though, he has gotten 2 infections from touching it so much and pulling on his foreskin.


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## flminivanmama (Nov 21, 2001)

my 4 year old likes to hold his. all. the time. people ask if he needs to use the potty and I have to tell them "no he just likes to hold it"

LOL


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## umami_mommy (May 2, 2004)

penises are fun! imagine having an accessable body part like that that felt so good to touch! boys touch themselves, so do girls (though it's harder to do), and grown men and women do too.... it's part of being human and it's one of the really fun parts of being human!!

your son is just being human.


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## cchrissyy (Apr 22, 2003)

probably normal, I was worried that he's actually hurting it (he'd pull it so far!) so I told him to only do that in the bath for cleaning, and it worked.


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## umami_mommy (May 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cchrissyy*
probably normal, I was worried that he's actually hurting it (he'd pull it so far!) so I told him to only do that in the bath for cleaning, and it worked.

have you asked your dh about this? they are pretty hard to hurt, short of a knee or elbow!









how interesting that your ds listened to you! my son won't even keep his clothes on!!


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