I can't imagine why a parent would want to tell their child not to do something that is hardwired into all humans. 

Well, whenever my Mom caught me masturbating she would say it was "Dirty" "Not nice" , she NEVER explained to me what it was.  For years I grew up trying to stop myself from it- and feeling guilty that I was doing something horribly wrong- but I enjoyed it and didn't stop.

@PoetMcChick@xanga - People do shit to toddlers anyway, and sometimes use similar excuses.

@SarahAriella@xanga - Exactly.

Unless you have some kind of Puritanical issues, I really don't see the harm in teaching the kid to do that alone instead of in front of others. Explain that it's a private act. I would much rather my daughter stimulate herself than let a little boy down the street experiment while playing doctor or something. I'll never understand the shame stigma attached to sexual gratification. It's like making someone feel bad for sneezing or coughing.

I, in fact, used to do it in my sleep (perhaps I still do, my boyfriend never complains if I do!) and one time I was sleeping in a living room at a friends house when we were on vacation. I woke up to my mom slapping my arm. She never spoke to me about it. I think I was 10 at the time.

@sweetsorrows314@xanga - I never knew kids could orgasm. I was fairly sure they had to have some type of sexual maturity. The things you learn nowadays...

@a12906@xanga - Yeah, they might. But this kind of puts it out there for the rest of the world...including the ones who wanted to but was only looking for an excuse. There it is. :(

Telling your child no about something...I cannot see how that is going to traumatize a child.

Making them stop touching or exploring their bodies is not going to traumatize them into being ashamed of their bodies. Society takes care of that later on. ;)

I can't say that I think their saying those things about a toddler's exploration of their body being normal is wrong and stupid. But, it sounds to me like this is also just another way to tell parents how to parent.

Really, I think some of these doctors out there must have a gambling pool going out there on what the most ridiculous thing they could say would be, and how many people would believe it because it came from a doctor. And sometimes, I also wonder what GPA these doctors graduated with...

The article was part of the "Huggies" parent newsletter. Yes it's scary about the child molesters. I think that the truth is they aren't having an "orgasm" but instead the idea that they are "self stimulating." I know that at such a young age the ability to produce sperm isn't possible, but I could be wrong. It is akward because I will change my son and he'll be at "full salute" especially in the morning and instantly that's where his hands go. I made a game and close and open his diaper which keeps him from touching himself. He laughs so hard, because he's just getting used to feeling the air down there. lol. I'm sure some people would say I'm sick or something but it's not like I'm touching him or anything. I say, "open" and "close" when we're done cleaning up. I don't think he associates it with sexuality at all. It also helps him realize that he's got something there and in his own time, he'll figure it out. I don't think it's dirty, i think he's exploring his body the way God intended us to. Pretty much every baby does it.

Apparently I was part of the infant masturbation demographic, and my mom spanked me every time she caught me at it. She never told me what it was, only that it was wrong. I didn't find out that it was even called masturbation until I was nearly sixteen, I think. Living with that guilt for that many years though really wasn't healthy, and I REALLY recommend only teaching your child the appropriate time and place for such an activity- not punishing them.

Well, you are either going to teach your child how to act appropriately or not. Its up to the parents do define appropriate for a kid.

If you are okay with masturbation, then you teach a child that the private parts are exactly that- PRIVATE. They aren't bad, the act isn't bad, its just not something you share willy-nilly and its rude to play with yourself in public places. The idea is that you build on that "private" concept as they grow older, and that sharing of that privacy is a HUGE deal, not to be done willy-nilly. Private is special, private is extremely personal. Private does not mean bad or dirty.  

If you think masturbation (or self stimulation) is never appropriate to do, then you'll tell your child never to do it. You'll probably never have to explain why, but if you do, I have no idea what you'd say. The consequence of punishing them for such a natural act will most likely result in a child being confused as to whether sexual function is good or bad.

Some kids are fine with that and can deal with the "dirtiness factor", though I think they never can REALLY enjoy sex. Thats just my opinion though. Other kids are left to figure out the private factor alone (um, but not alone).

Honestly, the article would never be published if parents didn't have hang-ups about self-stimulation. Comparing the subject of sex and the human body to say punishments for misbehaving is like comparing apples and oranges. Sex is such a huge part of life, and any small dysfunction causes so many problems later in life. Its not like learning not to color on the wall or to say please and thank you. Those lessons are easy. The consequences are rather simple.

The consequences to sex and its acts are so far from simple, even if you do your best to make your kid comfortable with their bodies. Its not really something you stop learning or dealing with. I don't write on walls anymore or stick a grill cheese in the dvd player, but I do masturbate and have sex often.

Thank goodness my mother never told me my vagina was dirty or bad because I love my orgasms!!