7 Year Old Son's "Curiosities!"

I agree that that is a young age to think of doing that. I would find out where he got the idea to do it from. Most likely boys at school were talking about it. Then ask him what he was looking for or wants to know. Once you know that you can answer his questions appropriatly.

J.,
I have a 5 year old boy and a almost 3 year old girl. They still take baths together out of convience. My kids are curious about everything so when it comes to their body they ask lots of questions. "Why is my body different then hers". My daughter only wanted to pee standing up at first.
I think the thing to remember is that with a 7 year old boy he may be curious about the differences between a boy and a girl but not a man and a woman. The internet is the worst place for him to search - I would block it ASAP. I am sure there are appropriate books that show how your body changes as you grow.
It may help to talk to him about what sparked this curiosity. Then you can address his specific questions.

Wow! Do you have a block on your internet? If not, I'd get one right away. That seems really young to be interested in naked girls. Did he mention why he's interested? Did somebody mention something to him? I'm betting there's a childrens book that will help you address the issue. Call the library or a book store. Good Luck!

One of the things that irritates me about our society is our confussion when it comes to our bodies and sex. (this is a generality not a comment on you) It makes it hard to figure out what, when and how to talk to our kids. If our sons know about vaginas they much be sexually abused. If they are curious, they are perverts...you get the drift.
When my children have asked I have been very direct. In fact I am going through this with my 9 year old daughter. She walked into our bedroom to ask her dad a question and he was standing there naked, getting ready to get dressed. God bless him! He didn't freak, he just reached over and put his underwear on and answered her question. Needless to say, the um cat was out of the bag! My daughter asked all kinds of questions. Oddly enough she didn't react to his nakedness, she just asked the question and left. It wasn't until later that she asked about what she had seen. We went that day to HalfPriced Books (HEAVEN!) and found some books on sexuality, geared to her age. We talked about it and told her she can read them at her leasure. If she has questions she can ask. The book sat on her book shelf for a few weeks and yesterday I found it with the other toys and junk under her bed. Hehe.
What you WANT is a child who grows to be comfortable with their own bodies and who is not afraid to ask questions!
I know I have done a good job because my 26, 22 and 20 year old children ask me questions all the time about how to handle certain situations in their relationships, even the sexual ones. (OY, makes me cringe sometimes but I answer)
I think what I would say to your son is this..."honey, if you are curious about your own body or have questions, ask dad and I. There are people out there that don't respect the human body and you need to know that. Our bodies are beautiful things and I want you to grow to appreciate yours and to appreciate women for theirs. If you are interested I can get you books that are appropriate for you to look at."
I hope that helps...I tend to get long winded...just ask my kids. :P

I know the sex word didn't come into play, but when it does, (and it will eventually), I highly recomend the book, "So, That's How I was Born" by Dr. Robert Brooks. This book quickly put my son's thoughts at bay. He was only seven when he came home from school making references about prostitutes. This quickly led into a discussion about sex. Talk about a total shocker. The book teaches kids that it's better to ask your parents about things than listen to your friends. It also has illustrations of how boys and girls bodies develope into maturity. It gave me great relief. The questions about boys and girls body differences stopped also.

We have a great skeleton book, and the publisher has series of similar books. It's naptime now, so I can't get it, but I think it's and Eyewitness or DK series book.

Here is another I have on my amazon wishlist, ages 4-8:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0590738763/ref=wl_it_dp?...

You might even just check the library for books about "my body", or check the parents section if your library has one. Our parent section is a bookcase in the children's department.

J.,
You are doing the right thing with the "anatomy" approach.
Be matter-of-fact about it.
Always answer such questions truthfully.
I am the mother of 2 sons and 4 daughters and grandmother of 5 boys and 5 girls.
I would say just give basic informaton initially and just answer each question as it comes along.
Also listen for things that might indicate he is hearing things from other kids, and respond accordingly as the need arises.
Keep to the values that you want to teach your boys.

I recently read the book "From Diapers to Dating, A Parent's Guide to Raising Sexually Health Children" by Debra W. Haffner, M.P.H., it really made me aware of why it is so important to address these curiosities and how to respond to them at the appropriate age.

Hey J.,

I applaud you for not "dropping it". That will probably just make your son more curious because the topic will be taboo. All the parenting advice I have read says you should NOT give more information than what is asked for - specifically, if he is just interested in what women look like naked then this is not necessarily the right time for talking about sex. I would check out a tasteful art book from the library so he can see what is an honest representation of the human body. Good luck.

My husband (he would KILL me for typing this!!) has said he started masturbating, not in the true way but just touching for pleasure's sake, at age 6. He had 3 brothers and says it was the same all around. I suspect most men start earlier than we women like to think they do, especially mothers. He is curious, which as you said is perfectly natural.

If it comes up again, I would really consider getting some art book containing nude female images. I'm sure the library would have some very tasteful books, like ancient Greek sculptures and such. Then you dont have to invest in buying a book just for something that will take a few minutes and one "page-through". I am not saying to keep it around, just to let him glance at it for a little while, either on his own or while discussing it with him (probably both). There is nothing dirty about the female body, though our culture often seems to think so. It will satisfy his curiosity while completely avoiding nasty, vulgar images that have no place in society to begin with, let alone for a child to see when left to his own devices.

Also, I was given books on "how babies are made" when I was in 2nd grade. He may or may not be ready for that, its up to you. Girls are little more mature than boys. But if he's displaying ANY sort of curiosity, passing or continuous, it may be best to lightly touch on the subject now, or soon at least.

I wish you the best!

I have to tell you, I have a six year old boy, and his curiousity began a lot younger (probably because he has an older sister). in his case his curiousity was anyone naked.

I have a younger brother as well, and he used to look through the keyhole in the bathroom at me. I would have to put a sock over th handle... My point... I think you are right on about using the anatomy pictures, because otherwise they will keep investigating on their own. Encylopedias are a good bet.

Good luck!

J.,

I wouldn't make TOO big of a deal about it as it will just spark his interest more. It's natural and if he's exposed to anything on Prime Time TV, kids are bombarded with sexual images and material all the time. It does seem young to be that interested, but my sons are only 2.5 and 3 months, so I don't know. Lol.

What I would do is get some sort of adult content block on your computer ASAP. Some of the things out on the internet are absolutley horrid - and I'm an avid net surfer.

Good luck,

T.

It might seem young but it is the same age my girlfriend's son searched. Of course he learned about it at school. In third grade we had boyfriends and "held hands" which could be around the age he is. That is also the grade that we had the talk about "where babies come from" on our own. I could go on and on but that seems like the age where curiosities start to set in. I like your idea of dealing this issue head on with an anatomical picture and there are probably other books in the library that will show the body. I think it is awesome that you would be able to have a discussion with your son and let him know that he can talk to you about his thoughts and feelings without being imberressed. Of course my Mom was a sex ed teacher so those pictures were always laying around our house and when I would go to her classroom I would flip through charts that would take things off layer by layer(clothes, skin, muscle, bones, etc).

Hi, I just wanted to say it sounds like you handled it VERY well. I remember looking at art books in the corner of the library with other kids in school, so if he wants to see pictures, he will. Having an anatomy book and a book about making babies geared for young "information seekers" is a good way to keep him from looking in the wrong places and seeing inappropriate images. The last thing you want to do is make it so taboo that he seeks it out to defy you.
Good for you! :)