is this normal 5 year old behavior

[jackson'smama]

this is a fishy topic to search the web about and i'm gonna insert symbols in some words as i type this...but i'm curious about my 5yo ds. he is homeschooled, fwiw and is 5 yrs 5 mos. lives with me, dh, his 8yo brother and 2 yo sister...

he seems to be quite interested in the opposite s*x...constantly wanting to know what i did when i was in the bath..room, seems curious yet uncomfortable with touching my body or looking at my body (fully clothed!)...like he'll brush a "book" when i'm hugging him goodnight, but then announce it like he feels weird about it or something. the other night he said, "i looked there" as he motioned his hands over his pri-va-te pa-rts (fully clothed) but he was referring to looking at me (fully clothed).

i'll admit i'm a little weirded out but i'm trying my darndest not to act it. everything i've read leads me to believe this is normal curiosity and development for his age but my 8 yo didn't do it so i'm freaking!

please advise! i feel so weird even typing this, but i'm a worrier and need some direction. thanks so much!

[Guest inoubliable]

Sounds like he's just curious. And, I'm going to be as gentle as I can here, it sounds like he's reacting from your own comfort level in this situation. I know you said you were trying not to act weireded out, but maybe this is why he's announcing things to you? I honestly wouldn't worry about his curiosity.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Kids can be very curious about body parts, especially of the opposite sex, so I don't think it's weird that he's wondering about those things. I agree that he may think it's something he shouldn't be doing if you are inadvertently acting uncomfortable about it.

[Elizabeth in MN]

It sounds like he is noticing there is a difference between bodies and wondering about it. Does he bathe with his sister, or has he seen her naked? He may be noticing the difference between grown-up bodies and child bodies, too. Sounds like a good time to get some books from the library and take about the differences. He may not be ready for The Talk, but basic anatomy might be good to go over.

[blondeviolin]

My boy is just 5 (turned last month), but he's done similar things. His isn't so open because he has sisters who are unabashed in their nakedness. BUT, he is still curious and will occasionally brush a bOOk in similar ways or something. Totally typical.

[Roadrunner]

Yep, my young 6 year old periodically would try to poke bOOks, or as he liked to call them "balloons".

[jackson'smama]

well, i feel like a huge weight has been lifted. thank you all for reassuring me! i will do my best to not act weird :) and i'll also look into some library books for us...that's a great idea!

[Dory]

Both my boys have had a fascination with my bOOks. We have been pretty open in talking about the anatomy differences here though and the phase passed once their curiosity was satisfied at an age appropriate level. It was more that they were fascinated by the differences than it was a hormonal thing.

[Pamela H in Texas]

http://www.amazon.com/Its-So-Amazing-Families-Library/dp/0763613215/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y This is a great book about this topic for young children. It has pictures of insides and outsides. It has pics from baby to grandpa. It is all cartoon-y. Also, it has a bird and a bee discussing it while one is very excited about the information and the other is a bit standoffish. It makes both normal.

 

My kids have been spending a lot more time with this book these days.

 

Oh, jfwiw, there is a page spread we don't "do" because of a difference of beliefs. When appropriate, we'll discuss it, but those pages aren't available generally.