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DD touching herself

KathrynMDKathrynMD member
in Toddlers: 24 Months+
DD has discovered her vagina - yay!  I'm trying not to be a prude about it, but she's always poking and prodding herself when she uses the potty or takes a bath.  I get that she's exploring and I know that's normal and healthy, but I'm all worried she's going to scratch herself or something or poke her dirty hands around and give herself some kind of infection or something.  I tell her no, stop poking your self, but then she does it again.  I don't know what I should be telling her or how much I should worry about her hurting herself. 
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Re: DD touching herself

  • m_and_mm_and_m

    Honestly, we don't worry about it much at all. It takes more than a pair of grimy toddler hands to do anything worse than a superficial scratch.

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  • InLovewSBInLovewSB member

    I think this one is totally up to you and your H. I tell my son not to mess with his when he's in the tub or whatever, but he does again 5 minutes later. They are just curious.

    I guess if you think of that area in general, some adults are far dirtier than what you've mentioned without consequence. 

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  • ScoobyMScoobyM

    My DD has been doing this lately too.  I have restrained myself from making a big deal about it, but now that she is using the potty, I HAVE started telling her not to touch there when she has just used the potty because her pee has germs and she could make herself sick.  She also has reached into the toilet after using it (ick!) a few times to retrieve paper or whatever so I used the same language then.  Other than that I pretty much ignore it - it bugs me a little but I haven't figured out a way to address it that isn't going to make her feel like her body is shameful or something.

    Amusingly, my 5 MONTH old son is constantly grabbing himself during diaper changes - sheesh!

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  • Melissa17Melissa17

    imageKathrynMD:
    DD has discovered her vagina - yay!  I'm trying not to be a prude about it, but she's always poking and prodding herself when she uses the potty or takes a bath.  I get that she's exploring and I know that's normal and healthy, but I'm all worried she's going to scratch herself or something or poke her dirty hands around and give herself some kind of infection or something.  I tell her no, stop poking your self, but then she does it again.  I don't know what I should be telling her or how much I should worry about her hurting herself. 

    I have had to tell her to stop because she doesn't want to get owies.  She poked/scratched/irraited her vagina that it hurt when she pee.  I went to the doc because I thought she may have had a UTI- try getting a 2.5 year old to pee in a cup!  Ends up it was just raw from her poking and stuff.  All the stuff she was doing was normal, but still caused redness and soreness.  I gave her baking soda baths and we talked, all is good now. 

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  • LawLove08LawLove08
    This made me chuckle, only because DS "discovered" his penis ages ago and plays with it every chance he gets. ?I worried about the same thing at first, but it's really fine. ?Just keep her hands clean and her nails short. ?It's very normal, and you have to remember that it's just like any other body part to her. ?I have to resist the urge to tell him not to touch/grab his penis - I don't want him to get the idea that he should be ashamed or that it's "bad."
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  • Leila'sMommyLeila'sMommy
    I think she's just learning a new part of her body. Like if her toes had always been covered up and she finally discovered them. I try to ignore it when DD does it. I don't want to make a big deal out of it (unless she's hurting herself, of course).
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  • LoveEeyoreLoveEeyore member

    Ugh- at least yours sticks to when she's undressed!  Mine rubs on our knee high coffee table. 

    I've taken a different route.  I just tell her her vagina is like her nose- it's not nice to let people to see you touch it.  I usually get an embarassed  grin.  But at the playground she tried on a toddler picnic  table and from far away I just pointed to my nose and she stopped- LOL!

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  • KittenGatorKittenGator member

    imageLawLove08:
    This made me chuckle, only because DS "discovered" his penis ages ago and plays with it every chance he gets.  I worried about the same thing at first, but it's really fine.  Just keep her hands clean and her nails short.  It's very normal, and you have to remember that it's just like any other body part to her.  I have to resist the urge to tell him not to touch/grab his penis - I don't want him to get the idea that he should be ashamed or that it's "bad."

    I agree! I just tell DD "it's okay that you're touching it, just make sure that you do it alone or when only mommy and daddy are around (so I don't rule out bath time discovery)." I don't want her to be ashamed of it either. 

    image DD and I. DD: 6/22/2008. DS: 6/22/2013
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