this week's child rearing In the segment, a mother is concerned about her 6-year-old son's recent obsession with breasts.
“He's at a point where he's having fun with everything and it's like he's realized that breasts aren't just for breastfeeding,” she said. Moncriefnote that he is the eldest of three children.
“He comments almost every time he sees them, whether it's cartoons, pictures in picture books, or images of women when he's doing his homework.
“Usually it's just, 'Look, mom, she has breasts,' or some other mundane statement, so it doesn't seem sexual. My response is usually just, 'Yes, she has breasts.' , move on. ”
She said her son doesn't say anything publicly, but is “sick and tired” of his obsession.
“I thought I had raised my son to be more considerate and less concerned about other people's bodies,” she said.
Child psychotherapist Joanna Fortune said parents are often the ones suffering from “physical problems”.
“Children, especially at this age, learn out of curiosity,” she said. “And he notices the difference in his body.
“He's like, 'Oh, it's not just my mom who has breasts, everyone else has them too,' and he points that out.”
She also pointed out that if mothers stop breastfeeding all their children, sons may become more interested in breasts.
Curiosity about raising children
Joanna said mothers shouldn't worry, but they also shouldn't ignore their son's curiosity in the hope that it will “go away”.
“It sounds like you had some conversation using anatomically correct language,” she said.
“I think it expands the conversation about the body and talks about private body parts and the difference between bodies and boundaries.
“And just say, 'I'm not going to point out who has the breasts, but if you have any questions, you can always bring them to me.'”
Joanna agreed that this was probably a phase she would soon grow out of.
