Is it normal for a 7-year-old to show his penis to classmates?
A parent asked me this question after her son’s school principal called her about her son:
The school principal called to say my 7-year-old son had “taken his penis out on the bus”. The principal went on to say this was serious and was a matter that we, as parents, had to address this with our son as a serious misconduct.
My husband and I sat him down that evening to discuss the whole matter, he was very ashamed of what he’d done. He knows, but we repeated the fact that “private parts” are just that etc, etc.
My main concerns are: Is this normal behavior? Could this be an indication that he’s got a sexuality problem which may manifest later in life too?
My response:
Be reassured that your child’s behaviour does not sound very unusual. He was involved in an exciting “curiosity” game showing the other children his penis. Many children participate in this kind of game, usually as a “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours” game.
You have quite rightly reminded him that this is a private part of his body and that this game is inappropriate. You need to be concerned if the behaviour continues and is repeated in a secretive manner involving other children in a way that upsets them. But otherwise you don’t need to worry.
