Deprived children and cuases and remedies

 The girl may feel deprived; the boy may fear something can happen to him so he will be like the girl. If often pays to take the lead and avoid such problems by explaining that boys and girls are made differently because they are going to be different when they grow up; a girl is going to be a mother, a boy a father. While false modesty is to be avoided, most experts in child psychology advise parents not to expose their naked bodies to children, even very young ones. Adults and children should not take baths together. It may disturb children to be reminded so vividly of the physical differences between themselves and their parents. It is important to take precautions so that children do not witness or hear the sexual act; they are likely to mistake passion for violence and to become frightened by seeing or listening to ardent lovemaking.

Be sure to remember that sex is more than reproduction. Nothing you can tell a child about the "facts of life" can be as important to him as seeing and realizing for himself what a good relationship between a man and a woman means in terms of tenderness, respect, and loyalty. It has been said that the greatest sex education in the home comes when a child sees his father pat his mother lovingly. Masturbation Take it as a virtual certainty that your child will masturbate. Babies play with their genitals as naturally as they play with their toes. Unless their attention becomes riveted on this area-because of an irritation or because of the attitude of parents-no bad habits result.

At various stages of development, both boys and girls play with their own genitals, and those of other children, out of natural curiosity. It is also, of course, a source of pleasure, but that is no reason to worry about it. Think of masturbation as we suggested you think of thumb sucking. When indulged in excessively, masturbation, too, indicates that the child has an emotional problem. It is a sign, rather than cause, of "nervousness." Ignoring excessive masturbation is not the answer. A child having trouble making friends or may have other worries may also be worried about masturbating so much. If one of his parents talks it over with him openly and calmly, offering reassurance that masturbation is something all children do and that in itself it is not harmful, the conversation can accomplish more than nervously ignoring the whole subject.