The sexual awakening of a child can sometimes seem disturbing to us. Here we tell you what behaviors are natural in children from 5 to 9 years old.
SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT MY CHILD’S BEHAVIOR?
Sexuality is a fundamental part of man’s life, it develops throughout life and is expressed through a variety of forms including language, touch, exploration, sexual activity, games, among many others.
How do you know if these expressions are natural for your child’s age? Below we present a list of some of the natural sexual manifestations in a child between 5 and 9 years old, as well as those that express some major disorder or problem.
WHAT IS NATURAL?
Natural is understood as spontaneous, curious, easily distracting sexual behaviors that simply reflect the need for knowledge not only on this topic but on others in life. The manifestation of such behaviors is an excellent opportunity to provide the child not only with relevant information but also to establish spaces for dialogue and trust.
TROUBLING BEHAVIORS
Unlike these, the sexual manifestations that require our attention and intervention are those that appear in an excessive, secret, compulsive, coercive, degrading or threatening way.
- Simulation of sophisticated sexual acts for your age; for example, oral sex.
- Conversations and games with a persistent sexual theme.
- Repetitive questions about sexual issues, even though they have already been answered.
- Writing threatening sexual notes.
- Use of adult language to refer to sexual matters, for example: Do you think I’m sexy? o Look my dolls are having relationships.
- Find younger children to start sex games
NATURAL BEHAVIORS
- Increased curiosity on issues related to sexuality such as questions about babies or gender differences.
- It increases curiosity to know the genitals of men and women.
- Increases the sense of privacy on the body.
It is important to remember that these are just some examples of the behaviors that children between 5 and 9 years old can present, but each case is influenced by the child’s experiences, social, emotional, physical and cultural factors, so we recommend using an expert. for further advice.
Being able to identify and respond to sexual behaviors in children allows adults to support the development of adequate sexuality and protect them from abuse or being hurt.
Does your child have any of these behaviors?