I'm not entierly sure what to do.

[CandyApple19]

I have always been a very comfortable person with my body and i don't see the need to hide myself away from my son, i still bathe with him because if i'm gonna get a bath, well he may as well do too, saves water and he loves having a bath, plus we play with his boats and stuff

My issue is trying to divert his attention from body parts and teach him not to stare, i know this is all perfectly normal for a toddler to do (heck he's amazed he has a willy!) but this is his own body, and of course i'm fine with him realising he has different parts from a girl (he has also seen his cousin naked when he has stayed with my big sister and her daughter, they are the same age)

How can i let him know it's not good to stare at people? He goes swimming frequently with his daddy and i've noticed he stares at people there too I know he's just curious but i don't think i'd be too pleased if i saw another child gawping at Ollies parts..

Sorry if this post seems all over the place, i've found it quite awkward to try and voice exactly what i mean, i know i'm not the reason he stares at people because that is inevitable, but i wanna try and teach him not to, as it seems he just gets upset when i tell him no, but doesn't take in WHY...

 

[New2Bumps]

Hmm that's a tricky one because it's hard to put across to him that it's wrong to stare but there's nothing wrong with the body kind of thing!!!

Maybe stay truthful and say that people don't like it when you stare at them there because it makes them worry that something is wrong, like they have a hole in their costume or a mark on them or something light hearted? x

 

[Strawberrymum]

He's just curious I wouldn't worry about it all kids stare and he's very young. I would just divert his attention onto something else

 

[Tacey]

I'm not sure it matters at that age really. Those parts are no different to them than a hand or foot, it's just they don't get to see them very often. I wouldn't mind a child staring at Alice like that as it's entirely innocent. If it's a problem for you, I'd try to distract him rather than telling him not to look. At his age, he can't yet understand about privacy, and it will happen in its own time.

 

[CandyApple19]

yeah we've tried the distraction thing, he's really stubborn and once he starts staring its really diffcult to make him stop lol! he kinda gets annoyed when you start going on about something else and don't actually bring attention to the fact he's staring, almost like i'm interfering?

 

[honey08]

i wud just let him stare , once hes seen a few he'll get bored and look at sumat eles

 

[CandyApple19]

hahaha love it honey! i just dont want any mummies or daddies feeling uncomfortable that Ollie is gawping, i know a lot of parents wouldnt mind but there will be a few who do and i dont want to offend anyone..

 

[Tacey]

I think if they mind a 2 year old staring, it really is their problem, not Ollie's. Sometimes people are offended by things we do, but you can't control that. If you make an issue, you run the risk of making Ollie feel it is something to be ashamed of, or something fascinating. If people seem uncomfortable, you could try catching their eye and eye rolling saying something about him being 'at that age'. What he's doing is totally developmentally normal.

 

[honey08]

i think other mums n dads will of been there at some point hun x

 

[Seraphim]

The greatest thing about other mums and dads is that they're in the same boat as you. If they can't get with that, then there's probably very little you can do to help them anyway. I would try a bit of distraction, but accept that he's only little