my step son is infatuated with my belly. odd? advice?

[stepandmom]

My step son is 5, and he's developed an odd infatuation with my stomach. It started when he was 3 and the whole family did this little skit where they'll "blow up" their bellies (push them out) and he would poke it and it would go back to normal. Grandpa did it, I did it, daddy did it, it was funny. But he asked me to do it one night while reading books and then proceeded to grab his genitals. It made me feel awkward, so we decided not to play that game anymore and every time he asked, we'd tell him my belly-blower-upper broke. Eventually he stopped asking. Fast forward a year, age 4, he has an amazing imagination and will talk incessantly about my belly, about me eating all the trees and all the animals and all the houses so my belly gets giant (no touching of the genitals, or anything). Talks about "what if you ate me, then what?" I spoke to his mom about it, and she had a talk with him that it might not be nice, or it might hurt my feelings, and then it he pretty much stopped talking about my belly. But anytime there's mention of it, like I have a stomach ache, I catch him checking it out. Either way, it's been pretty lax lately, but then this week while me, him and daddy are laying in bed reading books before bedtime, he's been snuggling up to my stomach. Rubs his head on it, pushes it with his hand, and sticks his feet on it, but in like a sly manner. My concern is, is it sexual? Because he's my step son and I don't want there to be anything awkward between us, or for him to feel like he's bad or wrong, he's only five. But I also don't want it to develop into something strange. When we ask him about it, about why he likes my belly, he gets shy and says "I don't know." Any advice?

 

[xcarlydx]

Hmm, this is an odd one, I have a 4 year old and sometimes he asks inappropriate questions or goes on about boobies! I don't think it's sexual because I don't think they even know what that means. Maybe you could try telling him something to gross him out, like if you touch my belly too much it'll explode and there will be blood and guts everywhere and make a joke out of it. I'm sure it's just a phase it will pass! good luck x

 

[Fifi61467]

Without sounding rude are you fat or thin. If you've got a bit of a belly on you it might just be cos it's soft and squishy. I'm sure it's not sexual children just sometimes fixate in stuff. But you could always distract him with a snuggle and tell him to stroke your ATM cos you like that. Or be honest and say I really don't like my tummy being touched

 

[Cherrybinky]

I totally agree with Fifi. Tell him you dont like tummy being touched and that its not appropriate to do touch tummies in that way. Xander liked boobies for a while and used to put his hand on mine and I put a stop to it. Isobel has now started with the whole boobies thing as well and she also wanted to know why I had a 'hairy front bum' when we got changed at swimming. Children will pick up on body parts that suddenly amuse them, private parts or not and I think it can become an obsession. It has probably been encouraged by the whole family doing blow up belly. If you ignore it or approach it Im sure it will stop.
x

 

[sleepinbeauty]

Without sounding rude are you fat or thin. If you've got a bit of a belly on you it might just be cos it's soft and squishy. I'm sure it's not sexual children just sometimes fixate in stuff. But you could always distract him with a snuggle and tell him to stroke your ATM cos you like that. Or be honest and say I really don't like my tummy being touched

About the squishy thing--When I was younger, I used to like that my grandma or my mom's boobs were squishy when I hugged them or cuddled with them. It wasn't a sexual thing at all for me! Maybe it was a memory of when I was smaller? Who knows?