Can't Get My 5 Yr Old Boy to Stop Touching Boobs

Updated on January 23, 2013
B.B. asks from Jackson, WY
9 answers

When he would nurse he would play with the opposite boob, now when he is sleeping or just whenever, he is constantly trying to touch my boobs or even his dads, aunties, anyone he he has a strong bond with. We thought he would outgrow it, but we don't want it to escalate to a bigger issue, and want him to stop!! We have tried punishing him, don't know what to do! Anyone else have this issue?? Please help! Any suggestions?! Thanks so much!! And no my son doesn't co sleep, sometimes if he has a nightmare he comes in for a little bit, I'm saying if he falls asleep on my lap or something.

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So What Happened?

No I have not slapped my son or anything like that, just when he wouldn't listen had to leave him in the rocking chair himself or something. My husband and I have talked to him about his private parts and our private parts but we approached it a little more in depth today with him while he was getting ready for school. He is sleeping on his own, just occasionally he comes to our bed in the middle of the night. After our talk this morning he has been much much better and we didn't have any issues tonight at snuggle time. Thanks so much for all your suggestions!!

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S.B.

answers from Kansas City on

Have you talked to him about it? About personal space and not touching each other's private parts? My 6 year old knows about private parts and how we don't touch anything that a bathing suit covers. (Unless we're at the doctor or someone's in pain. She gets vaginitis occasionally and so the doc needs to see her private bits or we have to put a cream on it or something. But she knows that that's only ok if mommy or daddy is there.)

He's definitely at the age where he should be able to understand if you tell him no and explain to him why.

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

I would tell him they are private, please don't touch and if he doesn't stop, then he doesn't get to snuggle or whatever he is doing at the time. Get up and move. My DD likes to rub my belly when she's in need of TLC and snuggled up and I pretty much did the above to get her to stop doing it in public. This is my belly, not yours, leave it alone.

ETA: and please do it before he grabs someone who isn't family. My friend's son was 3 or 4 and greeted me by grabbing my chest and I was shocked. The parents immediately handled it, but if it'd been at school or something...yeah, way different afternoon. It needn't be mean, just a firm definition of boundary. If nobody's brought up private parts with him, this might be a good segue into that, too.

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E.M.

answers from Phoenix on

In addition to the conversations mentioned below, I would recommend giving him an alternative, acceptable way of showing affection. My five year old is very tactile and we definitely had to do some redirecting when he stopped nursing. Our happy medium was holding hands. He likes to hold my hand while I read to him, rub my fingers, etc. This is acceptable to me, comforting to him, and has the same skin-to-skin contact without crossing any privacy boundaries. I have a friend who had a daughter that liked to play with her hair while they snuggled.

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

Welcome to Mamapedia!!

I take it you are co-sleeping with him? Why else would he be touching your breasts while either you or he are sleeping?

I would get him in his own bed, first.
Then I would tell him VERY FIRMLY when he tries to touch my breast or anyone else's that that is NOT acceptable. And FIRMLY move his hand away.

He needs to understand personal boundaries and space. And by 5, he should be aware of that spacial area...it isn't visible...but it is an area. You will have to show him what is appropriate. And DO NOT make a stink out of it - but DO be firm and most importantly BE CONSISTENT.

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D..

answers from Miami on

Don't punish him. What are you doing, slapping him? Don't do that. He's five. Just continue to remove his hand. Say to him, "Honey, please don't do that. You aren't a baby anymore. Only babies do that." That will help him stop. He'll eventually quit.

Dawn

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M.O.

answers from New York on

My son never did this habitually, but when he once did it randomly about a year ago (also at age 5), I used it as an opportunity to have the whole "some parts of our bodies are private / no one should ever touch you in your 'bathing suit area' except for a doctor" talk. He didn't show a lot of interest in said talk, but it gave me enough of a framework to say "that's a private area for women; why don't you give me a hug instead?" later. And he seemed to accept that.

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A.J.

answers from Williamsport on

Five is old enough to enforce what you say. Be clear calm, and continue discipline when he does it consistently. He'll stop when he sees you really mean it. It's not about boobs really, it's just the fact he's not following the rule imo at that age. My son is five. He sometimes tries to touch my boobs. He knows he's not really supposed to since we've had that talk before since about 3-ish. I remind him without making a big deal and he stops. He would not do it to someone else. Same if he's slamming a door repeatedly, riding his scooter in the kitchen while I'm cooking whatever. If I say stop, he stops.

He's minding you or he isn't. Use discipline and be consistent. Maybe your discipline for this is not firm enough if he's totally disregarding your request. Use whatever is most effective in other scenarios.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

If he grabs anyone he's not so familiar left, he might get himself slapped.
He's old enough to be able to be told about some boundaries.
When he's in school he's got to be able to keep his hands/feet/body parts to himself.
When he does it, try just holding his hands back away from you and say "Stop. You are not allowed to touch anyone like that. Keep your hands to yourself and if you are having trouble remembering to do that then keep your hands in your pockets.".

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L.M.

answers from San Francisco on

My daughter had always been obsessed with boobs, she five with a 24 year old sister. My daughter was nursed until she was one but stayed fascinated with breast. I am an artist and oddly enough my home is filled with sculptures of partially nude woman. One day I caught her groping one of the mahicans in the living room. At first I was freaked out, wondering was she gay, were these the signs? then during dinner I just asked her, what is your thing with boobs? She said I just can't wait to get my own mommy! We can get so freaked out thinking we are raising little perverts, but they are little people with far more advanced thoughts than we give them credit for.

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