My 5.5 year old just searched for "Nakid women" on the ipad...

[Anonymous]

I've been both a Kindergarten teacher and a mom of a 5 year old boy. This is the height of the "bathroom talk" stage, and the newfound knowledge that they human body can be shocking. 5 year olds expose themselves to each other, moon each other, talk about their private parts, and giggle if you say the word "but". The idea that they can find a picture of something "naughty" makes them feel powerful and grown up. They aren't interested in looking at pictures of naked women, but that doesn't mean that they aren't interested in finding them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At 5.5, it's not normal boy curiosity. Age 10, yes. 5.5, no.

At school, there are clear expectations about internet use. He needs to understand that there are rules at home as well. Disable the browsers. Now. He can use games/apps that you have set up. That's it. You don't have to talk with him in a shameful way. Just explain that there are some things that are for adults.

Let him know that you're happy to talk with him about bodies and how we grow and change. Get some age-appropriate books with correct terminology and read them together. If there is a dad in his life, include him in the conversation.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been both a Kindergarten teacher and a mom of a 5 year old boy. This is the height of the "bathroom talk" stage, and the newfound knowledge that they human body can be shocking. 5 year olds expose themselves to each other, moon each other, talk about their private parts, and giggle if you say the word "but". The idea that they can find a picture of something "naughty" makes them feel powerful and grown up. They aren't interested in looking at pictures of naked women, but that doesn't mean that they aren't interested in finding them.

Finally, the voice of reason!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been both a Kindergarten teacher and a mom of a 5 year old boy. This is the height of the "bathroom talk" stage, and the newfound knowledge that they human body can be shocking. 5 year olds expose themselves to each other, moon each other, talk about their private parts, and giggle if you say the word "but". The idea that they can find a picture of something "naughty" makes them feel powerful and grown up. They aren't interested in looking at pictures of naked women, but that doesn't mean that they aren't interested in finding them.

Finally, the voice of reason!

+1!

[Anonymous]

Hmmm, I don't have kids of my own that age but my friends much younger half brother (he was 3 when we were 15) was always trying to sneak their dad's Playboys into his bedroom. I kind of thought it was normal curiosity. Of course it would be concerning if he were trying to act in a sexual manner.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, most pics of "nakid women" online are going to be from porn, which will give her son an extremely warped view of the female body. I wouldnt mind him looking at pics of a normal woman undressed, but the hyper sexualized and airbrushed pics of hairless 18 year olds would absolutely concern me, for the sake of her son's expectations of women. I think OP should try to protect him from this for as long as possible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm, I don't have kids of my own that age but my friends much younger half brother (he was 3 when we were 15) was always trying to sneak their dad's Playboys into his bedroom. I kind of thought it was normal curiosity. Of course it would be concerning if he were trying to act in a sexual manner.

It's normal curiosity for boys whose fathers have Playboys laying around. Although I'm sure there are thousands of households in this country that do have Playboys laying around, it is, IMO, extremely inappropriate for any child to have access to those kids of adult magazines and it undoubtedly leads to abnormally early sexual behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, most pics of "nakid women" online are going to be from porn, which will give her son an extremely warped view of the female body. I wouldnt mind him looking at pics of a normal woman undressed, but the hyper sexualized and airbrushed pics of hairless 18 year olds would absolutely concern me, for the sake of her son's expectations of women. I think OP should try to protect him from this for as long as possible

I'm the Kindergarten teacher above, and to be perfectly clear, while I think this is very normal behavior for a 5 year old, it doesn't mean that I think it should be allowed! I just mean that it shouldn't raise red flags about the kid. After all, a 5 year old doesn't know he's going to get porn.

The idea that we should allow things, just because they're developmentally appropriate, has always baffled me. Running in the street is very normal at 2. But I still stopped my kid when he did it. Trying to stay out until 2 a.m. is normal for him now as a teenager. I stop that too.

I'm also the PP who suggested keep screens visible, and setting the home screen to a child friendly browser, as well as providing age appropriate books on the topic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, most pics of "nakid women" online are going to be from porn, which will give her son an extremely warped view of the female body. I wouldnt mind him looking at pics of a normal woman undressed, but the hyper sexualized and airbrushed pics of hairless 18 year olds would absolutely concern me, for the sake of her son's expectations of women. I think OP should try to protect him from this for as long as possible

I'm the Kindergarten teacher above, and to be perfectly clear, while I think this is very normal behavior for a 5 year old, it doesn't mean that I think it should be allowed! I just mean that it shouldn't raise red flags about the kid. After all, a 5 year old doesn't know he's going to get porn.

The idea that we should allow things, just because they're developmentally appropriate, has always baffled me. Running in the street is very normal at 2. But I still stopped my kid when he did it. Trying to stay out until 2 a.m. is normal for him now as a teenager. I stop that too.

I'm also the PP who suggested keep screens visible, and setting the home screen to a child friendly browser, as well as providing age appropriate books on the topic.

I agree. I was showed a Playboy mag when I was about 7, by a (female) friend of my older sister. It really shocked me and I was horrified. I think I sensed there was something sexual and wrong about it, even at that age, seeing the woman with huge, fake, absurdly round breasts and a mostly shaven crotch. It really had an effect on me.

Contrast that to me seeing my mom and other women undressing in the dressing room at our pool and being totally unfazed and cool with it. I think curiosity at that age is fine- it just concerns me that a 5.5 year old might not be ready to process the hyper sexualized images he finds when he acts upon that curiosity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been both a Kindergarten teacher and a mom of a 5 year old boy. This is the height of the "bathroom talk" stage, and the newfound knowledge that they human body can be shocking. 5 year olds expose themselves to each other, moon each other, talk about their private parts, and giggle if you say the word "but". The idea that they can find a picture of something "naughty" makes them feel powerful and grown up. They aren't interested in looking at pictures of naked women, but that doesn't mean that they aren't interested in finding them.

Finally, the voice of reason!

+1!

[phone]

[Anonymous]

Give him blocks, books, cars, stuffed animals. Not an iPad. Issue solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been both a Kindergarten teacher and a mom of a 5 year old boy. This is the height of the "bathroom talk" stage, and the newfound knowledge that they human body can be shocking. 5 year olds expose themselves to each other, moon each other, talk about their private parts, and giggle if you say the word "but". The idea that they can find a picture of something "naughty" makes them feel powerful and grown up. They aren't interested in looking at pictures of naked women, but that doesn't mean that they aren't interested in finding them.

Finally, the voice of reason!

+1!

[phone]

I second that!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have three boys and at that age they had zero interest in looking at pictures of any women, "nakid" or not. I don't think it's something that would ever cross a 5-year-old's mind unless someone else put him up to it. Turning on internet controls is a good start but you should find out who he's playing with at school and what they talk about during the day.

This. (though I only have 2 boys)

Agree that it's not something that a 5 year old boy would be thinking about. I'd also try and figure out more.
Yes, totally normal at age 10 or whenever, but age 5 seems not as run of the mill.

[Anonymous]

I was about 6 when I found my parents' Kamasutra booklet. I started mastrubating every day to it. My dad was shocked to find it under my mattress and yelled at me and my mom (he was embarrassed and taken aback). I don't think they knew about me masturbating. It sucked not to have the pictures so I just thought of them when felt the urge. I am a 31 yo female and still masturbate every day. I guess some people get curious really early and are high drive. I thought I was a freak but thank god after the collapse of the Soviet Union we got more info on sex/masturbation.

[Anonymous]

regardless of whether it's appropriate, it's absolutely normal and the pp who made a point of saying it's not normal is a neurotic twit who needs to shut the f*ck up