My 3 yr. old son masterbates, is this normal?

[kbrown385]

My son is about to be 4, and he's always touched himself in the past.  But here lately, its become an all the time thing.  Every chance he gets, he's got his hand in his pants just touching himself.  I've tried telling him that was nastey, and not to do it, but that hasn't worked.  So now I'm trying the whole "private time" thing.  I told him that is something he does when nobody else is around.  That it's not nice to do that when people are wathching you.  I told him to wait til he took his bath at night and do it then.

Is this normal behavior?  Should I worry?  How can I handle this better?

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Your focus on touching himself in private is the correct guidance. It's best not to characterize the beavior as 'nasty', because the behavior per se is fine. It is unusual for a child so young to engage in this behavior as much as your son does. Is he otherwise developing OK? Are there any other concerns?

[kbrown385]

He's a very smart child; completely potty trained at 1 1/2, holding great coversation with an adult at 2, an amazing memory.  He's developing accordingly from wat his pediatrician tells me.  He is ADHD though, and already on adderall (adderrall) for it.  (Young I know, but he needed it. He was about to be kicked out of daycare #2.)  But other than that he's normal.  (Alittle small for his age though.)

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

In light of his ADHD, he may be more impulsive than the average child his age (though it is normal for children his age to ne impulsive). Thus, he may require a bit more limit-setting than the average three-year-old.