What Do I Do About My Toddler Playing With His Penis?

Many toddlers have a habit of playing with their penises. Barring any medical problems, however, this is completely normal behavior and you should not worry about it. Keep your response mild and neutral; scolding could cause long-lasting shame.

Some parents have said they were told that playing with your penis is a possible early sign of autism. Be assured that it is not listed as such by experts. Any single behavior taken alone when your child is otherwise developing normally should not be mistaken for autism.

Self Discovery and Genital Touching

Touching, scratching, or tugging in the genital area is just a normal activity for boys, especially between ages 2 and 6. They might rearrange their genitals for comfort, scratch an itch, or spend more time diaper-free if they are learning to use the toilet.

In the course of doing this, toddlers may realize that touching themselves in this area feels pleasurable. Toddlers may also become more aware of their natural erections.

Ruling Out Health Issues

If this is a new behavior or has become much more frequent, check your child for medical issues like a dermatological condition, fungal infection, or other illness.

If you notice any of the following outward symptoms, call your child's healthcare provider:

• Bleeding
• Flaky skin in the area
• Pain
• Problems urinating
• Redness
• Skin discoloration
• Swelling

Preventing Chafing and Irritation

Genital chafing and irritation are common for boys, especially when wearing diapers in warmer weather. These strategies might help:

• Find the right diaper tightness. Diapers that are too tight are irritating, but diapers that are too loose can be just as bad; constant friction in an active toddler contributes to chafing.
• Change his diaper more frequently, so that his genitals are not sticking to his diapers.
• Use a chafe-preventing product, such as Monistat Chafing Relief Powder-Gel, if you notice his genitals sticking to the diaper or his scrotum and penis sticking together. Apply it at each diaper change, especially in warm weather.
• Let him run around naked for a day. If you note less penis play, it could be that his diapers or clothing are contributing to his habit.
• Start potty training if your child is ready.

How to Respond

If your child is playing with his penis all the time, or you'd like him to not do it in public, don't call too much attention to it. Instead, use redirection, giving him something else to do with his hands (like play with a toy or hold a book).

You can also ask him to do something with his hands with prompts like:

• "How tall are you?"
• "Show me how big a kitty cat is."
• "Point to the stop sign."
• "Give me high five."

Once your child is out of diapers, or you notice he's doing this as a self-soothing activity, you may want to begin modifying his behavior.

Start talking about appropriate times and places for touching that part of your body. Nearly all boys need that talk at some point. Be matter-of-fact; this is a normal activity, but it's something to do in private.