Cousins

[grumpyrs]

I have a 7 year old daughter and yesterday my 8 year old cousin came over to play after a little while i went in to check on them and her door was closed. i opened it and they were playing under the covers. I went to ask them if they wanted something to eat and noticed that they did not have any underwear on. i don't know what they were doing and i'm not sure i want to. i already forbid her from going over to his house or him coming to ours. what do i do now, i believe what my daughter tells me and my aunt believes what her son told her and they are two diffrent stories each blaming the other. i'm not sure that they knew what they were doing or if they did is there much they could do at such a young age?

[noxlumos]

I would imagine that they are both just two little kids who were having a bit of a look at one another,out of interest, they are after all only 7 and 8 and I really don't think you should get it all out of proportion too much. If you go on and on about it, ban them from playing etc then they'll just think it's a huge deal. Just have a gentle, non angry word with your little girl and suggest that they don't do it again and explain to her WHY some places on her body are private.all kids do things like this, it's normal, natural and whilst not to be encouraged it certainly shouldn't be made an enormous deal out of , so if possible just relax about it and don't embarass your little girl, I dare say she feels bad enough as it is having been discovered.

[WendyS]

Whilst I can understand you being fazed by this, I guess the kids were only doing what is natural and that is trying to satisfy their curiosity about why they are different. If your daughter doesn't have a little brother who she might see naked from time to time, who else is she going to learn all about naked about bodies from. I'd forget about the incident. By making a big fuss about it you're only likely to make them both feel uncomfortable with each other as they're growing up. Just explain that it's not a good idea for people to look at each other's naked bodies because it's bad manners and rude, and leave it at that. No need to go into the sexual angle at their young age. Let them enjoy their innocence. It doesn't last long;

[unruliejulie]

i think this sort of thing is perfectly natural in young children and i also believe that making a fuss about it would be the worst thing you could do. I agree 100% with Wendys.

[andy-hughes]

Yep, have to agree with all previous posts.

It's very easy to put adult perspectives on childish behaviour - what you see as 'unatrual' is the exact opposite to a curious child.

Best to play the 'private' angle and leave the sexual connotations right out of it. Children do these things - you just have to tke it in your stride - like they do.

[BlueHeaven]

Agree with the others.

Causing your daughter and your cousin to feel embarrassed and/or ashamed of what they've done could cause them to be very self-conscious of their bodies later on in life, when they shouldn't be.

[RATTER15]

I agree with everybody else, back off and let them act as children, they wont do any harm, its the most natural thing in the world, I remember doing the same myself at that age and maybe even older, it isnt a sexual thing.