The first time I noticed that my daughter was naked during nap time, I thought nothing of it. It was the middle of the summer and while I thought the room was cool enough with just a fan and the windows open, I figured maybe she had been warm. What I didn't guess and would soon come to realize was that she was doing the no-pants dance. Yep, my 3-year-old was masturbating.
If you're an adult who is uncomfortable with masturbation, I hope that you will talk to your friends or your pediatrician, so you can see that unless it's happening in public or too frequently, or if you think it's a red flag for an inappropriate situation that may have occurred, there's really nothing wrong with it.
As a very open-minded mom, it's even difficult for me to accept this part of growing up and that I need to shut the damn door and not spy on my little one as she happily puts herself to sleep. Masturbation isn't dirty—it's a part of life. And you're not going to stop your kids from doing it, so the best thing is to accept it. Personally, I'm glad that I'll have an adult daughter who is very familiar—and hopefully accepting—of her own body!
