How to teach tznius to preschool aged children

thegiver

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 12:29 am

My son was telling my daughter today to “get undressed” age 3 and 4 when no one was around. No idea where he learned or even heard that expression bec I speak to him in a different language than english! Unnerved by it. We dont have tv or internet. In past I have had numerous talks with them about not allowing others to touch their body and try to keep them modest around each other. What now?

LovesHashem

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 2:37 am

1. This has NOTHING to do with tzniyus.

Kids do not understand that as this age. Kids are very curious, this is a very common situation (please look it up). Kids are very curious about their bodies, some kids may be doing this in gan too. Especially they may be curious to see the other gender since it is different from them. They are learning about the world now.

They are too young for it to be s-xual. Just teach keep reminding them about their body being private, etc and if you see it happening break it up. It will pass.

Amarante

Sun, Jul 22 2018, 6:02 am

Playing doctor as it's sometime euphemistically - or not so euphemistically called is a rite of passage for children about the age of your children.

It has absolutely nothing to do with s*exual prurience and everything to do with natural curiosity of the world around them which they are discovering - which includes the "odd" discovery that for whatever reason people seem to be built differently.

Obviously - without demonizing what they have done so that it is a horrible traumatic memory - just keep reinforcing that bodies are private - especially certain parts of the body and that we don't show them to other people except parents or people who parents have said is okay like a doctor visit.

ETA - I am assuming there was nothing that was really s*exual in terms of what was occurring as there is a huge difference between normal childhood exploration which is what this seems to be and the atypical behavior of a child who has been s*exualized and is acting out inappropriately.