You got to admit that masturbation feels pretty darn good - and when it comes to children it doesn't take them to long to figure out "if I touch myself here it feels bad, if I touch myself here it feels good". 3 year olds can get a "pleasure" sensation through masturbation - no need for a teacher. Boys and girls explore their own bodies - that is natural - I would be concerned if a child had no idea of what feels good and what feels bad or had no interest in learning about their own body. So yes this is normal. Granted polite society does not discuss matters of such delicacy, however it is medically well known that children do discover the magic buttons to pleasure and will press those buttons as often as possible. Some do it in public places. There are many cases where a little girl learns to rock in just the right way while seated at her desk at school. If this happens then you need to start the discussion of a right time and right place, wrong time and wrong place. Normal due to frequency? Hard call to make - frequent masturbation means what exactly? daily, hourly? minute by minute - once a month - different people have a different use of "frequent" when it comes to matters of sex. How is her performance in other daily activity? Is she too tired, is she not attentive? all of those can be signs of "too much fun" and should be reviewed with a qualified medical person (doctor, psychologist, psychiatrist) 1-3 times a day is average when it comes to how much time little girls can spend masturbating - females can climax more often than males. So it could be higher. However there is a difference between what can be done and what is healthy to do. Sexual experiences tend to use up energy, tend to cloud the mind a bit and can lead to obsessive behavior patterns. If masturbation is taking away from other activities like play or study, then it is a problem and needs to be addressed as a problem. If you have concerns or worries about how much she is masturbating then consult with a qualified medical person who can assess and question the child and figure out if this is a problem for her.

It depends on what you mean by frequent. If masterbates instead of other activities like playing with friends then that may be a problem. But more important is she showing anyother signs of abuse. If you are truly concerned then I would speak to her pediatrican.

if she was tocuhed by someone she'd be withdrawn! she's ok!

7 year old?? =S maybe she saw something on tv?

Mastrabation is totally normal and I think you should give your child space.

I have a 7 y/o step daughter, and she is doing the same thing. I've often noticed that the house is unusually quiet and have found her in her room grinding on a blanket. She does this a few times a day, and she knows that its ok, she's just exploring her body; but it MUST be done in her room.

my step dauther is also doing this, but always in the living room. we have asked her to do this in private and she refuses... her and her sister share a room and always have. should we split them up? when we talk about it with them they both get very upset and wind up crying. i can't take her masterbation in the living room anymore. it makes me worry if she is doing it at other places as well.

i have heard that it is normal, but personally i have never seen a girl that age engage in such activities, boys i know start that young, i was 15 i think, wow at 7 i cant imagine ever having done something like that, perhaps she is a very early developer? you shouldnt teach her that it is bad though, but rather tell her that it is a very private act and therefore must be confined to her bedroom only.

Yes it is. My 8 year old does it alot and Doctor Massalineo told us it is fine. She just gets a bad tickle. Maybe he can answer your question. DoctorMassalineo@live.com

I think it normal. I am girl and I masturbated when I seven and did it alot.

All children masturbate, it's part of the exploration process. I know my daughter startered touching herself during bath time when she was two. It's normal and safe and part of a healthy sexual growth. If she is enjoying herself, why stop it? I know I don't! And BTW signs of sexual trauma would be more along the lines of mood swings, lack of appetite, distancing themselves from close friends, lack of sleep, regression in motor skills and lose of bowel control.