fyi

[metaphortunate]

For those of you planning to have babies in the future, I highly recommend harnessing the placebo effect by teaching your kids that the thing to do with a stubbed toe or bumped head or similar owie is to have a parent kiss it and blow on it. It actually seems to make them feel better from these little injuries there's nothing else to do about.

However, be aware that this may lead to having a preschooler who stops dead in the middle of a busy sidewalk to yell "My penis hurts!", yank down his pants, and demand loudly that you kiss it.

Comments

[watersword]

As a non-parent who has no plans to procreate, I am now immensely curious as how the modern parent responds to this moment in her life.

[boxofdelights]

You say, "No, honey, that's private," and prepare to deal with his declarations that everything he doesn't want you to interfere with is also private.

[thistleingrey]

This. I've also had the awkward conversation on the bus of "If something itches and you need to show me, please wait till we're home."

It *is* funny when it happens. sigh.

[metaphortunate]

Hee. Oh dear.

Harimad here

[(Anonymous)]

This. My version is that if it's covered by a sma;; suit, then it's private parts and by the (sometimes inexplicable) rules of polite society, we don't show or touch private parts in public.

[rmc28]

By trying really, *really* hard not to laugh.

Keeping a very sober expression on while saying "sorry darling, private parts in private places, this is not a private place, how about a cuddle"


(second child is now going through the tediously familiar phase that first child did, where their penis is Utterly Fascinating and to be played with at all opportunities; and also loudly naming every member of the household and whether or not they "have willy")

[metaphortunate]

Heh. I tried valiantly not to laugh - I failed, but I tried - while pulling up his pants and going "Hey! We don't pull our pants down in public!" Then I explained that when we got home we would put some diaper cream on it (to deal with a minor irritation from slightly wet underwear because of a minor peeing incident.) An actual treatment supersedes kissing.

We are trying to teach them not to be ashamed of their body parts, which mostly seems like a good idea, but...

[khedron]

Hah. Good answers!