Is Masturbation in Young Childhood Common?

Short answer: Yes!

Long answer: Masturbation in general is widely considered a taboo topic. And this lack of willingness to understand the behavior has impacted how masturbation in young childhood is acknowledged and addressed.

Did you know - Early childhood masturbation was often misdiagnosed as seizures or neurological movement disorders due to a lack of understanding of childhood masturbation. Many parents actually felt relief to receive these diagnoses instead of confronting their own discomfort around masturbation.

Overall, this discomfort to talk about masturbation has created a gap in the medical and academic research on masturbation in early childhood. This gap continues to contribute to the shock, shame, and embarrassment many parents feel when they notice their young child masturbating. Many doctors and pediatricians are not well-informed about the behavior and don’t know how to support their patient’s parents who are distressed when observing their child’s behavior.

This leaves parents trying to figure out how to manage their own discomfort while dealing with their child’s behavior without informed guidance. 

I have polled parents on my IG stories and here’s what ya’ll are you’re curious to know about when it comes to masturbation in young childhood:

• How common is masturbation in early childhood?

• What’s the difference between Childhood Masturbation and Childhood Gratification Syndrome?

• Why do young children masturbate?

• When is masturbation in young childhood a concern?

• What should you say and do when you notice your young child masturbating?

• Will children grow out of it?

• Will masturbating in young childhood impact their sex life when they become an adult?

• How do I incorporate the early masturbation talk into the early sex talks?

⬆️ I’ll be answering these questions using the latest research and statistics this Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 12pm Pacific Time/ 3pm Eastern Time (USA) in a 1-hour webinar.

Who is this webinar for?

Parents of children up to age 7 who have noticed their young child masturbating and are unsure how to move forward without creating feelings of shame or embarrassment.

Parents of children between the ages of 0-7 who would like to be prepared with what to say and how to react in case you notice your young child masturbating one day.

When is the LIVE webinar?

Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 12pm Pacific Time/ 3pm Eastern Time (USA)

Will there be a recording for parents who cannot attend the LIVE webinar?

YES! The recording will be available for viewing for up to 2 weeks after the LIVE webinar (until May 21, 2026). In order to view the recording, you need to have signed-up for the LIVE webinar.

Sign-up for 50% off! (my way of saying thank you!)

Thank you for being subscribed to my newsletter! As a way to say thank you, please use the following discount code at check-out to get 50% off the cost of registration for the LIVE webinar.

Register here for the LIVE webinar on May 7, 2026!

At check-out, use this Discount Code for 50% off: 2026webinar

My goal is to help you where you’re at!!

If your goal is to start having the sex talks today, this week, or this month, I’m ready to help you!!

I’ve designed all my resources to make it easy for you to start having Top Talks!

This LIVE webinar is no different. I hope you will join me!

Don’t wait until your kid asks you a sex question to start learning how to answer it! The time to get prepared is now - or at least this week!

💕Kathleen