Masturbation tends to peak when children are between the ages of three and five. It then declines in frequency until puberty. Parents should keep in mind that masturbation generally causes no physical harm to their children. In most cases, problems result only when adults overreact. For parents to deal with their children's masturbation they must know when it is normal and when it might indicate some underlying problem.
Children learn very quickly that it feels good to masturbate.
For many children, masturbation reduces tension. These children may masturbate when they are upset, tired, bored, or feeling stress. Many children will masturbate as part of the natural curiosity they have about their bodies. Masturbation is, after all, a normal behavior for most children. Parents shouldn't try to get their children to stop masturbating by punishing, threatening or scolding.