As counselors, often you will be in a position to provide guidance to parents in your office. In this post, I will describe general recommendations regarding childhood sexuality and appropriate parental and sibling behavior.
Guidelines for Bathroom Use – Parents
- Parents can bathe/shower with children until they are about 3 years old
- Parents can clean children’s bodies up until about age 5
- Parents can clean up post-toilet until about age 4
- Parents can apply medication to private parts up until about age 6
- Children up until about age 5 can see parents using toilet
Guidelines for Bathroom Use – Siblings
- Same gender siblings can bathe together until older sibling is 5 years old (age difference 1-2 years)
- Mixed gender siblings can bathe together until older sibling is 4 years old (age difference 1-2 years)
- Same gender siblings can shower together until older sibling is 6 years old (age difference 1 year)
- Mixed gender siblings can shower together until older sibling is 4.5 years old (age difference 1 years)
- Same genders can use toilet together until older sibling is 10 years old (age difference 1-2 years)
- Mixed genders can use toilet together until older sibling is 7 years old (age difference 1-2 years)
Guidelines for Co-Sleeping
- Children can sleep with single parent until 5.4 years old
- Same gender siblings can sleep in same room until older sibling is 14 years old (age difference 1 -2 years)
- Mixed gender siblings can sleep in same room until older sibling is 6 years old (age difference 1 -2 years)
- Same gender siblings can sleep in same bed until older sibling is 8 years old (age difference 1 -2 years)
- Mixed gender siblings can sleep in same bed until older sibling is 5 years old (age difference 1 – 2 years)
Yours in the Joy of Knowledge,
Dr. Barbara LoFrisco
