On this week’s Parenting segment, one mother is concerned by her six-year-old son’s recent obsession with breasts. 

“He is at that stage where everything is hilarious, and it’s as if he’s just realised that breasts aren’t just for feeding,” she told Moncrieff, noting he is the eldest of three. 

“He comments on them almost every time he sees them – cartoons, pictures in his story books, when he’s doing his homework and there’s an image of a woman. 

“Usually it’s just “look mammy, she has boobies” and other banal remarks, so it doesn’t appear to be sexualised. My response is usually just “yes, she has breasts” and move on.” 

She said the son doesn’t make any remarks in public, but his obsession has become “tiring”. 

“I thought I had raised my son to be more considered and not pass-remarkable about people's bodies,” she said. 

Child psychotherapist Joanna Fortune pointed out it is often parents who actually struggle with “the body stuff”. 

“Children learn through curiosity, especially at this age,” she said. “And what he's doing is he's noticing body differences. 

“He's like, ‘Oh, it's not just my mom who has breasts, other people do as well’, and he's pointing that out.” 

She also pointed out if the mother has stopped breast feeding all of her children, her son might be curious about breasts more. 

Parenting curiosity

Joanna said the mother shouldn’t worry, but also shouldn’t ignore, hoping her son's curiosity will “go away”. 

“It sounds like you've had something of a conversation, using anatomically correct language,” she said. 

“I think extend your conversation about bodies, talking about private body parts and about differences between bodies and boundaries. 

“And just say, ‘We don't point out, who has breasts, but if you have questions, you can always bring those to me’.” 

Joanna agreed this is likely a phase that will be grown out of soon enough.