The Vagina Monologues

“Kids like to touch themselves, they do," said a psychologist quoted in a recent Times article that discussed the concerns some parents, grandparents, childless adults have about children who run around naked, relieve themselves wherever they happen to be standing, and, naturally, play with themselves.

Don't I know it. My 4-year-old daughter seems to enjoy nothing more. I feel like I'm the hapless director of a one-woman production of "The Vagina Monologues" starring my pre-K diva.

Although I'm personally rather modest -- no doubt due to the fact that I developed curves insanely early -- I am OK with my daughter's need to be "free." But. There's a time and a place, and my daughter (and I)  have no idea how to figure out when and where that actually is... I do know that dinner is just not an ideal setting for self exploration. Last week, I actually said this: "Please don't play with your vagina at the table."

And her response was: "But I'm not at the table, I'm on my chair." Clearly, she wasn't ready to give up her favorite pastime, especially for something as insignificant as "proper" etiquette.

My eldest, a boy, didn't diddle quite this much, even though stereotypically it's the boys who spend their time examining their parts. I'm guessing this is a stage, but I just hope she stops doing it quite this often by the time she's in kindergarten. Not sure I want to be called into the principal's office for this.

In the meantime, my husband and I can't help but be amused by our daughter who loves, well, herself, a whole heckuva lot -- table manners and public decorum be damned.

An original DC Metro Moms post. When she's not politely asking her daughter to close her legs in public, chauffeuring children to various classes and events, or watching TV and movies for work, Sandie blogs at Urban Mama.