Is humping at age three the same as masturbation?

[Sunnyside212]

When I was three, I frequently humped stuffed animals, pillows, blankets, and my hands. I did it on the couch, on the floor, in my bed wherever, and whenever I could. I didn't understand privacy at first, and I know I embarrassed my poor mother a lot. After I turned five or so, that's probably when I continued to only do it by myself alone in my bed.

Last year in high school a few times, some of my girlfriends talked among ourselves about masturbation. The topic about when did you start, or when was your first time doing it came up a few times. But none of my friends understand masturbation the way I do. They all say they started masturbating when they were 11, or 12, or so, so I just said I started when I was 11 also, because I didn't want them to think that I was strange.

But at the same time, it confused me. Doesn't every young child hump their hands or touch themselves ever? Or maybe, that's not the same as masturbation because the goal wasn't orgasm like it becomes after puberty? I thought what I was simply doing as a young child was normal, but now I'm not so sure.

Any thoughts on this?

[bikinksterboy]

well the goal of masturbation isn't always orgasm, I think that's a pretty big assumption to say that the goal of masturbation after puberty *is* definitively to achieve orgasm

[bikinksterboy]

statistically I don't know how common or uncommon this sort of behavior is at an early age but in my experience there's a lot of anecdotal evidence that it is more "normal". and if it isn't does that matter? one of the things I keep seeing staff say here is that there's no such thing as normal and sexuality varies so much on an individual basis that saying one thing is normal and therefore good is counterintuitive (don't wanna speak for any volunteers or staff, so please chime in y'all)

[Mo]

It is indeed fairly common for young children to masturbate! I don't have data on exactly how common it is, but it is certainly something many children do. Children are often curious about their bodies and discover that touching themselves or rubbing on other things in certain ways feels good, so they generally want to keep doing it. Sometimes they will stop that habit after a while, either on their own or because an adult tells them not to, and sometimes it's a habit that continues into adolescence and beyond.
I don't think everyone who masturbates as a toddler or young child remembers it later, or thinks of it as masturbation, but I certainly classify it that way. You could maybe see a conceptual difference between what you did as a young child purely because it felt good and masturbation someone might do as an adult that might also incorporate sexual fantasy and feelings of romantic/sexual attraction, but I do think both activities do count as masturbation.