"I hate my foreskin!" shouts 5 year old

[Liberal_in_LA]

Circumcising our son -- How do we decide?

-----------------------------

Religious tradition was not a factor for us, as non-Jews, so instead we searched our consciences, weighing myriad factors such as aesthetics, tradition, hygiene, future sexual pleasure, and self-esteem -- lofty concepts indeed to contemplate for the unnamed bulge in my tummy, but contemplate them we did.

This is why one evening, while bathing my 5-year-old son, I was thrown into a bubbly contemplative haze as he looked down at himself and shouted, "I hate my foreskin!" This was certainly not a sentence I ever imagined coming out of his mouth, but there it was. (And yes, he knows the actual word.)

He slid the skin on top of his penis to make himself appear circumcised. Had we made the wrong decision?

Some families do to their son whatever was done to the child's father so father and son will look alike. In our case, my husband's father was not circumcised due to a premature birth, and my husband was. My husband never felt particularly disturbed that he and his father were different in that area, so again, we were on our own.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/04/19/emery.infant.circumcision/index.html?hpt=Sbin

[riderinthestorm]

1. Oh my. Well this should be good.

:popcorn:

[TheCowsCameHome]

Better pop a bigger batch -company's comin'

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[blondeatlast]

2. There. Isn't. Enough. Goddamn. Popcorn! nt

[seabeyond]

24. oh....lol,

but then this is also a thread i never jump into. so, good to sit back on a few.

[PBS Poll-435]

3. Between this and the pot (420) threads, I am glad I am going out to dinner

Talk amongst yourselves.


:P

[PBS Poll-435]

4. Oh... and Rec!

:hide:

[blondeatlast]

5. Your loss, since the "victimized smoker stabs assertive woman" thread will

no doubt be closed by the time you return.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. That's not exactly the title of the thread.

[blondeatlast]

9. No kidding.

It's my own (sadly unsuccessful, apparently) humorous take on it.

[notadmblnd]

20. I saw that thread. I chose to leave it alone.

[ecstatic]

7. I'm noticing a lot of articles lately where kids under 9 years old

are telling their parents what to do. It should be the other way around! Be parents, dammit!

[Kali]

8. "I'm sorry

when you are 18 you can decide to have it removed."

what is the dilemma?

oh and :popcorn:

[Crunchy Frog]

10. You're opening a big can of worms here, as I'm sure you're already aware.

As for my sons, if they hate them, they can get themselves whacked as soon as they can legally consent on their own behalf. Problem solved. :shrug:

[Matariki]

11. You should teach a course in effective subject line writing!

:ROFL:

[Liberal_in_LA]

12. lol!!

[fishwax]

23. lol -- n/t

[marmar]

13. Kind of snippy, isn't he?

nt

[Codeine]

14. Cutting wit on this youngster. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. huh?

[Codeine]

19. Bad pun. nt

[blondeatlast]

17. Short but to the point. nt

[notadmblnd]

15. I wrestled with the decision myself when my son was born.

My husband insisted on it. He explained to me his reason. He told me that his cousin wasn't circumcised and when he got to be about 40, he developed some sort of problem with his penis ( I'm thinking it was some sort of chronic infection) and had to be circumcised at that late age for medical reasons. He told me that it was much more difficult and painful to deal with at a later age and that he didn't want our son to have to go through something like that. Who knew that men had such empathy for other penises? But apparently they do as my husband objected fiercely when I brought up neutering the dog too. So me, not having any actual experience with a penis outside of having sex with them, deferred the decision to my husband.

But your son may- later in life change his mind about not liking his uncircumcised penis. If he grows up and he doesn't like it, he can get it removed when he's old enough to make the decision for himself. Did you ask him why he didn't like his foreskin? Is it possible he's getting teased or maybe he does feel he's different than his dad?

[Liberal_in_LA]

18. not my son. Son of author. Kid seems to be comparing himself to other males around him

[notadmblnd]

21. He feels different than everyone else.

I would agree and tell him that he is different, and that it is a good thing sometimes not to be like everybody else. I would be honest with him (5 year olds can take honesty) and ask him to give it some time and if he still doesn't like it when he is a little older, then we could talk to the Dr. about having it removed.

[seabeyond]

26. i gave this one to my husband. all his. nt

[xchrom]

22. To have drapes... Or not to have drapes .. That is the question ..

Whether to go boldly forth with our helmet covered .. Or to go forth with our head bare..

[last_texas_dem]

25. He should. Foreskin is gross.

:hide:

[Codeine]

28. Most women I've been with refuse to put an uncut schlong

in their mouths. All the reason I need to recommend snipping. :evilgrin:

[Generic Other]

27. Does this mean he can't be president of the United States?

or at least can't run in Arizona?

[HughBeaumont]

29. Great. A . . . . nother circumcision thread.

Thank you, mom and dad, for chopping my junk. It's almost as statuesque and magnificent as the carving that tolchocked the cat lady in A Clockwork Orange.

Bulb pee-pees look like alien fingers.

There we go.

[RKP5637]

30. In Watching Only Mode!

:popcorn: :hide:

[ZombieHorde]

31. "do to their son whatever was done to the child's father so father and son will look alike"

What the fuck? Why?

[Liberal_in_LA]

32. That's commonly done with little boys are born - make 'em look like that dad

[ZombieHorde]

34. For what purpose? Seems like a strange desire. nt

[Liberal_in_LA]

35. not advocating. I've known women who have told me their child was circumcised for that reason

[Dawson Leery]

33. -1

[Marie Marie]

36. Hey Guys, I'll make a deal with you.

I'll stay out of this debate on your penises if you stay out of the debate on what I chose to do with my womb. Deal???

[blondeatlast]

37. Dad wasn't cut but he wanted our son to be. I figured he knew far better than me, so... nt

[Zanzoobar]

38. Golly, when I was five I yelled, "I hate my brother!"

Little did I know they had the same properties.

[Renew Deal]

39. The kid will realize the benefits later in life.

The parents made the best decision they could and chose not to cut their kid for no reason.