The child may dress up in the attire of the opposite sex, but when thinking of marriage, he thinks in terms of a person of the opposite sex, often a relative. Domestic play continues with games of house, school, and library. Girls enjoy elaborated doll play with dolls' accessories as well as dressing up in adult clothes. (Gesell and Ilg, 1946, p. 320, 323, 324, 368; Ilg and Ames, 1955, p. 204). At seven years some mutual exploration, experimentation, and sex play continue, but less than earlier.
The child seems to have long
since satisfied interest in differences in physique between the sexes.
Any interest in male-female differences is more apt to relate to the
sex roles of boys and girls rather than physical differences. The topic
of birth is still quite popular; however. Seven year olds seem satisfied
to know that babies come from two seeds, one from the father and
one from the mother. They associate the appearance of pregnant women
with the presence of a baby and ask details of birth.
Where the mother
will be at time of delivery and how the baby gets out are frequent
questions. Intense longing for a new baby in the family is usually for
one of the same sex and a mother's pregnancy is met with excitement.
Baby's growth, how it's fed, its size, and how much it costs are all
questions that are raised. Meanwhile, the seven year old's world is
broadening and includes his place in the social and physical world.
Seven year olds are ashamed of their fears, mistakes, and tears. Self-
consciousness about their own body is strong and they are sensitive
about body exposure. They may not like to be touched and have become
quite modest about toileting.
Strong and persistent boy-girl love affairs
with the idea of marriage occur. Play activities center on playing
house with the use of elaborate adult costumes for girls while boys
enjoy building and playing in tree houses, forts, huts, and tents. The
seven year old's activities, in general, are characterized by intense
interest in some activities and less participation in new ventures.
(Gesell and Ilg, 1946, p. 320, 324, 368; Ilg and Ames, 1955, p. 204).
Masturbation is common during childhood, but by no means all children
between the ages of three and seven masturbate. We have no accu
rate count as to the number who do, nor the frequency of occurrence for
those who do. Several studies have dealt with the subject, some of them
in a rather cursory manner.
Based on data from interviews conducted
prior to 1955 with boys (upper white collar class) with an average age
of 7.2 years (age range was 4 to 14 years), Elias and Gebhard (1969)
report that 38 percent reported having masturbated with more beginning
in the 3-7 year age range than at any subsequent time. Miller and Swanson
(1958) asked parents if, at or before age five, their children had
"touched" their sex organs. About 58 percent of the mothers said that
they had not, while some 34 percent said that they had. In the Sears
study (Sears, Maccoby and Levin, 1957, p. 200), only two-fifths of the
mothers said they had never noticed their children doing anything that
could be referred to as masturbation. In a study involving two hundred
and eighty four boys, Ramsey reports that five percent in the age group
six or less had had masturbatory experience, and ten per cent of those
seven years old. (Ramsey, 1943, p. 224). Many begin to masturbate
later, and much early genital play is not recalled, observed, or reported.
At about the age seven, or so, I first began to
masturbate. I am not sure how I came upon this
discovery. I believe it may have been when,
feeling a need to urinate, I began fingering the
genital area and found it to produce a very
pleasurable sensation.
Touching or holding the genitals is not necessarily associated with
erotic pleasure; it appears to be a source of security for some infants
when learning to walk or under other conditions during childhood,
as in the following case.
Near the age of six or seven holding the genitalia
would give me a vague feeling of security. I
would do this frequently in bed and it seemed
almost an unconscious action that was associated
with security.