"that's dirty...it's not decent": Repression of Infantile Sexuality

In his essay "Infantile Sexuality" and case study of "little Hans", Sigmund Freud explores the idea of sexual instinct in both infants and young children as well as the attempts of society to prove that sexuality only begins with the onset of puberty. What intrigued me the most about these two readings was the effect that societal repression of infantile sexuality can have on the individual children themselves. In the case of Hans, he slowly begins to become more and more anxious because the urge he has to touch his "widdler" directly conflicts with the ideas of disgusts that his mother has placed in his mind. Hans' mother tries to get his attention away from his "widdler" for the majority of the case study--utilizing the "castration complex" as Freud describes it, which Hans disregards at first. The little hints that his mother makes cause him to feel shame in small amounts, which slowly build up as time passes.
Freud says that "infantile amnesia...conceals from him the beginning of his own sexual life, [and] is responsible for the fact that in general no importance is attached to childhood in the development of sexual life"(Freud 42). Although it is true that no real importance is placed on infantile sexual development, it seems that a great deal of time is spent repressing any sexual (or mildly sexual) behavior in children. Children's sexual curiosity through questioning or in some cases, experimentation, is looked down upon by society and leads many parents to tell their children that such thoughts are "dirty" and shameful. While Hans' mother was probably dealing with these uncomfortable conversations as best as she knew how, Hans' anxiety seems to come primarily from things that she said to him.
It is quite normal for young children to be sexually curious--to wonder what things are, where babies come from, why girls are different from boys. It is also important that parents try to answer their questions as best as possible without pushing their ideas off to the side. We live in a sexually-conscious society, and if children don't find out information from their parents, it is quite easy for them to find out the wrong information right outside of their doors.