Was what I experienced as a 4 or 5-year-old appropriate?
I am a 27-year-old female and I have some memories from when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I had a great relationship with my dad, and he never behaved inappropriately toward me. There was one instance that some might find unusual where he would occasionally rest his hand on the back of my underwear, near my butt, while we were having a conversation. I was just a little kid, often running around the house in my underwear. It didn’t feel strange to me at the time; it seemed like a bonding moment. This behavior was not secretive; my mom was aware of it, and I didn’t feel uncomfortable. However, there was a later incident involving my brother when I was still around that age. He did something similar while talking to me, and I didn’t like it. I told my mom, who suggested I share the same feelings with my dad. I didn’t realize at the time that she was prompting me to communicate my discomfort indirectly. After I did, my dad immediately stopped resting his hand that way. I wonder if my dad viewed his actions as innocent and didn't consider them in a sexual context until he sensed my discomfort after my brother did something similar. Growing up, my dad didn’t expose me to anything inappropriate like nudity or pornography. There was a time when, as a playful joke, he’d encourage me to tease my mom by lifting her gown from behind, but she didn’t appreciate that, so we stopped. I wonder if that kind of behavior was just typical for that generation. My parents weren’t perfect, but I don’t believe they had harmful intentions. Lately, I've found myself reflecting on these memories more than usual. While I’ve thought about them on and off for over twenty years, they’ve recently resurfaced in my mind. Despite this, I interact normally with my parents now. However, I do suffer from an anxiety disorder, which makes me question whether my thoughts are simply a focus of my anxiety. So, I’m left wondering: Was what happened to me as a 4 or 5-year-old appropriate?