When I was 7 or 8 I (occasionally) played (sort of) sexually with 1 or 2 kids. I remember regretting, by the time I was 11 or 12, that it hadn't been more because by then I was supposed to be old enough to know better.

As for having issues -- if muffi had happened to tell me (what she posted) when I was some ages, I might've been squicked out. If she'd told me when I was other ages, I might've been jealous 'cause other kids had done cooler things than I had -- i.e., things I kind of wanted to try myself, but was afraid to.

One issue I do remember having occasionally was that I hadn't been caught yet, that there was nothing stopping me from doing more, and that by the time I did get caught I might be in big trouble. What actually did stop me (to my part-disappointment, part-relief) was when other kids would point out what their boundaries were.

Later on, age 12 and up, after I'd discovered certain activities I could do by myself that felt good but that I knew I wasn't "supposed" to be doing, I'd sometimes wonder what it meant about me that I liked doing them. It took me quite a while longer to discover that other people liked doing them too and that we could sometimes enjoy doing them together.

I guess I must've been a bit sheltered. It took even longer for me to find out that there were lots and lots of things that other people enjoyed doing, together or by themselves, that I wasn't even interested in trying.

So muffi, have we begun to answer your question, "Anyone else have these issues as a child?" Can you tell what the issue seems to be for you now, about stuff that you did back then, or are you still circling around it, trying to figure it out?

One of my concerns (it might be one of yours too) was, "Is this normal?" Perhaps the most refreshing answer I've ever seen to that, appears in Elysium3006's signature. She chose not to include it this time but if you happen not to have seen it yet, you could go to her profile (the About Me tab) for a look.

I agree with Miri, by the way, that it was brave of you to share this.