View Full Version : What to call a little girls vagina?
pinkandblue
17-05-2005, 10:39
Hi
Just wondering if anyone could give me some ideas on what to teach my daughter to call her vagina. She knows boys have doodles but what do girls have?
Any ideas?
Thanks
Strange idea I know but what about VAGINA. Sorry I don't see the point in calling vagina and penis by an alternative name. After all we don't use different words to describe feet, hand, knee etc. Could someone please explain the reason they use alternative names and at what age they then teach them the correct names.
I am with Rell on this one. I used to work with abused children and trying to work out what had happened to them because they didn't know the proper names for their own body parts was very difficult. Some of the examples for vaginas (which I am in NO WAY recommending) included "flower" and "fluffy". Why can't they be taught the correct words - they aren't rude words and we don't call our other body parts by different names?! Now I am not saying that children should be taught the correct names in case they are abused, but what about other situations like talking to teachers or doctors, or even just other children and not being able to communicate what they need to talk about? Aren't we teaching them that these are parts of the body which are not normal or are rude if we use "special" words for them?
I agree with the other posters use the proper names.
laundrygirl
17-05-2005, 12:24
I have 3 boys and we just call it a pecker, when I was little girls had wee wees. good luck.
I'm all for the real name too. Which reminds me of a funny story my next door neighbour told me. Her daughter had taught the granddaughter the real name, which horrified the grandmother by the way. One day when Nanna and little one were walking through Kmart the little one scratched herself, Nanna asked what was wrong and little one shouted out "Nanna my B'GINA is SO itchy!". Grandma nearly died of embarassment!! I thought it was hilarious myself!! :D :D :D
angcaltam
17-05-2005, 12:58
I to believe in teaching them the right names for them. They tend to get a bit confussed when they get a little older and people are using different names for them. Teach them the right names from the start and save hassels later.
mumof2girls
17-05-2005, 12:59
I have always used the proper names (vagins & penis) as that's what they are nothing else. I have worked in childcare and some of the names we hear are way out there but we have always used the proper names at home and at work.
Great to see most people agree with me.I thought I must be the only person who teaches their kids the correct names. I often get very dirty looks when my 3yr old loudly states"thats a boy so he must have a penis". Now heres a funny/embarassing story. We were at the shops when my daughter( then 2 1/2) saw a small dog walking away from the shops. At the top of her voice she exclamed "Mummy is that dog going home to drink milk from it's mummys GINA" Ops wrong part of the anattomy. I reminded her where milk comes from.
kamckellar
17-05-2005, 19:54
I Call My Daughters Floss For Short.one Day I Was Baby Sitting A Girlfriends Daughter And I Called One Of My Daughters Floss,the Girl I Was Baby Sitting "dobbed" On Me When Her Mum Picked Her Up For Calling My Daughter A Rude Word.it Took Us Days To Work Out What It Was.now We Know Not To Say Floss As Thats What She Has Been Taught Is The Name For Her Vagina.ive Taught All My Kids As I Was Taught Boys Have A Doodle And Girls Have A Fanny.
Hi Guys
Boomtish, you made me laugh so much - thanks a lot for the giggle :D .
I must be lazy, we're still just calling everything down there her bottom (DD1 is 3.5 yo). When she start asking specifically, I guess I'll use the proper names then.
Cheers
H&B'sMum
17-05-2005, 21:00
I'm with the others on this one. Call all body parts by their real name.
I agree, call everything by it's proper name. But we are also teaching our son to call his penis a doodle, and when he asks, a vagina will also be a fanny.
I think that some people are uncomfortable using the proper names, tho I can't see why. I know both sets of grandparents and the great grandmothers, in our family would be a little surprised if our 2yr old was saying penis and vagina.
Our son is not confused by using the two names for the same thing, and when he is older we will probably explain to him the reason for the two, but for now he mostly says doodle.
My neighbour quite a few years ago taught her daughter that her vagina was called 'ducky'. I saw her again recently, she is now 14 and still calls it a ducky :)
willsmum
18-05-2005, 08:31
We taught William to say penis and vagina, but for some reason he always dropped the "va" bit and now we all just call it a 'gina. (Not pronounced like the name Geena)
Hi guys
While i agree with most posters that using their real names is probably the best i certainly dont call them Penis and Vagina myself so neither will my kids?
Seriously how many people call their husbands penis a "penis"...? Not me....
In our home
Penis's are always doodles, or willys (except my husbands but we wont get into that)
Vaginas are called front bums
Take care all
Tracey
Yes - well - not sure what we're going to do about this one really.......in principle I agree with just saying vagina and penis - but it always sounds SO weird to me when a 3 yr old talks about her "vagina"! ;) I think I'll be happier her saying fanny and willy........don't really see the need to be terribly politically correct on this one - does it really matter? As long as she knows not to let anyone touch it, that it's a private place and should be respected? When she's older - she can learn the correct name - I think she'll be smart enough to understand the concept of "pet names" and "real names" :p
T
to add to the confusion of this debate (I love it btw) with little girls there is the problem of her vagina v's her whole genital area including urethra, labia etc
if we are using proper names her vagina is actually the entry to well..her vagina..and the rest named accordingly.
Is there a proper name for the whole area? I doubt it as the 'proper' names are all there from a medical perpective and each bit has such vastly different functions, unlike your 'jack-of-all-trades' penis! :p
which brings us to 'fanny' or some other pet name that implies the whole area? or to trying to explicitly name bits.
Sorry I'm a stickler for accuracy and I have some concerns that if the whole thing becomes a 'vagina' then it could run into issues later when the little girl grows up a bit and realises that its not *all* vagina at all.
ah...it just occurred to me. does anyone call the urethra area a 'wee-wee'? I've just thought that perhaps thats a good term - boys have their wee-wee in their penis and girls wee-wee is in their fanny? oh dear what a huge job this body parts labellign is...
can you tell I haven't gotten to that stage yet? :D
I spose wee-wee could just get confused with wee?
omg how challenging is this? :eek:
Kat
Hi guys
I agree with calling these parts of the anatomy by their rightful names - but I have to say that we call the female 'part' VULVA ... I figure you can't really SEE the vagina ... but you can see the vulva - so that's what we decided!
Hiya,
I've just read the messages and i've taught my daughter to call her vagina 'mini' only because that's what I was taught when I was a child. She however has renamed it and calls it 'ming-ming' and i don't know why. I don't really think it matters what it is called as long as there is some form of word to explain what they are talking about. I'm sure it won't be to confusing when she get's to an age where I explain what it is really called.
moggsxx
julesandbabyboy#1
13-06-2005, 13:24
we call dh's willy, so ds's will be nicknamed willy. when we have a little girl i guess we will call the act of going to the toilet wee-wees and poo-poos so we arent gonna name her body parts wee wee. it may be fanny, not sure dont have a daughter yet. but i have to agree with the post abt using the correct term, and the vagina is not the part the little girl is actually concerned with yet. :confused:
I must admit that I'm not one for teaching a child one to use the proper word for sexual parts of their body. To be honest, how many of us actually knew we had any other holes, other than those we urinate and defecate out of, until we reached puberty? Did it hurt us not to know the word 'vagina' and penis'?
An example of why we shouldn't always use the correct word is reflected in a situation my sister's husband went through, I'll explain:
My sister had gone away for work for a few days and her husband took their 2 year old to the supermarket. My sister, a health professional, is a big one for teaching kids the correct names for parts of their bodies, and 'vagina' was not spared. My niece had thrush at the time, so in the middle of the supermarket she yelled out to her Daddy "Daddy, my 'gina's sore!"
We laugh about it now, but my poor brother in law was so embarrassed and said he was lucky no one took it the wrong way and interpreted my niece's comment as meaning something more serious. He didn't return to that supermarket for some time, poor guy!
We were brought up to call that our area our "Moo". I have friends who were told to give it a name, like 'Sally'. They might not mean the same to everyone, but as long as we and our parents knew what it means, that's all that mattered. As soon as we were old enough to know that we actually had a vagina we learnt to use that word instead.
We don't need to let our kids know everything all at once. A little ignorance is not to be scorned. Children nowadays seem to grow up so much quicker than we did and it's not always a good thing. Let them be children and live in the innocent world of childhood for as long as they can.
If something untoward does happen to a little girl in that part of her anatomy, she'll be able to communicate it to you without a doubt.
We don't need to let our kids know everything all at once. A little ignorance is not to be scorned. Children nowadays seem to grow up so much quicker than we did and it's not always a good thing. Let them be children and live in the innocent world of childhood for as long as they can.
Amen to that Ruth :)
If something untoward does happen to a little girl in that part of her anatomy, she'll be able to communicate it to you without a doubt.
unfortunately apparently that is not always the case. One professional I have spoken to was discussing with me one day the challenges faced when trying to discuss similar anatomical issues with girls and teenagers who did not have the ability or knowledge to discuss sufficiently to receive counselling.
Obviously it would just be better not to have to think about this subject due to it not occurring at all tho. but thats not the world we live in :(
I won't be calling my children's private parts 'vagina' and 'penis'.
I think teaching a little girl to call her vagina a 'fanny' is awful - but I'm from the UK, so that may be part of it - it's not something we say.
'Doodle' and 'Willy' are what I would nickname a penis. I'm not sure what we will call a vagina yet.
As they get older and I find it appropriate, then we will teach them the proper name.
In regards to people eg. doctor not knowing what the child is speaking about - people know what a doodle is, and I don't know about your chn, but mine don't go to the doctor alone; I am there with them or DP is, so we would understand.
It's the parent's choice though, if you're comfortable with saying vagina and penis that's fine, but some people aren't.
the_queen
20-05-2006, 16:33
I know someone who teaches her daughter to call her genitals her "Nina". Which became very confusing when she met a new friend at school called "Nina".
I teach mine that she has to wash her "bottom area" in the shower/bath, and when we're talking about babies and birthing (which has been and continues to be a hot topic in our household lately ;) ) I tell her babies come out of a mother's vagina. I use the words penis and scrotum, although DH tends to refer to the latter as the "nutsack" oh how delightful....!!
I have to say that I think it's RIDICULOUS to say that calling body parts by their correct names is being "politically correct" :banghead: it's being ANATOMICALLY correct!! I don't tell my kid that her stomach is her "bread basket", and I don't tell her that her fists are her "bommy knockers" or whatever. Heads and Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Penis and Vagina. If you feel "funny" or weird about the correct words for body parts, then that's probably NOT an iss-ewe you want to pass on to your children, is it??
Briannabear
20-05-2006, 16:44
When I was a little girl a vagina was always referred to as a wee wee. As time went on I realised (I think mum told me) that its 'proper name' is a vagina. It didnt lead to any confusion at all so I dont see the big deal personally.
I refer to my DD's as a wee wee, but also as a vagina. It didnt confuse me so I dont see the point in changing! :)
I think it is important to teach the correct names :D and when I wash my son I tell him what we are washing, wash your toes, wash your feet, wash your bottom, wash your penis, wash your hands etc etc. He's too young to understand but I figure talking to him is teaching. It does feel a bit funny saying penis, only because I was brought up with a family that didn't talk about those things. I think it is important for them to know the correct name and that it is their private area so they can communicate properly.
If you get embarressed well it is probably because of how your parents refered to it, I refuse to be like my parents and am breaking the cycle. I don't see what harm it will do, well if he yells out PENIS in the shop 'oh well' could be yelling out worse!!:eek:
Briannabear
20-05-2006, 16:49
I don't see what harm it will do, well if he yells out PENIS in the shop 'oh well' could be yelling out worse!!:eek:
Its not that bad is it! I mean, I dont see the big deal. If they call out penis or vagina in public it may be a little bit embarrasing but really, who cares! We all have one dont we?!! :D
I grew up calling it the "Foo-Foo" (which made "Little Bunny Foo-Foo" a hilarious song to sing in grade 2) And boys had a doodle or a willy or something.
My SIL tells her kids it's their Wee. Be it a boy or a girl, they all have a Wee.
I'm all for teaching "Vagina" and "Penis" but there's also 'pet names' and names for when they're out with the prudie grandies.. Foo-Foo will be ours.
Ana Gram
20-05-2006, 16:57
We use vagina and penis, don't see a reason not to. We don't have pet names for any other part of the body and this is no exception.
Although it may not be anatomically correct, I am 29 and still only refer to the female genital area as a vagina rather than naming the individual parts.
Plus, I am may be the only one but I don't refer to my partner's penis as anything other than penis - strange as that may seem to some.
nemosmum
20-05-2006, 17:08
I dont remember hearing my parents call it anything except "Down there":eek: :laughing:
I am personally all for using proper names too But DH calls it a dickie bird so DS has learnt both so far.
Which I thought might confuse the poor little boy but apparently not lol when I say wipe your penis after toileting he does while saying "peeeenis" with a smile:D
And when dh says wash your dickie bird he does while saying "Bird" with a smile:D
I dont know what DH will come up with for Vagina LOL but Im sticking with the proper names!!!
We use 'giny' (as in J-eye-ny).
Kind of on the right track but not so grown up. :rolleyes: And I dont think it will cause confusion when she learns about vagina's in school, it's a pretty close connection.
I know its wrong, but I must admit I do find it strange to hear little kids saying penis and vagina. My issue I know, just the way I am I spose:o
nemosmum
20-05-2006, 17:24
I get where your coming from Kells (and love the piggy btw:laughing: )
I dont mind saying it too ds or hearing kids say it but while at work (child care) I do hesitate for that split second before refering to a childs Penis or Vagina coz I was raised not to talk about those bits in public :o
I do still call them the right names but I do admit to feeling uncomfortable with other peoples children.
I have to say that DH and I haev talked about this.. and will be using penis and vagina... at the moment when I wash DS in the bath I name all his body parts (wash your arms.... wash your fingers etc etc etc ) - but I also say penis... NOT FOR HIM!!! but for me :laughing: so I am used to using that word when he gets older!!!
I cant use the word willy... for starters his cousin is named will and the family call him willy ... so ... :laughing: not an option for us..
I like the word giny... I think most little girls would shorten it to that anyway!! ... ( I dont know about the word floss though??? that is what I use to clean my teeth... :o )
xxx
Mister Noodle
20-05-2006, 18:04
I'm with you on that, 'Chelle.
It'll be 'penis' or 'vagina' here.
Yes, okay, it ought to be 'vulva' to be technical, but common usage refers to the whole thing as a vagina - so it makes sense to stick with it. If you need to get specific, fair enough - but for common parlance it does the job without being either coarse or sickeningly twee.
I've always called my penis a penis - why wouldn't you? I mean sure, it may not be the word that comes to mind first off if you drop a cup of coffee in your lap, but that's beside the point.
As for the 'innocence' angle, I really don't understand. Whether you use the word 'wee wee', 'penis', 'moo' or 'rablagurgle-kwermin-blonk', what difference? It's just a sound that refers to the object. How is using a sound that's an established part of the child's own language 'something they don't need to know yet'? What conceivable harm or loss of 'innocence' could result from using one sound to refer to it rather than another? :confused:
if we called it what we call it at home then Future DS would have a "Wang" and Future DD would be proudly sporting a "Giney" (not bad really.. it's the wang or wanger that I would have a problem with)
Vaginas are called front bums
Tracey
Front bums, Tracy that makes me laugh :laughing:
I usually call Tillys her moo moo, but I wont be teaching her to call it moo moo iykwim? We were saying Willy to Cooper and recently I tried to explain to him that it was actually called a penis. Well the poor kid is now all confused and thinks that his willy has a name and its name is penis and he wants to know if his dad and his brothers willys are also called penis, so in retrospect i think it would have been better to just use the correct words from the beginning :o
Miss_WingBat
20-05-2006, 18:18
Hi there, interesting topic and yes, delicate around certain people. I agree with the whole 'clinical' side of things - I don't like using the proper names as an adult because I was brought up with the notion they were naughty words.
I don't see the problem in explaining later when my 2 are older about the proper names and if they see fit to use them, but both my partner and I were brought up with 'family pet' names for our parts:
HIS: Ting Ting and Pidgee Box (????)
MINE: Wizzee-Was and Doodle
I know, I know, yes, you are thinking WHAT THE.... But I like to think that in public places my daughter and I have a special 'code' that I can only understand if something is the matter, being somehow discreet and not needing to broadcast to everyone about her bits.
By the way, we call hers Nooony and his Doozy. We get asked how we came up with these names and they just appeared one day and stuck. At least it's not as bad as Wizzee-Was!
nemosmum
20-05-2006, 18:18
Front bums, Tracy that makes me laugh
I usually call Tillys her moo moo, but I wont be teaching her to call it moo moo iykwim? We were saying Willy to Cooper and recently I tried to explain to him that it was actually called a penis. Well the poor kid is now all confused and thinks that his willy has a name and its name is penis and he wants to know if his dad and his brothers willys are also called penis, so in retrospect i think it would have been better to just use the correct words from the beginning
Coops LOL:laughing: Priceless:D
Erin, sorry but that is so funny. Kids think in the strangest ways.
I have never even thought about what we call it.:o I just asked my DH what he calls our sons penis and he said "Willy Wonker".:eek: :rolleyes: What is he going to think when he sees the movie one day?
Might be calling them penis and vagina here too.
lil_rabbits_mummy
20-05-2006, 18:33
how about just calling them girl bits and boy bits? wouldnt that just solve everything??? but i think we're just gonna teach our soon-to-be baby boy that he has a pee-pee, and probably call his wee, wee-wee or the opposite way round. whichever is easier. u can use both of these names for penis and wee.
i also like the idea of calling a girls bits a giny. so if we ever have a girl than we'll call it that.
until last year i wasnt really comfy saying vagina or penis but its kinda crept into everyday speech now.
MummyCharmzy
20-05-2006, 18:43
interesting topic, ive been wondering what to call it also.
I was taught 'fanny' for vagina and 'willy' for penis obv...
I taught DS that he has a willy but DP calls it a doodle to the boys so now they use both willy and doodle.
I never liked 'fanny' so havent decided what to use yet. I seem to be different from a lot who prefer to use the proper name, I think as babies and young children its more appropriate to have a nickname for it and then when they get older they can learn the proper names.
My niece calls hers a pee-pee. I'd never heard of giney before but thats one ill think about.
Funkychicken
20-05-2006, 18:47
Same as what my mum did-Front Bottom!:)
ButterflyKisses
20-05-2006, 19:02
HIS: Ting Ting and Pidgee Box (????)
MINE: Wizzee-Was and Doodlehow funny!!!!:laughing: Bit of an identity crisis in your household too hey. So you've got a doodle I thought that was the slang term for males dangly bits.
My DS got confused one day after having a shower with me and came out and told DH that "mum mum has fuzz on her willie".
In our household DH & I never refer to our bits and pieces as vagina and penis nor our butt as an anus ie. "have you wiped your anus properly?" sounds grose to me I'd rather say bottom. They are wizzy for mine, willy for his and DS and bottom for anus.
Before DS it was dong, doodle or willy or some other unmentionables. For mine I won't say what DH's pet name is.
When I was growing up the proper names were never used - it was always "down below" or "his/her privates". The same in my DH's household. We never had problems associating with all this when we got older so I'm sure DS won't either.
I think as long as everyone in your household knows what you are talking about and you all feel comfortable with what you call them then that's up to you.
misskittyfantastico
20-05-2006, 19:20
I grew up with doodles and vaginas....I tend to refer to my DD's as her "giny' but I'm all for proper terms.
Baby Girl
20-05-2006, 19:22
We use fanny, bottom, penis and vagina (which miss 3 has not been able tosay properly yet and calls it fat-gina!!). When I was growing up there was never a special word for it because it is just like any other part of the body - totally normal and everyone has one or the other :thumbsup:
Funkychicken
20-05-2006, 19:24
A friend of mine taught her DD to call it her "Little Tiny Giny"!
reAllytee
20-05-2006, 19:28
Well i call the penis a doodle but have started making sure i use penis around Boof more now so that he will call it a penis but when it comes to the vagina i think i shall say giney just to make it a little easier & i loathe the word vagina anyways. Guess it may change when or if we have a girl.
I am all for the correct terms being used though because i hate hearing my 10yr old nephew still using willy it sounds wrong to me.
I am with Rell on this one. I used to work with abused children and trying to work out what had happened to them because they didn't know the proper names for their own body parts was very difficult. Why can't they be taught the correct words - they aren't rude words and we don't call our other body parts by different names?! Aren't we teaching them that these are parts of the body which are not normal or are rude if we use "special" words for them?
:yelclap: :yes: :yelclap:
We will teach our kids the proper names, I think it's a bit silly to teach them otherwise, JMHO.
It depends on the context.
I certainly use different words for the male anatomy depending on why I'm referring to it - if it's something "serious" (for lack of a more appropriate term), such as asking a question like "did you wash your penis?" that would be the word used.
If it's something silly like "stop wiggling your willy around", then I'd use that.
For female anatomy ... I too wouldn't use the word "fanny" - the connotations of that word to my Brit ears are just a little too vulgar. It would be only one step up from calling it a c***. I mean I do use the word now and then but mostly for comic effect.
If a direct reference needed to be made to the vaginal area, then I'd call it that - the vagina. Calling the various parts vulva and labia and suchlike seems altogether far too technical to be necessary. After all, I wouldn't ask if the child had brushed their molars and incisors: "teeth" works fine.
I completely disagree with this notion that calling the parts by their proper names is somehow sullying the innocence of children. Children ARE innocent. By mislabelling anatomy parents aren't maintaining that innocence but are forcing naivety on the children and that, to me, seems counter productive.
I see nothing wrong with calling body parts other names, like willy, doodle, fanny, how many of us have knicknames for our kids? Do you not call your little girl princess? She still knows you are tlaking about her and that its not her real name, no confusion there, so if we are saying willy instead of penis, llater down the track when the real name is mentioned, they arent going to be to worried and confused now.
Have you never said, brush your toothy pegs. Stomach can have different names, belly tummy, stomach, then there is bum and butt and bottom, do we refer to the bottom as gluteus maximus, do we tell them to wipe their bottom, when it should be anus? ;)
I dont think it silly to teach them other things than vagina or penis.
Doesnt matter what we teach them to call them, they will hear it all at school and change it to suit themselves, depending on who they are talking to.
Imogensmum
20-05-2006, 20:09
I was always taught- Vagina and penis- and boy did I make my mum and dad blush while out one day when I was 3 (LOL)
I call Imy's her vagina or her "pununy (pooh-na-ni) or nuny"- because that is what my friends little girl called it and it stuck...
I call it her "mary'. My mum used to call it that with us and i guess it kind stuck.
Children ARE innocent. By mislabelling anatomy parents aren't maintaining that innocence but are forcing naivety on the children and that, to me, seems counter productive.
:yelclap: :yes: :yelclap: :thumbsup:
lol Nasha Mary that's so english I love it :D....me vagina eghh I hate that word she'll be taught that as well as fanny and foo foo
misskittyfantastico
20-05-2006, 21:06
was watching Little Britain today...what about a "looly...a lady's looly"
I am personally all for using proper names too But DH calls it a dickie bird so DS has learnt both so far.
I looked after two girls whose mum taught them they had a "dickie bird"... it was pretty funny one day at storytime at the library when the librarian read "Two Little Dickiebirds Sitting On A Wall"! Think 'jaw hitting the floor'. :laughing:
The reason parents use nicknames for genitals is embarrassment. And this gives the child the message that genitals are something to be embarrassed about. They're not, they're a perfectly normal part of the body and deserve to be addressed as such.
Here's another reason to use the correct names; the child who uses nicknames for genitals will become an adolescent who uses nicknames for genitals... only it won't be the cute ones you chose :rolleyes:
SassyMummy
23-05-2006, 00:23
I'll be primarily naming them Penis and Vagina...but with the occassional usage of "Willy" and "Ginee".
I use the words penis and vagina often, but I sometimes use the words Willy and Ginee (not the proper spelling I'm sure, but it helps you understand the pronunciation) and so I'd like DD to be able to understand what I'm saying when I let it slip out.
I use vagina at the moment when talking to DD about hers. (to be vulgar, mostly when I'm cleaning her nappy and there's poo stuck in it...lol...ew...sorry for TMI). That's what it is, and so why not use the correct word?
My parents taught me the correct words (but also used fanny and doodle) for everything. Not just genitals, but everything. I was staying with my grandparents (who lived on an animal farm) and my Grandfather asked me about the "GG" (apparently that means "horse" in silly kids slang...?) and asked about "googy eggs". I had no idea what the hell he was on about. I don't wish for my daughter to be in a similar situation.
If she DOES happen to yell out "vagina" or "penis" or any such thing in public, then so be it. At least people will know she's well informed and has a decent vocabulary. I also like the idea of her using vagina and penis rather than some of the words she COULD call it.
2 Cherubs
23-05-2006, 00:59
Every one laughs at what myself and my family call our vagina......In our house its called a "fairy".....
Its quite weird cause when I say the word fairy in the means of a vagina I dont think of it as the fairy with wings..LOL...But I bet when others say fairy thats what first pops into their head..
Isnt it weird the things our mamas came up with to call things...LOL
That reminds me of a funny story. My SIL is a kindy teacher and she was reading a book to the kids about fairies, one little girl was most confused as at home her vagina is referred to as a fairy so she tells my SIL that the story is rude and tells her by pointing to her vagina that it is a fairy.!! She had to do some fast explaining and then approached the mum after kindy to clear things up.
tyhleigha & izaiah's mum
23-05-2006, 16:40
my 3 year old daughter calls it her front bum do not ask me where she got it from because i dont even know
Mum2Lucas
23-05-2006, 21:05
I think i'm with most other people. My brothers 6 and ever since he was small he's called boys and girls genitals penis and vagina. There's nothing wrong with those words so they dont really need to be taught anything else. Kids usually shorten them down anyway.
good luck
Tayla'sMum
24-05-2006, 22:49
When my brother and I were little, we were taught "Tom" for penis and "annie" for vagina. I would bust into the bathroom when my aunt was in the shower and insist, "make sure you wash your annie" when I was about 3 years old!! :shame:
I can remember when the movie "Annie" came out, I felt embarassed everytime someone said "Annie"... it was like a rude word.:o
I will be teaching my daughter "fanny and doodle"... they are just nicknames after all!! That's what I call them now, and so does DH.:D
I was taught 'penis' or 'willy' and 'vagina' or 'gina'.
We never used 'fanny' because I have a cousin (my mum's niece) in Yugoslavia whose name is Fanny (A rather populer name there) and also because my dad had spent a lot of time in the US and to them a fanny is a bottom.
I use vagina or gina when washing Jade.. and 'clean your bum' when changing nappies...
I personally don't see anything wrong with using 'pet' names for these areas. Primary kids tend to find out the real names in the playground anyways (there's always one kid there that knows all the bits) I've never encountered a year eight students that didn't know the proper and a number of nick names for any part (including some I had never heard of.)
Angelmist♥
25-05-2006, 00:17
I personally don't see anything wrong with using 'pet' names for these areas. Primary kids tend to find out the real names in the playground anyways (there's always one kid there that knows all the bits) I've never encountered a year eight students that didn't know the proper and a number of nick names for any part (including some I had never heard of.)
That is true!For some reason we called ours Noonies:confused: :D
Terrible2+1cutie
25-05-2006, 07:27
I always called vagina's fancy's because that is what mum and dad brought me up saying.
Catherine
Mum to Blaze and Bailey
my mil told ds it was called a wizzer which he stuck with until he came home from day care one day and prodly announced to us that a boy has a sausage and a girl has a burger:rolleyes:
DH calls a virgina mooee, so we will probably stick with that. He calls his own Maximus:laughing: so as for DS that might be the way to go, start building his confidence at a young age :laughing:
browniebear
25-05-2006, 08:49
In our house it is a willy and a mare-mare.
When they are older we will tell them what they are really called. For god's sake, children grow up too fast these days as it is without being bombarded with anatomical names for body parts. I personally find it rather foul for a young child to say penis and vagina, and no, it has nothing to do with the way I was brought up or how my parents regarded the issue. It is all well and good for those of you who live in the big cities, but out here in the sticks it is rather confronting to have a child say words like that in public because everything has it's place. And it is just a matter of courtesy that our children should know what is acceptable to say and when - or has respect for others gone out the window with our children growing up to fast?
No need to bombard them with the correct names, just use those names in everyday situations (nappy change, bathing). Keeping children ignorant in the belief that it keeps them innocent backfires badly, that's how 11 year olds get pregnant.
If a child is talking about something you don't think is appropriate in public or present company, you can gently tell them so, and that you'll talk about it at home.
my kids are going to grow up really confused:confused:
we use made up names for everything. yum yums for food, pussy wussy for cat, dum dum for dummy, I dont see what the harm in calling a vagina moo moo, fanny or anything else for that matter. JMO
browniebear
25-05-2006, 11:52
Princess Niamh - OK, I'll expain my rationalle behind my post. Please bare with me as it will probably be long for me to be able to explain it fully.
One thing invariably leads to another. We chose not to use the anatomical terms because I just don't think that they are capable of knowing that in some situations those words are not appropriate to say. I think it is crude to hear a young child say vagina and penis in public, as are a lot of other words you hear come out of childrens mouths these days. I also think in regards to them growing up too fast that it brings certain connotations when they know such words. Unless things have changed, children who knew and spoke such words were regarded as 'foward'. My mother did tell me what it was called, and when I asked my friend why was she calling it X when it was really called Y, that friend invariably told her mother what I had said and I was banned from their house and her mother told my mother that we weren't to play anymore because I was a bad influence on her child. Fair enough, that was 20 years ago, but some things never change.
Some of you have told your children the correct names, but about half of those kids have then gone on the pervert the name into a nickname anyway. I think it is harmless to call them by other names, nor do I think it will lead to confusion when they are older. And I want my children to stay 'ignorant' for a little while yet.
One thing I don't understand though, why is it OK to call other things by nicknames, but not the genitals?
We use the appropriate names
though we use pi pi for vagina as well
Our children usually say 'gina.
browniebear
25-05-2006, 13:16
Thanks, Princess Niamh. i can now understand the reason behind your choice.
I don't think the confusion aspect is an issue - one arbitrary set of sounds to refer to anything is the same as another arbitrary set of sounds. So in that sense, calling the vagina a vagina or a moo-moo or pine-tree makes no difference whatsoever.
Where the problem comes in is with the connotations associated with having to hide the real, anatomically correct name from them. By calling it a cutesified, willfully naive name, there is an underlying message that not only is the word "vagina" itself rude and shameful and dirty, but that which it refers to is also rude and shameful and dirty.
Of course the more vulgar terms (such as c**t and c**k) should be avoided but that is because they are vulgar, because they are profanity. 'Vagina' and 'penis' are not.
Where the problem comes in is with the connotations associated with having to hide the real, anatomically correct name from them. By calling it a cutesified, willfully naive name, there is an underlying message that not only is the word "vagina" itself rude and shameful and dirty, but that which it refers to is also rude and shameful and dirty.
So would your child call their behind their 'anus' or 'rectum'? Just out of curiousity!;)
Fabulous post Beany :yes:
misskittyfantastico
25-05-2006, 13:56
In our house it is a willy and a mare-mare.
When they are older we will tell them what they are really called. For god's sake, children grow up too fast these days as it is without being bombarded with anatomical names for body parts. I personally find it rather foul for a young child to say penis and vagina, and no, it has nothing to do with the way I was brought up or how my parents regarded the issue. It is all well and good for those of you who live in the big cities, but out here in the sticks it is rather confronting to have a child say words like that in public because everything has it's place. And it is just a matter of courtesy that our children should know what is acceptable to say and when - or has respect for others gone out the window with our children growing up to fast?
I've already said I'm a vagina/giny, penis/penee girl. But Browniebear, I just wanted to say that I live in a very small rural community and we have kids saying "bagina" and "peenith" without any negative consequences.
So would your child call their behind their 'anus' or 'rectum'? Just out of curiousity!;)
If they were referring to those specific parts then 'anus' or 'rectum' would be dandy. And then I'd get them enrolled into med-school quick. My own little Doogie Howser!
I doubt they'd ever need to get into such detail though and so "bum" or "rear end" will suffice.
Incidentally, I see nothing wrong with using colloquialisms for referring to body parts. It's the necessity to hide the anatomically correct term from a child that I find jarring.
catalicious
25-05-2006, 14:39
My 4yo calls his Penis a penis just as he calls a vagina a vagina.
I dont think its rude at all, I think its better to teach children the right words for things from a yoing age. JMO
Nobody has even blinked at him calling them this when we are out and he mentions something about it.
I mean in my family when we where growing up nothing to do with our "privates" where ever under any circumstances talked about.
I havent read all the threads on here but i think it would be beneficial to the child in the long run rather than placing restrictions on what they say.:shame:
We dont want kids to grow up feeling they cant talk about something, or feeling embaressed when other people se the correct words.
Again though this is just my opinion.:D
mamamianz
25-05-2006, 15:09
I have to agree vagina is vagina and penis is penis
browniebear
25-05-2006, 16:36
Originally posted by Beanie
I doubt they'd ever need to get into such detail though and so "bum" or "rear end" will suffice.
Exactly - it has nothing to do with 'hiding' the correct terms, there is just no need for me to go into such detail at this stage in their life.
Funny story about this one. My sister was talking to her older kids about where China is. Her three year old piped up "I can show you where china is!" and pointed between her legs. Guess it sounds similar................:D :D :D
Theasmum
29-05-2006, 10:24
I don't know if this is of any help. :idea:
The medical term for the outer mound of the female anatomy is the "mons veneris" or "mound of venus". With my daughter I am just going to teach her that it is her "mons". It's a medical term that any doctor or professional would recognise if she ever (god forbid) has any trouble. When she is older I will explain the mons contains the vulva and vagina. I thought I'd start off very simple.
I thought that it is a term that is unlikely to offend any of the older generation or cause embarrassment if yelled at the top of her lungs in the middle of a crowded shopping centre
The mons veneris is the pad of fatty tissue that covers the pubic bone below the abdomen but above the labia. ie The pubic hair "triangle".
KarniF00l
30-05-2006, 09:58
I know this is going to sound a little funny/weird but my mum use to call it a 'flower'. I think it's sweet :laughing:
lol let's just call it Tassie!:laughing:
JessandKirra
03-06-2006, 19:20
When I was a litt un it was a mini
With my little girl I call it a Gina (say it jyna) We can add the VA later.
My 8 year old calls hers a vagigi, which i think is cute :)
shellymumof2
07-06-2006, 21:08
I have 2 boys but they call a girls a fanny and boys is a doodle. Although my 5 year old has since learnt a few other words for it.
Anyway when my eldest was little we couldnt decide what to call the testes so we decided on doodle hangers, its sounds pretty silly I know but thats the best we could come up with. Anyway they are doodle hangers arent they?? lol
quriouskey
08-06-2006, 11:00
Interesting that almost everyone goes either for the technical terms, or for something cute. As a child that area was called my private parts (and the anus, gluteus maximus area was called my bottom). I didn't even know till I read this thread that common usage calls the whole vaginal area the vagina! I only ever think of the vagina as the actual opening, so I don't think I could call the whole area by that name. I haven't really thought yet about what I'll tell my daughter to say, and I don't know what my husband was brought up with.
We use the word "vulva" as it means exteranl gentalia. I have taught them that it is not rude, but is private so not appropiaite for general discussion outside the home.
We always called 'it' a vagina to DD1, she would always say gina (jyna). I don't think you should call it anthing else, even if you're embarrassed. It will just lead to them thinking it's embarrassing and something that shouldn't be said or talked about.
I don't think you should call it anthing else, even if you're embarrassed. It will just lead to them thinking it's embarrassing and something that shouldn't be said or talked about.
I grew up not calling that paticular part a 'vagina' I was always told to refer to it as 'wee wee' and yet the word 'vagina' has never embaressed me nor have I ever been embaressed by it.
Caitlin's Mum
08-06-2006, 18:54
DD calls it her wee wee and she calls a penis a tail:laughing:
DD calls it her wee wee and she calls a penis a tail:laughing:
a tail, lol that's funny!
My little darlig came out with "boys have noodles and girls only have B*ms"
illawarramumof2boys
09-06-2006, 16:11
hi i've taught my boys to call them what they are a penis and vagina. their version is peni and gina at this stage. i'd rather teach them the right thing now saves them from being confused later on if i called it a fairy or something else. just my personal opinion anyway :)
mama2cierra
13-06-2006, 12:55
my friend has two twin girls the age of two! (try saying that 10 times fast)
they call their vaginas "yonnies" :)
and they came up to my 14 month old and screeched "Cierra has a yonnie!Cierra has a yonnie!" hehehehe . I was in stitches
Its great that they can tell their own bits from other peoples now! :yelclap:
Amy
We use the "correct" terms here too...a vagina is a vagina, and a penis is a penis. Penis is sometimes shortened to "penie" though....
DD will often tell me that she "has a sore giant" though :laughing: ...took me a bit to figure out what she meant the first time!
I can understand why people call bits what they do, and I think ultimately it's each to their own. Generations of people havent been "harmed" in having their privates called a myriad of names.
IMO, its not wrong, nor right to call those bits by a nickname - its just a choice that as parents we are all free to make :)
well my dd calls it fanny and her bum is called botto which is like a slang spanish word taught by her older cousin. When she's older as she's on 17 months, i'll try to teach her the correct name but for the next couple of years i'll stick to nicknames!
SixtiesChild
18-06-2006, 00:43
I feel that children need to be taught the correct term for body parts. I think that it may help them to feel confident about their gender identity and that there is no need to be ashamed of what they have- it may help them identify with other little people their own age. Gender identity is something that develops early in life, I can't remember exactly at what age, so identifying these parts is a healthy part of growing up.
Generations of people havent been "harmed" in having their privates called a myriad of names.
There can be great harm however in not naming them, or instilling in the child a sense of shame about their "privates", it can actually be fatal if an adult is too embarrassed to go to the doctor about a problem.
Irish Dad
18-06-2006, 06:39
My boys call their bits willys and there sisters her toushy, like said before I don't see any harm with slang for the time being. They both know the proper name for a penis and haven't felt the need to add vagina to their vocabulary yet but will do when 'I' feel fit :yes:
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