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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Words for your your bits.

28 replies

Keepithidden · 28/11/2013 22:22

Not sure if this is a Feminist thing or not, but I thought of you lot here first so would value your opinion.

DW and I were talking about our kids DS and DD, specifically cleaning them properly around their respective genitals (DD has a suspected yeast infection). Anyway, I was talking about "willies" and "fannies" and used these words in front of DCs. DW though "willy" was fine but "fanny" was a bit derogatory. I couldn't understand where this came from and I can't think of another word to describe DD's bits that isn't too biological/anatomical. DW is currently referring to both front and back of DD as "bottom" which I thought could cause a few problems if she starts complaining about pain in one of those respective locations.

Anyway, the "fanny" = derogatory but "willy" isn't, bit was the one that I came here wondering about.

Apologies in advance if this is the wrong part of MN or if the above offends at all.

OP posts:
Thants · 28/11/2013 22:35

Teach them the correct words. Vulva and penis. Their body parts are not to be ashamed of. They should know what they are called.

twosmallbuttons · 28/11/2013 22:34

I use 'gina and willy, DC are 3 & 18 months. The 'gina one I read on here I think Smile it's sort of accurate enough but also not so formal as 'vagina'. Then when DD is old enough to use the proper terms, it won't be quite so unusual for her.

meditrina · 28/11/2013 22:27

There have been a number of threads on this.

Children need to learn the proper names, but also e day to day ones (in the same way as they wee and poo, rather than urinate and defecate, or have a tummy as well as an abdomen).

So yes, there is a lexical gap for a universally accepted day-to-day female term to parallel the male 'willy'