AIBU to feel that my 5yo shouldn't be told off for saying "penis"

[formerdiva]

My normally infallible mum took my daughter out on Saturday and met up with some of DD's friends. At one point, DD banged herself and said "ow, my penis". Her friend's mother was very shocked and gave her a rollicking, then marched her over to my mum and explained what had happened. Mum also chimed in, telling DD that it was a grown up word that she mustn't use.

I feel slightly bewildered by this. I mean, I know she was anatomically incorrect seeing as she doesn't actually have a penis, but I don't get what's offensive about her saying it? As it happens, it's not the word we use in the house (after much consideration we're using the word "willy"), but it seems a harmless enough word. I also feel slightly guilty as I've never corrected DD when she's used it (other than, obviously, to point out that she doesn't have a penis!), so it must have seemed odd to her that she was given a major telling off by two people for it.

The other Mum in question is a woman I like, and I have a lot of respect for my Mum's opinion, so it's made me question whether I've got this one wrong or not?

As a grownup I would not say ouch my penis / vulva as it is not really considered polite to discuss intimate parts of one's anatomy in public conversation where I live and so I discourage this in my DC also. However I would probably not have gone over the top making a public scene to tell them off either.

DD (5) recently panicked at DS's (5months) activities: "Mummy, Mummy, DBrother is going to pull his penis off and then he'll be a girl!". :o

To be fair to the girl even DH has been known to renappy him, "Before he does himself some damage".

He's very proud of his willy/penis/knob/meat-'n'-two-veg (delete as appropriate).

I was in an Open Uni tutorial once about children's literature and the issue of naming body parts for children came up and it was so surprising that most of them had problems with children using correct terminology! Early sexualisation apparently, they need to stay "innocent". I don't exactly know how teaching my son his penis is called a penis has made him less "innocent"!!

How stupid! What on earth was wrong with saying penis ?

So a penis is only a sexual thing, nothing to do with other bodily functions? I may not tell my daughter too much about her vagina until she is 8 but the kids need to know what that wobbly bit is between son's legs.
The word I hate is 'her sex' as in vagina when in the bonking scene in a book

When I was small, the term we all used was either "down there" or "private parts". I dont think there was ever a fuss made by any parent about giving things the correct terminology, and yet we all learned it as we grew older, without coming to any harm.

Tell your mother she is showing her age, she must have been raised in Victorian Britain if she find penis offensive. In our house I wouldn't be able to resist taking the piss 'oh my tibia' or 'oh you are a malady of the gluteous maximus'.

Seriously??? Or did your mother agree to save face?

But surely the point is your DD hasn't got a penis and so was being a little bit chheky/attantion seeking.It was a gratuitous 'penis' if you like

PMSL @ spider

i know i shouldn't laugh, but some comments have put a smile on my face i.e biddysmama comment. :)

I take pride in teaching my children the correct terms, as teaching them not to be ashamed etc.. as i feel by being honest at the start will hopefully cause less embassement later on in life.

Perfectly good word, penis! I would have laughed, given her a ten second "lecture" on the differences between girls and boys and bought her an ice lolly. YANNNBU!

i would have laughed not told the poor girl off. i think the other mother over reacted.

Aaaaarrrgghhhh!!

I had this!

I taught my son 'penis' because I was unsure of what else to call it.

He came home from playgroup once and told me it wasn't his 'penis' it was his 'bobbin'.

What. The. Fuck.

Bobbin? Seriously, bobbin???

BOBBIN???

I ask you, some people are clearly insane!

HAAA. Sorry but "Itchy vagina" made me giggle.
Remember DS, aged about 2, saying "Daddy, my willy hurts", and my elderly parents being soooo shocked. My mother almost lost her false teeth! As far as they were concerned, these parts are not spoken of at all!

Just for fun:

I use to tell DS to stop fiddling with his willy or it would fall off.

When he was 3yo he decided to yell across a busy room at my poor DBrother who he had obviously seen having a quick re-jig 'Uncle X, don't play with your willy or it will fall off'

BOBBIN?!?

I foresee much trouble when they start singing Wind the Bobbin Up!!!

It's the right word, not for whatever your daughter banged, obviously, but still, it's not a rude word, it's a real name for a real body part.

Bobbin? What the bloody hell is wrong with people.

Bobbin for gods sake ! I once new someone who called her vagina her wallet!

Lol just imagining loads of little boys grabbing their " bobbins" and winding them up and pointing them to the floor and door like in the song! That would be something to see at school open days !

Bobbin? What, like they use for lacemaking?

No harm in using other words, but call it a penis if you want. It's the name for it. There aren't foo-foo terms for elbows, or knees or any other body part

"WALLET" -priceless!