To call DD's vagina her vagina?

[LauLauLemon]

I don't think I am but this has now caused hell to the point where my 93 year old Grandmothet has refused to see me, my Bampi is yelling at me and everyone is up in arms.

Apparently it's a sexual term, not one to be used by little girls and I'm a bad mother. It's got to the point where my nosy grandma tried to find in laws in the phone book to complain to them about their horrible son using the word to his daughter "Get your hands off your vagina" after she was messing around.

What exactly is wrong with a three year old knowing her vagina is called just that. I'm not going to make up names for it.

Also, if DD uses this term in nursery Bampi seems to think I'll be called in for a meeting and asked not to return.

AIBU or are family just a load of bonkers twats?

Fanny Fanny Fanny Fanny
See
The more you say it, the better it is!

SecondRow, for real?

I meant good on yer valium. Dang my short sighted-ness!

Fanny isn't used for arse anymore in the US. I mean, it is but it's an older-generation thing. It's a butt or a bottom.

LineRunner, yup, I mean I don't think these words necessarily are taught to little children but I don't want to use them myself at any time! Actually I can't remember now if my doctor or midwives used them either.

The equivalent of fanjo is Muschi - have not found an occasion to use that in conversation yet either!

PMSL..."I've been having some pains in my female shame."

Birdsgottafly- I have a daughter, yes, but she is only 6mths old so I'm dreading her future experiments. I have a 3yr old DS and luckily he only twiddles.

Well, I am not a linguist and a rather vague feminist, but I am German, so here goes:

"Der etymologische Ursprung des Wortes "Scham" ist nicht endgültig geklärt. Etliche Autoren (1) sehen den Ursprung des Begriffs im althochdeutschen scama, das seinerseits auf die indogermanische Wurzel kâm bzw. kêm = verbergen, verhüllen, verdecken zurückzuführen sei. Das vorangestellte "s" ist dabei als verkürztes Reflexivpronomen zu erkennen, sodass "Scham" folglich sich verbergen heißt."

'scama' and its indogermanic root 'kam' ment 'to cover, to hide, to enclose'. The initial 's' makes the verb reflexive ie 'Ich schaeme mich' =' I am embarrassed'.

So, yes, there is no denying that all the 'Scham' words wrt to genitalia were orginially about something that needed hiding, which (unsurprisingly) morphed into something to be embarrassed about .
BUT: 'Scham' can also refer to a man's genitalia. Does that make us all feel better??

BestNameEver, I'd normally totally agree with you re 'correct' nomenclature, but 'penis' and 'vagina' just seem to be more readily acceptable. Also 'penis' kinda also means all dangly bits 'down there', just as 'vagina' means 'area between girl's/women's legs'.
And 'vagina' is just a prettier word. Just like 'candida' - v pretty words . So there.

After my friends DD (7) announced in shock at the sign for 'mini' market today I bet she wishes she had taught her DD's it's proper name instead of 'mini'.

YANBU. Although 'get your hands of your vagina' is quite crass, stop fiddling with your vagina/vulva or please don;t do that here darling would maybe have been better.

'Muschi' is quite a sweet word IMO, affectionate, but to me vaguely sexual. Also, in my family was used as a nickname for 'cat, so muschi=pussy IYSWIM .

'Cunt' btw = 'Fotze'; both rather unpretty words and used equally derogatory.

My mum and dad drive a Vulva.

Oh hang on.......

"Also 'penis' kinda also means all dangly bits 'down there', just as 'vagina' means 'area between girl's/women's legs'

I've never heard penis used to encompass more than, well, the penis. Using it as a catchall is just as weird as using vagina instead of vulva.

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had the response "I'm not, I'm playing with my balls" to "Stop touching your willy".

PMSL. any chance my willy has a grown up name.

fella, 'Will', of course, you silly

Well, yes, my 7 and 8 year olds can differentiate between penis and testicles and scrotum, but 3 year old DS3 just shouts 'penis' and grabs a handfull .

I have heard lots of friend's little girls refer to their 'private areas' as 'minnies/min mins' but that just reminds me of 'minge' which imo is vile!

How about we take it further
I have a sore asophagus and
My femur's ache so I am off to bed :-)

Night night sleep cranium :)

SLEEPY

People do say 'appendix', don't they? V technical word

And everybody now knows what a 'metatarsal bone' is thanks to HRH Beckham

PD, thanks, I had an idea the Scham part was vaguely to do with things that should be hidden/covered up. Pretty sure that the usage for male genitalia is only found in quite archaic literature though? (correct me if I'm wrong) whereas these words for women are still common currency.

But anyway on the practical side, help me out here! What words should I teach my daughter - euphemistic or otherwise?

Well, I was taught 'Vagina' and 'Penis' - I turned out ok, I think

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