Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To just call a fanny a fanny?

498 replies

teafortoads · 29/04/2016 08:34

Apologies if this has been done before/to death but i am new to this Mumsnet Lark (posting not lurking, I have happily lurked for years). What on earth word do you give to your toddler to describe their girl parts? I have and always will, have a fanny, where as I am aware of friends who have foofs, fairies (could cause some confusion when you go to put the fairy on top of the Christmas tree) lady gardens vulvas and so on. I see no reason to pretty things up, and always arrive back at good old trusty fanny in the end having massively overthunk things. When DD2 is a little bit older I will furnish her with all the proper words, but are fanny and willie (not that she will encounter any of THOSE until she is at least 40 given that I am a single Mum and our house is happily a man free zone nowadays, and boyfriends will not be permitted until she is at least 40) acceptable? Is fanny a bit coarse?

OP posts:
funniestWins · 29/04/2016 08:43

It's unreasonable to ask as as long as it isn't going to get her into trouble for it's use ("Hey Miss, my twat's hurting") there's no problem.

Prettying things up is fine too.

There's room for confusion everywhere.

To just call a fanny a fanny?
gininteacupsandleavesonthelawn · 29/04/2016 08:44

Really coarse for a child, I'd be absolutely horrified if I heard a child say it but then again I'm in Scotland so might be different here. I don't like 'cute' names either though so with you on that one, we've stuck with generic bottom for the moment.

Only1scoop · 29/04/2016 08:46

'Fanny' is a vile word

Very course

molyholy · 29/04/2016 08:48

It's 'privates' in our house. My mum thought the same as you and mine was 'vagina' until I was about 4 and shouted in a shopping precinct that I had a really itchy vagina. Then she decided that maybe 'privates' would suffice.

kaitlinktm · 29/04/2016 08:48

Front bottom? Grin

honeylulu · 29/04/2016 08:48

How can you say the word vulva "pretties things up". It's an entirely correct anatomical word.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/04/2016 08:49

Fanny isn't vile or coarse where I live, it's just a sweet name for it like Minnie. Depends where you live.

CwtchesAndCuddles · 29/04/2016 08:54

My daughter used to use "girly bits" - that was her own creation and we stuck with it until she was older. My mother taught me to use "tuppence" which really confused me!!!

NeedACleverNN · 29/04/2016 08:54

We use minnie in this house for Dd

Dd has a minnie and ds has a winkie.

Junosmum · 29/04/2016 08:55

Penis and vulva are not pretty words! Fanny could be considered vulgar or rude and could get her in trouble at school, depends on your area.

SpecialEquation · 29/04/2016 08:56

Fanny is very rude where I am and if she said it at school she would be punsihed. Don't know why you would want to hear a word like that come out of a little girls mouth.

Bravada · 29/04/2016 08:56

I think we're going to go with front bottom. Fanny is way too rude.

CoodleMoodle · 29/04/2016 08:57

We say 'bits'. DD is 2 and says it as well, now. When she's older we'll teach her the proper words but if she wants to keep saying 'bits' then fine.

BirthdayBetty · 29/04/2016 08:59

It's a noonie here Grin

TooGood2BeFalse · 29/04/2016 08:59

When my DS asked, we called them 'lady bits'. Aware it is a very saccharin and unscientific term but I got caught on the hop and it really stuck with him right away Blush

exWifebeginsat40 · 29/04/2016 08:59

'underneath' sufficed for us when DD was small!

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/04/2016 09:00

It's so funny to hear people saying that fanny is rude,it's SO tame Grin I don't like Minnie as it's short for minge which I find revolting.

Arfarfanarf · 29/04/2016 09:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

crazywriter · 29/04/2016 09:00

It's front bum in our house. DH was brought up hearing that with his wee sis and it's kinda stuck for our 2 girls. DD1 hurts herself there and say her bum hurts so there's no point in bringing up other words for it.

Fitzers · 29/04/2016 09:01

I'm going to be 'that' poster Smile. I understand it's important to teach them the correct word for child protection reasons www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/the-case-for-teaching-kids-vagina-penis-and-vulva/274969/

SaucyJack · 29/04/2016 09:01

Er, no. Fanny is roughly equivalent to rat in terms of rudeness to my mind.

It's summat you'd expected to hear when walking past a branch of Yates at 11pm.

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/04/2016 09:02

LOL @ 'fanny gives me the shudders'- it does if you're doing it rightWink

MissHooliesCardigan · 29/04/2016 09:03

It's fanny in our house. I simply cannot bring myself to say the word vulva, it's just so ugly. The problem is that there isn't a female equivalent of 'willy' which isn't anatomically correct but isn't ridiculously euphemistic either.

DramaInPyjamas · 29/04/2016 09:03

Where I am in Scotland, Fanny seems to be mainly a swear word / insult - I'd be a bit taken aback to hear a little child say it tbh

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 29/04/2016 09:03

Rat ?Confused