To just call a fanny a fanny?

[teafortoads]

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?

DS(6) has recently started saying willy which is fine

Again, I ask why is the word fanny considered wrong when he word willy (IMO anyway) isn't?

I have never heard rat! Although I saw 'badger' on a thread once.

I don't think of fanny being anatomical at all actually - I knew it as a name first and don't know anybody who uses it for the body part (not that I've ever talked about it to anybody though).

Good grief! Not fanny! I'm in Scotland and the only time you hear that word is when you call someone a fanny or when fifteen year old boys are being crude. I'm actually cringing.

"Fanny" is awful 😮 Here it was "front bottom"

Wow I'm really shocked people think fanny is rude, round here it's really tame!

Definitely a cultural thing!
Vulva and penis/willy here, I literally cannot stand twee names, and my mum (SW) told me that from a safegaurding point of view, ideally children should know the correct anatomical names for things.

Paul - or on the Irn Bru advert

Again, I ask why is the word fanny considered wrong when he word willy (IMO anyway) isn't?

Fanny's never been rude in the SW, AFAIK.

It only seems to be on mn that girls say vulva

I have never heard anyone say vulva. Even adults

Caitlin Moran has a very funny discussion about this in How to be a Woman. My favourite suggestion was Baby Gap.

Am I the only one who grew up in a house with no name for it? I never had any occasion to need to discuss it with anyone

Don't have daughters, so still not an isue. Minnie is an odd one - as in the mouse?

cjt because fanny sounds crass and harsh and rude

It is also used as an insult, you would never call someone a willy, therefore fanny is on par with dick/prick/cock/knob or even tit

Also - I've heard drunk people shout "get your fanny out" bleurgh!

Fanny is definitely risky as some (many?) will find that too adult for a child to say, but she should be able to refer to her own body parts without fear of being told off or offending people!

My DC use the biological names of vulva and vagina because there is no commonly accepted child's word like there is for penis.

Awww man! I really want some Irn Bru now!

It was a sweetie when I was a kid absolutely no idea why.

It's was just bits for my DD.

I have a boy and he has a willy. No way would it be a penis at his young age (20m) If I had a girl, she'd have a fanny. I can't be doing with this call it vulva etc lark. we were always taught willy and fanny. I'm in the North.

Miss Hoolie- thank God, it's SO tame here!

Rat?? I've never heard that in my life!

No-one"s going with pussy then?

I had no idea fanny was rude. Mumsnet really is an education sometimes! Where I am it's a no nonsense but non offensive word used by kids and adults. I'll be careful not to use it if I go to Scotland

Fanny - not offensive to me.

My DD calls hers her 'wee wee'

cjt I'm in the north too - really surprised you don't think fanny would sound wrong coming out of a child's mouth

Very good idea Jesse!

NoCapes I dont recall any other word as child so I assume that'd what we said.

It's so strange that the female anatomy is referred to as so many words not wanting to upset anyone but a boy's anatomy is a willy and that's ok.

As an aside, did you know that there is a new version of Enid Blyton's "The Magic Faraway Tree" where Fanny and Dick's names have been changed to Franny and Rick.