To ask how you refer to your DD's vulva?

[Lalunya85]

I'm not sure if this has been done a million times before but here's my dilemma:

We speak three languages at home (including English, but it's neither my DH nor my mother tongue). In all of those languages, there are plenty of nice/cute/child appropriate ways to refer to ours son's penis.

Now my DD (15 months) has begun to show an interest in her genitals. But she is pointing at them and then uses the word that we use for our son's penis. I want to offer her a nice name that is neither technical, nor has been sexualised or turned into an insult.

None if our languages offers a solution.

Any ideas??

We have always used vulva, and other actual terms. There is a safeguarding importance in teaching your children the proper anatomical words for their genitals (not sexualised, simply names!), rather than using twee euphemisms.

DD calls it her "little bum" so I've started calling it that too. Before that, I called it her "bits". Can't quite bring myself to say the word "vulva" but have used "vagina" when specifically talking about the actual vagina.

Sometimes I will use the local language word "pimppi" which is cute but obvious to a local what it means (it was the word suggested by the child health nurse when I didn't know what to call it) and not rude.

Do you mean her fanny?

www.kevinmd.com/blog/2014/12/teaching-anatomically-correct-words-matters.html

There is a safeguarding importance in teaching your children the proper anatomical words for their genitals (not sexualised, simply names!), rather than using twee euphemisms.

That never makes sense to me. Surely a person can work out what the child means even if it is a twee word. I mean it's not hard to work out that Minnie doesn't mean mouth or ears

I thought I would insist on using the proper term of vulva, but with DD1 I've ended up saying "bits". I will teach her vulva in time though (and her little sister when she gets old enough).

The proper anatomical names. www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/04/the-case-for-teaching-kids-vagina-penis-and-vulva/274969/

Vulva

I can't use foof after I found out that's what the local "ahem" strippers call it (don't ask why I know that!!).

It's privates here, I think not only does it cover the term but it enforces that they are private the girls (2,4&7) know that is their private area no one but mummy and people who have to wipe is allowed to touch/see unless they let them/tell me.

I have said "well it's actually a vulva" but as I nearly snort laughed (mature) using it, we've stuck to privates

DD is 11 and knows the correct terms but continues to call hers Penelope. Fortunately we don't know an actual person called Penelope.

I agree re teaching your child the proper words, and don't really get the whole 'minnie' 'twinky' stuff (each to their own though!). We use front bottom and back bottom for now but they do know the proper names. (they're 7 and 4)

It's Pompey in our house. That was the term my husband's family used for bottom (I think it comes somehow from an Italian dissect his mum and Aunty speak) and after my son, the girls decided that was their word not his.

fanny or foo

We call them girl bits and boy bits. She does know the correct names and the basics of their function. We decided against using a cutesy name because it's just easier for her to explain any issues (should she ever need to) and pretty much all adults / teachers etc in her life will know exactly what body part she is referring to.

Dialect not dissect

Penelope

We say vagina to refer to the whole area

Snippa or snippis. (I'm Swedish.)

Really? Your toddler walks into a room full of in-laws and announces in a loud voice "my vulva/vagina hurts" you wouldn't want the ground to swallow you?!

Just no need! It's so strange in the real world.

We've ended up calling it her Minnie - I didn't know what to call it other than vulva but thought it sounded a bit genealogical for a 2 year old. My mother called it a floosie which I hated - DS called it a Minnie when he was 3 and it seemed as good as anything.

I don't have kids but in our family we always called it a noonie/noony/nuni. The first syllable is pronounced as in 'book' or 'cook' rather than as in 'loo' or 'flu'.

That's basically what both my grandmothers called it and hence what my parents called it. I had assumed it was a London thing as my grandparents were all born in east or central London in the 1910s, but I heard Sarah Millican use it recently so maybe not.

My nieces just seem to call it their 'bits'.

Vulva. Inside is vagina.

I don't like twee names. It's a body part just like an arm or elbow or leg is and we don't need twee words for those!

Mary.

Dd named hers when she was little - 27 now. Her little sisters followed suit. It worked then and works now.

Bottom. Don't see the need to distinguish it at two tbh....

Well, if she says 'My bottom hurts' or 'My bottom itches' or something, I'd say the distinction would be quite useful.

I grew up saying mini-moo. Not sure why