UnWilly

[UnWilly]

Hi

(I have name changed for this, in case people think it is a ridiculous suggestion)

It’s from a few years ago, but I thought this initiative in Sweden was really interesting:

Sweden invents a word for girls’ genitals equivalent to ‘willy’ for boys

www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/01/sweden-girls-genitals-feminist-invention-snippa-vagina

We don’t really have a universal similar word here, and for the same reasons as Sweden, perhaps it’s time we did!

I reckon that if we could agree on a word, that Mumsnet likely has enough reach to get it into common usage.

So, does anyone think it is something we would benefit from, and if so, any suggestions for a term?

(and for avoidance of doubt, I am not actually suggesting unwilly as the term!)

We do use the proper terms in this household sometimes.
But it mainly gets called my fanjo.
I think fanjo & willy go together quite nicely if you pardon the pun

I agree we need this word....willy is universally understood and has no vulgar associations, I quite like wilma actually but how on earth we get anything to reach the status of willy I have no idea. I agree that ideally we wold all be saying vulva/labia/clitoris and went down this route myself but chances of that reaching the general public is about zero.

I think the point about family names is that if your son calls his penis a doodar, when he gets to school he will find that other people call it a willy and it's proper name is penis, and then he will be able to tell anyone (if needed) about his penis without them being confused. But if your daughter calls her vulva her flower (or whatever) she is less likely to reach the same point.

What's wrong with front bum

Babdoc- Vulva/vagina are just so very formal. In every day life most people don't call their coller bone their clavicle or their bum their gluteus maximus etc etc so what's wrong with another term for your "privates".

I like front bum but I have a feeling I'll be in the minority...

We use willy and winkle, which is what we called them as kids. Though my kids know the proper terms as well.
Winkle has been taken up by my dd's friends as well so it's got quite common around here.

Breakfast Penis

What's wrong with front bum

Personally I don't like it because your bum is used purely for farting and shitting, and is essentially just a waste disposal hole full of bacteria. I prefer not to have that association for mine or DDs' vagina!

I agree
and winkle I thought was the same as willy, so that would be very confusing

Penis and, to my eye rolling disdain, tuppence. I do try vsgina and vulva, but tuppence wins.

My mum and grandma used the word fourpence. I was well into my teens when I realised that it wasn't a real term for it - I thought it was an alternative to saying vulva, vagina etc

I think the point about family names is that if your son calls his penis a doodar, when he gets to school he will find that other people call it a willy and it's proper name is penis, and then he will be able to tell anyone (if needed) about his penis without them being confused. But if your daughter calls her vulva her flower (or whatever) she is less likely to reach the same point.

A very good point Newt

When I was young we didn't use willy. I was taught waggle!

We use gyna for the equivalent. I know it's not the best solution but it will do for us.

Willy and Gyna or girl bits and boy bits used in context "make sure you was all your girl bits/boy bits properly in the shower"

Gyna from vagina if that helps with pronunciation!

We use Wilma.

Although, having recently had a long avd involved chat with dd (6) about bodies and puberty, she is taking the lead on using “vagina” and “penis”.

Willy and fanny. This is common knowledge surely?

We used flower when I was growing up but that got abandoned very quickly once I saw the disdain for it on here and realised it was not normal I had DD.
We use bits. For dangly bits and not dangly bits. Bits and bum. But DD (10) knows the proper words to use if talking to a doctor for instance. She also knows all the other words I could think of, pussy, fanny vaj, clock, dick etc so that if anyone tries to embarrass her, as kids are wont to do, by using any crude terminology she will know what they are talking about and not feel shamed or stupid.

My daughter has a foo foo :)
I think a general casual word is a good idea, for the area anyway.

I think me and husband started referring to it as a foo foo as it made us laugh when Stacey called it that from gavin and Stacey

Front bum makes me heave. Bums are dirty. Vulvas are not! It’s actually really important for young girls to understand that bum and vulva are different and that bum bacteria shouldn’t be wiped forward into the vulva after going to the toilet. How can you make this really clear if it’s all bum, one front one back?

I try to use vulva I really do. But in reality I tell both DS and DD to wash their bits

Not that DS has a vulva obviously...I struggle with penis / testes too

We use flossy for girl bits and willy for boys bits

My girls say bits (6&3) and my boy (5) once called it his 'tail' and although he knows its not a tail it has stuck.

I say we go for fanny.

It’s always been a fairy in our family and here in the North East I’d say most people would know what you meant if you use fairy.

I’ll teach DD the proper anatomical terms as she gets older, just as I’ll probably teach her other words she'll need to know about her body such as pelvis or bowel or abdomen but I don’t think she needs that just yet

There’s no way I’d teach my DD to say fanny , it would be like having a small boy talk about his cock!