In calling my dd Vagina a "Vagina"

[lilymolly]

DD is 16 months and is noticing body parts and pointing to them and making a noise, at which I will say "arm" "leg" etc. Tonight, she touched her privates and I said "Vagina" dp was a little shocked , and before any one shouts, I KNOW its her Vulva, but dont think that word is acceptable with adults never mind children iyswim.

We where having relate counselling last year for sex issues on my behalf, in other words I dont like it, and we discussed this particular issue, and the counseller told us to call it by its name, which is what we woould do with any other body part, such as her arm ect as already mentioned.

As a rookie mum, will this come back to haunt me in later years?
In other words, when she can talk will she talk about her Vagina, will she say it in inappropriate situations.
i.e my friend dds are 7 and 10 and still call it "mary" and I am pretty sure they would not know what a vagina is, and also pretty sure their mother would be mortified if my little angel came out with it

What do other people call it? Advice please

muddypuddles except that it's very common to extend the word vagina to also mean vulva, I wouldn't expect a child to have any difficulty communicating what she meant. Everyone says Big Ben and means St Stephen's tower, the clock and the bell.

The one I hate most is "bits"

So dismissive and sort of "icky"

there really should be a female term similar to willy, one that's recognised as the childish word for a girls vulva, like the words tummy, bottom etc.

Mostly children think of that area of themsleves as the area wee comes out of so not sure 'baby hole' wouldn't cover it. i've remembered on reading this thread that it was called 'wee wee' in our house. Wouldn't work either as that's often used as the childish word for urine we need a MN campaign to set a universal child's word

I've just young boys so it's not come up yet, well not until recently when I'd tuned out from what they were saying to each other (they talk none stop) and the realised that they were discussing (loudly 'willy holes'. i've no idea why, but it did seem that a lot of people (going on the shocked faces) around thought that it was the vagina they were refering to and were calling it a willy hole because it's were willies can be put into, either that or because speaking of a female's genital area is considered taboo where was males (in as much as the word willy goes) is more acceptable

however it was an assumption on their part that bbecause wee comes out of a willy, and girls don't have them that they must have a hole where the wee comes out, hence willy hole. The sex side of things hasn't entered their thinking yet was they haven't enquired yet so haven't been told.

*not sure babyhole would cover it

i always taught my kids vagina and penis, as mary, mini, front bottom etc make me want to throw up. but it does lead to problems, mostly amusing. teachers getting knickers in a twist because dd said it at school and it wasnt appropriate apparently. i asked her why she couldnt really say she hummed and hawed and said perhaps front bottom would be a better term. also led to my son saying on the bus mummy i have a food baby and its going to come out of my vagina hole! confused methinks.
my middle dd couldnt say it right for years so she would call if a fungina it it has stuck all three of them some times call them it.

you tube link

If you lived in Glasgow, your wee girl would be taught "vulva" (along with penis) when she goes to school. It is done at the same time as teaching parts of the body (head, foot, hand) and no big deal is made about it. Certainly none of the sexual connotations that we as adults put on to it.

It was done partly because of child protection issues - so many different euphemisms were being used (as evidenced by this thread) that cases of serious child abuse were being missed (not necessarily in Glasgow). For example, a child saying "My uncle keeps playing with my rabbit and I don't like it" :(

So, by giving them the correct words and not making them embarrassing, it actually helps children.

Am kind of shocked that so many grown women don't know what a vulva is or the difference bwn a vagina and a vulva. No point in calling it a vagina because it's anatomically correct - because it isn't.

I might as well insist on calling dds arms her fingers, col at the end of the arms there are fingers, therefore her arm is a finger?!

OP, if you don't like vulva, how about volvo? Much less threatening? Not taking the mickey. You are going to have to call it something, so best to choose, but I wouldn't get too worked up about it. I personally HATE vagina, because it isn't one.

I also am not going to feel pushed into giving my kids an anatomy lesson on the off chance they are abused and need to give evidence on court :( How sad is that?

In our house it's willy and minny.

I think I'm reasonably honest and straightforward with the kids.

Ds3 the other day was going on about babies being born, and how the mummy squeezes it out of her bum. I realised he thought it literally came out of the same place as the poo, so I expelled girls have got 3 holes, one for wee, one for poo and an extra one in the middle for babies.

dd overheard, and has explained back to me that she has got 3 holes, one for wee, one for poo and one for babies (said in a delighted voice). This is something I learnt t school when I was 11 or 12 when they gave us our facts of life talk and told us about periods.

Am I the only one wondering why a 4 year old thread is garnering new replies?

because qkate resurrected it on tuesday and no one else noticed?

True Ernest

I have never met anyone in all my 41 years to use the word 'vulva' - only on MN

I did wonder why the spanish lady made reference to it being 2007 and noone corrected her.... Didnt notice the date though.

i noticed, just figured it'd been bumped for the reason stated, but didn't see that as a reason not to post

When this thread started I had a 3 day old baby. She's 4 and a half now and I have a new baby.

But a vulva's still a vulva.

I wonder what the OP's DD is calling her bits now she's nearly 6?

I never understand calling the outside of it a vagina when it's actually wrong. It's akin to calling a scrotum a penis.

One of the euphemisms suggested on this thread is my RL name! I protest.