To ask...What do you mum's refer to your vaginas as to your little kids?!

[Zara87]

Not even sure this is allowed... but I have an almost 3yo who is now noticing and asking questions about how I wee without a willy!
He keeps saying stuff like "you do a wee out of your that bit" and pointing. I just want something to refer to it as, which doesn't sound ridiculous. I know it is called a vagina but i don't really want to call it that to him, I'm not sure why but it kind of sounds wrong at age 2. My mum used to call it 'a Mary' which i don't like!
Does anyone have any suggestions

I have 23 children and instantly stopped going to the toilet at all once the first one was born. What even is a toilet?

Well 23 children is easy mode.

A quiche ha ha ha 🤣

“Fanny means bottom, so is, in fact, the exact same usage.”

Not round here it doesn’t. In the US maybe.

Haven't read the thread (or whatever acronym I should use!)

I can't understand why so many people are so against using the correct names for body parts. Vulva. My 3 yr old can manage it.

You wouldn't come up with a daft name for your elbow so why for your genitals. It's your job to educate your child why wouldn't you do it properly and teach them the correct information.

I had a tuppence growing up. I hated that word then and still do.

You wouldn't come up with a daft name for your elbow so why for your genitals. It's your job to educate your child why wouldn't you do it properly and teach them the correct information.

So do you also say urinate/urine and defecate/faeces?

So do you also say urinate/urine and defecate/faeces?

“ for goodness sake Timmy, you have urinated on the seat again. Last time, you left a faecal smear on the toilet bowl. I really hope you wiped your anus properly and washed your hands after you defecated this time”

Can you imagine overheating that in a public loo 😂

Overhearing * [santa]

“Fanny means bottom, so is, in fact, the exact same usage.”

Doesn’t mean that here either. We used to have to hold in the laughter when Americans talked about their fanny packs (we called them bum bags). Similarly we were always really gobsmacked by that bad tv show they had about some woman and the theme song had a line about her being out on her fanny. Can’t remember what the show was called or the song but can still sing that particular line in my head as we found it so weird someone would put that in a song.

““ for goodness sake Timmy, you have urinated on the seat again. Last time, you left a faecal smear on the toilet bowl. I really hope you wiped your anus properly and washed your hands after you defecated this time””

This made me laugh out loud!

We use euphemisms for children because these aren’t things we discuss openly with other adults either. I can’t imagine ever using the word “vulva” in the workplace, for example.

With children, we have to discuss these things because it’s necessary for toileting, cleaning etc. But we use euphemisms to get around that. We don’t say faeces, we say poo. We don’t say anus, we use the more generalised “bottom”. I don’t particularly wish to hear a 3 year old talking about his penis - it sounds too adult to me.

The fact is that children’s genitals are different to adult’s. They are smaller, less defined, less functional, more contained. They change at puberty. I don’t have a problem with using different terminology for a child’s genitals because they are different.

Hopping it was The Nanny!

When talking to my girl its always been girly bits. Dad has blokey bits or willy. Now she's7 and over the years She's learned us girls have 3 holes. One for wee, one for poo and one a baby comes from. Will do real names as she asks.

Haven’t read the whole thread but i thought that peeing in front of your kids was important to get them used to the idea of potty training. We have a 2 year-old- DH and I consider it a performance!

No wonder kids are confused. Everyone calling genitals by different names because they can't cope with the real ones.
A toddler isn't going to think Vulva or penis is rude or horrible unless their parents show discomfort at using those names.
Why people think fanjo sounds any better is puzzling.

My DD, age 3, had recurring thrush so we had to talk about those bits quite a lot. We use 'privates' to refer to the whole area, ie 'are your privates still itchy?' to check on thrush. Then we'd get specific with vulva/labia/bumhole depending on where was flaring up. We've also discussed vagina, uterus, ovaries even with the help of a 'body atlas' when discussing periods. She's always followed me into the bathroom and I'd rather not have periods be taboo anyway, so it's never something scary, just something natural. Plus it helps reinforce those parts are private, and that they're for when you are old enough to use them if you want to have a baby.

She's not had any interest in boy privates so far, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, equally factually. It's much less fascinating when all the facts are laid out as boringly as when I talk about paying bills.

My DS7 calls it by the correct name as he's already done lessons in school on the private bodily parts...He came home one day and said "Mum, I know the real names for private parts...penis, vagina and breasts"....

I don't see the issue with calling them by the correct names or any other name that you see fit and comfortable with.

He came to me not long ago having heard it being called a fanny which did take me by surprise, no idea where he heard this as we never refer to it as this, he asked me was a vagina also called this...I just said it was a female name used back in the olden days but society along the way had somehow reverted it to be a bodily part and just said we don't use this word.

please can all posters who think it's vulgar/too grown up/unpleasant for children to use correct words for their anatomy-
go back and read nolongersurprised's post on p10
sexual predators are less likely to abuse a child who can correctly name their body, according to research and the testimony of a prolific offender

what more do you need to know, really

Fanjo really makes me laugh I don't know why

Crutch
Muff
Poonani

What a silly question 😌😌

Girls have a vagina and boys have a penis. Meh not totally correctly but near enough.

Hate term front bum as to me implies your vagina is dirty

Grrr! "Near enough" is actually worse than completely made up. Would you call your face your oesophagus? That is the anatomic analogy of calling the vulva the vagina.

Why are teachers not teaching kids the right words? How is it possible little Tommy comes home from school and says 'its' a vagina. It's not, he has a penis outside, she has a vulva outside. Later on periods and so on with vag and uterus/ovaries, all the technical stuff.
It's a bloody odd thread!

How confusing for little boys, and everyone

When I was little I referred to it as a Mary like yourself. My little ones refer to it as "a tuppence"