to think there is no gig deal in 6 year olds calling a penis a penis and a vigina and vigina?

[tryingtobemarypoppins]

Ah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are children going to be damaged by knowing these 'technical terms'........I don't think so!!

Aaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!

So far it seems to be "girly bits".

FFS

errr - no problem with DCs knowing anatomically correct terms but does anyone really say 'Did you wipe your vulva?' after their (small) DD has a wee (or I guess urinates!!)
Mine (8y and 29m) say front and back bottom...DD2 is allowed to wipe her own front bottom but Mummy has to help with her back bottom...
We also call teeth 'peggies' and slippers 'beddies' - guess that is a family thing...
DP has a willy or wibbly wobbly bits - DD2 is fascinated when he pees...and tries to stare which makes him very uncomfortable
At an animal park today when I was patting a donkey - DD2 said 'wow -paw, mummy, big paw' - at which point I pointed out it wasn't a paw but was the same as daddy's wibbly wobbly bits at which she crouched down and inspected it thoroughly (through the fence thankfully) for a good minute or so Did wonder if other parents would feel shocked or think it was funny too...

Three generations of girls here who all had 'bottoms' - as in 'have you wiped your bottom'. Now that we have a boy in the family - DGS - he has a willy and a bottom. Never seemed to be a need for any other words until puberty approached and correct terms were explained.

I could never use Vulva - as I am a fan of Spaced.

I don't see a problem with it.

I love these threads. One of these held my first and moment when some earnest soul assured me thatthe fact that my DD called her vulva , her bits, would damage her forever and arose from my own inability to cope with real life.

It actually arose from my not particularly caring what it was called as long as I could tell her how to clean it,she would be able to explain which bit hurt and her big brother wouldn't die of embaressment if she called it out on a bus.

We have Noonies and Winkies in our house - I find the correct anatomical words a bit harsh for young children - I actually don't use them and I am 34!

We have flowers and winkies and my 20 month old girl is at the moment fascinated by her 3 year old brothers winkie!

84 posts and still no satisfactory term. I was looking through pictures with DS1 (4) yesterday and needed a term to use.

Vulva (cringe cf anus discussion)
Vagina (small cringe but may resort to this)
Front bottom (big cringe)

There just isn't the equivalent of winkies and willies.

All are just to cutsie, too crude or too clinical.

Perhaps we need to invent a work and bring it to widespread usage?

I snigger just saying vagina and penis out loud and I'm 37. I don't care how childish I am.

A willy is a willy so that's no problem.

Still trying to agree on what we'll call dd's bits as they are just their 'bits' at the moment. Watching hopefully for some suggestions.

We've got to stop saying "get your fingers out of your flange" anyway.

Melmog

We call all girl and boy genitals our/your 'bits'.

Soemtimes we call them your 'private bits' to explain why you shoudn't show them to everyone or play with them in public.

We also have had conversations where we've mentioned the proper words are penis and vagina, but more as interesting scientific fact, or useful for doctor talk rather than suggested usage.

Some queries such as what are these bits that hang behind, lead to converstaions about 'balls' which are really called testicles etc,

I really don't see the need for very anatomical terms for genitals when other body parts have some slang terms. We refer to 'tummies' and to my distress 'arse' is replacing bum/bottom as apparently it's hilarious.

Lighten up people with your vulvas, it will all be OK.

ds has nuggets and a winkie and when my dds were small we said 'mini' and bottom. my friend uses mini toon not sure where that comes from!

I think there's a huge difference between what some of you describe - using the correct terms in appropriate situations but having a common slang name that you all know refers to the part - and a teacher refusing to use the terms in a lesson which seems to imply there is something wrong/embarrassing about the real names. I think kids are fine knowimg that we use this word but really its a [insert anatomical term]

Would cringe to hear a toddler saying 'vulva' or 'vagina'.My DDs call them 'toot toots' No idea where that came from

I don't think it's a question of being embarrased to use the "correct" word. I think penis and vagina aren't particularly nice sounding words, nothing to do with what they refer to.

We use "Ninny" and "Dilly" while the kids are little, then it's whatever they want to call it when they get bigger

YANBU

I would be very annoyed if a teacher wasn't using the correct terms for teaching these things.

My dd uased to call it her 'gina we said vagina but she abbreviated it.Her brother called his penis a penis but was told off for 'swearing'by his friend's parents.Friend referred to his 'winkle' which caused great anxiety when we went to Northumberland on holiday and little friend saw all the stalls selling winkles by the bag!!
By the way my dd now has a 2yr old who has a 'willie' as penis is "too pretentious" for children[says her oh].

What did she call a 'gina? Her vulva? Or her vagina? This is why teachers need to use the anatomical terms. For precision.

You know, of all the euphemisms for girls genitals, I think I hate "bits' most.It sounds so dismissive and slightly distasteful.

I think children should know the proper words from day one. They can use other words - willies and bottoms and minis and all the rest, but they need to know the names. Especially girls - I think the lack of a universal "willy" equivalent is quite telling, actually! You could never imagine a Les Dawson character mouthing "willy" over the fence the way he did "down there"!

They are called DINKLE & NINNY NOO and that's the end of it!!!

I think that whatever name is used its more important that the parents can use it without being uncomfortable or making it sound embarrassing; I think the feeling the child gets is more important than the word.

But a teacher has to use the right terms -look at how every family here uses different names for different parts. How would it be helpful to the children to have just another (the teachers) euphemism added to their own? It isn't embarrassing or inappropriate for children to know the right words as well as their own slang words, especially as the OP says the parents have already agreed with the content of the scheme of work.

Hmm. Mine all say naughty bits (thank you Monty Python!) or delicates (dunno where they got that from). Any parental attempts to use other terms get treated like a rather boring biology lesson -- 'Muuuuum. We KNOW that. We did it in Year 1. And he DID whack me in the naughty bits, and I'm going to kill him.'

...but mine are probably scarred for life now by a permanent feeling that Sex is Wrong and Bums are Bad.

Can't win 'em all.

on a slightly different but associated note do you say pee or wee? I think ds should wee but dh says pee.