I expect this is a well discussed topic but what word do you use for...

[MadameCheese]

...a girl's privates? Sorry my DS is 2 and already refers to his "willy". I'm expecting a girl in a couple of weeks but can't think of a term. This sounds like I'm the biggest weirdo ever, I don't think I've put it very well...

Nah -- let's start as we mean to go on and call it a fanjo, so she knows exactly what Mumsnet is going on about later.

And there we have the solution!

Thank goodness you didn't all think I was a troll so thank you for all of your replies :). Vulva seems far too clinical for a little one, and I hate the word fanny. Still stuck...

dd's use Minnie here,ds's Willy

I should have looked at the replies properly, I wouldn't have thought it would have sparked such a debate. TBH it's more for my DS's benefit, as he will probably want to know why she doesn't have a willy/penis when helping me with her nappies.

I think privates, or the real names

I think it is important children actually know what their body parts are.

lol at ShowofReachyGrabbers.

DD - Flower
DS - Willy

They are 7. After reading this thread I think I need to re-think the first one.

Children's charities suggest that you should give your child's genitals a name that can be instantly recognised as a name for genitals.

Sadly, this is so that if a child says to a teacher that "X says they're going to touch my ", the teacher will not misunderstand and think it is innocent.

For this reason, I wouldn't advise the word "flower" or "hose", because a flower is only a flower and people touch those all the time.

I took my 3 year old DS to the loo at a leisure centre the other day and there was a woman in there with her 4 ish year old DD. The DD was in the cubicle, and the mother shouted to her "have you wiped your fairy?" WTF???
My DS (who was at the time exclaiming "my poo is sinking mummy") stopped what he was doing and asked why there was a fairy in the other cubicle! I was trying not to laugh and said "I think the little girl's mummy means her vagina". My 18 month old DD then started running around the loos shouting "me 'gina me 'gina" whilst grabbing at her bits.
So, to answer your question, it's a vagina in our house.

Anybody in a cubicle next to us might end up very confused. Because 'hurry up and wipe Hamish' is often muttered by me. Hamish is a panda, much loved and often dragged around by dd.

Crikey! If I'm in discussion with my mum about anything of this nature (and we both used to be nurses) we wouldn't use the words vagina or vulva TBH , neither would I have used them whilst washing a female patient. I've remembered my mum says "flue" so I'm going to use that , I know some of you may disapprove and think I'm a prude but there...