2 year old says "What's this?" - pointing to lady bits. What to say?

[notenoughlicorice]

My 2 year old says "What's this?" - pointing to her lady bits.
I am not sure what to tell her.

I don't want her to grow up ashamed etc, though also want to be careful what words I try to teach her.

What are polite words she wouldn't get in trouble for using at school?
What words are considered acceptable for a young girl to use?

There is also a distinct possibiity that she will adopt the word I tell her, but in her own way (she calls her bottom 'bumbie' - which is cute though).

I realise that "fanjo" seems to be popular on Mumsnet but don't think I want her running about saying fanjo... (or is it commonwith littlies?)

Any tips from others who have been down this road?

What to say?

[CrazyAlien06]

My daughter is 2 and calls the area her private lady bits. I'm not keen on the terms fanny etc.
The term is recommended from a safeguarding children point of view and since i trained as a teacher it's kind of stuck. I'll get more technical when she is much older.

[Herisson]

When my DD asked (she was also very little) I told her that it was her vulva and that she also has a vagina inside her just like me and it was the opening where a baby could come out if she chose to be a mummy one day. She was entirely untroubled by the idea and quite interested by the concept of having emerged from mine. She now says foofoo usually but she does know the proper words (and this has been useful eg when she told me her foofoo was itchy recently and I asked if she meant her vulva or her vagina).

[notenoughlicorice]

oh, lady feather is so sweet! Strange but sweet!

Pipka sounds cute too.

Front bottom reminds me of Tim Brooke-Taylor from the Goodies for some reason...

Can't say I had ever heard minnie, nuni, puni, betweens, tweens, or foof before, so I did learn something of use (am studying teaching).

Private parts is so sensible and I had completely forgotten that expression so thanks heaps.

Vajayjay is cute and jina does the trick too.

Wilma! sounds very empowered - I like it

Will just have to see what she goes with after I give her input.

[notenoughlicorice]

Thanks for the replies!

I am usually so on top of things this one caught me off guard.
I was all ready for her to touch herself (her father wasn't), and let her know it was ok to do that at home.
I do fully intend on teaching her the scientific names, just perhaps not just yet as she is only starting out in English (her second language).
I didn't want to make her feel ashamed, but didn't want her running around trying to say vulva and vagina (which she would) as we live in a rather culturally sensitive area and she might get picked on/ostracised/riduculed for speaking the truth. She already is facing an uphill challenge having a foreign mother that doesn't speak the local language very well, so I didn't want to make it worse than it need be.

I have actually been telling her they are [her] bits, and she points to my region and says "mummy's bits" which is cute. Her nanny was horrified when she has hers pointed at and named this morning... oh well.

Twinkle is cute to rhyme with winkle, but Twinkle Twinkle Little Star being her fave I don't want to take anything away from that as she has just learnt to sing it with the actions and is so happy about it as is.

Feel free to add more as I do love to hear what those in the UK are actually doing with the English language these days.

[ZingWantsCake]

oh and I forgot to add a recently learnt one:

Wilma!

I think it's brilliant! Willy and Wilma!

[BurberryQ]

you must be Polish BazilGin

[BazilGin]

Pipka

[CreatureRetorts]

Vulva is what I've told dd and ds.

[matana]

Minnie

[ZingWantsCake]

having been involved in a recent thread you could

a, call it a vulva, which is a term to describe the external female genitalia that consists of the clitoris, labia major, labia minor & vagina (and urethra? am I forgetting something? )

b, call it whatever you want for now.the choices are: fanny, nuni, puni, girlie bits, girly parts, minnie, front bottom,betweens or tweens, foof etc.

when she is older introduce the term vulva.

c, let her call it whatever she wants.
a friend of mine used to call her vulva "little squirrel". why not?

[bouncingbelle]

We grew up using 'front bottom' but my sister uses 'vajayjay' with her little girl (for now).

[BillyBanter]

Same, valium.

Jina is good, actually.

Is it ok if I say I got hurt on the bonce instead of saying the skull or even parietal bone? Can I say I've got a keeker instead of saying I have a circumorbital haematoma? (providing I'm in Scotland at the time)

I think it's worth telling children the real names for things but we nickname all sorts of things in our daily language so not sure what the problem is with nicknames for vulvas and penes. It won't lead to shame unless we behave as if it is shameful.

[crochetcircle]

Our dd (2.3 years old) calls hers her jina (vagina). Not as accurate as vulva but a more common name for it I think. She came home from nursery calling it her nonnie but I thought that was ridiculous so we called it a vagina.

I think the right answer is it's whatever you feel comfortable with. There's no right or wrong, just what works for you.

[valiumredhead]

I'm 43 and have never ever heard vulva used not even by doctors,MN is the only place

[VinegarDrinker]

My DS (2.5) also has a penis (with glans & foreskin), scrotum and perineum.

I don't see the point in twee euphemisms.

[VinegarDrinker]

Vulva. It's what it is.

[drawsofdrawers]

Was just thinking the same birdy. Also just thought OP has said 'lady bits' herself...

[birdybear]

this topic comes up on average once a week! i mean, people, is it so hard? are you going to post every time your kid points to its knee or head or toe or any other part of the body and ask what should you call it?

dear me ...

[drawsofdrawers]

Vulva.

Bearing in mind you shit out your arse I think front bottom is horrid.

[mummybare]

We have decided to go with twinkle and winkle, as it seems fitting that genitals should comprise a matching set

DD is only 17mo and only has the odd word but is doing a lot of pointing with a questioning look on her face.

The only trouble is that when anyone sings Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, she points at her bits

We will, of course, tech her the proper names as she builds her vocabulary, but have decided to go with the more toddler-friendly words for now.

[sweetiepie1979]

Lady feather is nice!

[plentyofsoap]

My ds decided that it should be called a lady feather. I have no idea where this came from!

[sweetiepie1979]

Yes I've never liked front bottom buy I have to admit I didn't know what to say. I'll use vulva from now on maybe fanny is crude though