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Original poster

words for genitals

33 replies

sleeplessinderbyshire · 16/03/2011 23:01

DD has got brilliant at knowing body parts and pointing at them. Tonight in the bath she was pointing her bits and saying "what's this?". any good suggestions for a phrase? Boys are so easy with willy.I don't want to use some ridiculous euphamism, "twinkle" seems to be the word of choice round here but is very twee (and we know a cat called twinkle so that's properly wierd".) Have debated the "proper anatomy words" but sounds bizarre from a toddler and anyway what would one say - "vulva", "labia"? think the girls at nursery would find that properly odd. A friend suggested "fanny" but when I was growing up this was practically aswear word so I really hate the idea of using it

HELPPPP

OP posts:

Valpollicella · 16/03/2011 23:03

Vagina?

AnnieOnAMapleLeaf · 16/03/2011 23:03

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

harecare · 16/03/2011 23:04

I think vulva is quite a pretty and soft sounding word and since it actually is correct I've sort of gone down that road, but shortened it to vuvu/vuvy.

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TheBreastmilksOnMe · 16/03/2011 23:07

'Privates' for a girl and 'willy' for a boy but DS calls it his 'woo-woo'. I did start out thinking that I would use the correct names for their bits before I had children but when it came to the crunch I just couldn't bring myself to say 'penis' to my 2yr old. To me it seems more appropriate to use a more babyish name whilst they are little and teach them the correct terms when they are a bit older.

FunnysInTheGarden · 16/03/2011 23:07

for some reason when we were little it was known as your 'mary'. Dunno why.

cashmeregoat · 16/03/2011 23:10

My DD says fanny. I think it's quite sweet, didn't realise it might be sweary.

Spandangle · 16/03/2011 23:47

we say fanny.
i hve seen a number of threads asking this question---why do we have such a problem with refering to female genitals?????? its crazy.

Joolyjoolyjoo · 16/03/2011 23:51

We say "bits" The girls have girls' bits and the boy has boy's bits. They do know the proper names, but I always think it's a bit weird hearing formal anatomical terms coming out of little children's mouths- they don't call their tummy their abdomen, or their knee their stifle joint, so I don't feel they must call their bits by their sunday names either!

kreecherlivesupstairs · 17/03/2011 07:38

DD used to call her bits her woowoo. It became something else and is now her banjo.
She did tell me a couple of weeks ago that she'd hurt her labia on her bike. She had. She does know the proper names but prefers something less formal.

Octaviapink · 18/03/2011 19:13

DD calls it her foof, and DS's penis is his winkie.

budgieshell · 18/03/2011 19:28

I knew someone who called it a Francis after the nurse at the doctors surgery (seemed funny at the time). This was adopted by my DD's when they were little but they said it fyancis and it has stayed the same, the problem is no body knows what they mean so be carefull these words can stay with them a long time. I did hear front bottom which I think says all you need to know.

Scruffyhound · 18/03/2011 20:31

My 5 yr old DS says Willy. And he uses front bottom for a girl I did not tell him that one so not sure where hes got it from. I agree I think penis and vagina should be used as its the correct term. However there are terms that are confusing. My DS heard someone refer to their female dog as a bitch. My DS has heard that word and said oh no thats a naughty word when he heard the woman say it. I tried to explain but its too confusing for a 5yr old. So we have left it a bitch is a naughty word as dont want him saying it at school and not be able to explain his self!!

lurcherlover · 18/03/2011 22:05

In our house girls have front bottoms and boys have tinkles.

I'm a bit stumped when it comes to testicles though...any suggestions, or is the proper word all that's appropriate here?

Original poster

sleeplessinderbyshire · 19/03/2011 17:24

still stuck on this. It's not vagina as she's just ointing in the general genital area. Could use "front bottom" I suppose but i've alway thought that was really confusing - it it the general region, the vagina, the urethra? Almost tempted by "bits" or "down there" but neither of those are great

aargh, sometimes I wish I had a boy

OP posts:

whatkatiedidnext31 · 19/03/2011 21:16

My 3 year old son calls his bits, his 'Dinky' and girls bits are a 'fluflu'...we have just got to the stage where he is definately noticing the differences between him and his 1 year old sister!
Oh well!!

prettybird · 19/03/2011 21:21

How about the good ol' Mumsnet expression of "fanjo"?

FWIW: in Glasgow, shool kids will be taught the correct words (penis, nipple and vulva) at the age of 5 - but only as one of a list of "body parts" and to ensure a common vocabulary - because, as this thread already shows, there are so many different expressions that people use.

Maki79 · 19/03/2011 22:26

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the posters request.

quickchat · 20/03/2011 19:42

I have a DS & a DD and I just go universal with bum & bits!

In the bath I will say, right, lets wash your bum & bits to him then the same to her.

blinder · 20/03/2011 19:56

I liked the idea of the poster above who uses vuvy as a shortening of vulva. It's a bit like tummy evolving to stomach. I'll probably use that with my dd.

bobbinogs · 20/03/2011 20:04

My dd2 knows vulva but usually calls it her tuppence. Dh came up with that, think its lancastrian. I like it, sweet but not silly and no sweary connotations

audley · 20/03/2011 20:06

My DS says willy and minnie. DS heard my friend tell me about her new car and that Sunday in church he told anyone who cared to listen that "Lesley has a mini and I have a willy"!
My mum used to call willies "tails". I remember saying that I had never seen a girl dog because they have all got tails.

bobbinogs · 20/03/2011 20:07

Tho dd and ds were once v confused when watching mary poppins.... Feed the birds tuppence a bag...

DaydreamDollyisshrinking · 20/03/2011 20:09

We call it front bottom but like the idea of fanjo

Incidentally today, DD (20 months) was at a friends and she had a doll on her lap and she seemed to be poking it in the genital area. I got closer and asked what she was doing to baby and she said, 'Baby's tail!' It was an anotomically correct boy baby doll... thought it was quite sweet really

matana · 21/03/2011 12:49

My niece has a minnie - i've always called it that from when she was born and my sister thought it was quite sweet so continues to use it.

My DS has a winkie.

Kosmik · 21/03/2011 15:34

My daughter always referred to her genitals as her 'girl'. My son calls his genitals his 'weewee'

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