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Original poster

DD and her clitoris

10 replies

rhubarbcat · 13/12/2006 20:03

She's 5 and has taken to parting her own labia and poking it while saying that she has a "willy". I've explained to her its not her willy and only boys have willies. She asked me what it was and I didn't know what to say, so told her it was part of her front bottom.

Should I just tell her its called a clitoris? I just dread to think what other parents will think when their kids come home talking about clitorisis and say that my DD told them...

I feel like a prude for not been more honest with her now.

OP posts:
Chandra · 13/12/2006 20:11

I'm not sure Rhubarb, I have a friend that being a doctor decided to be totally honest and "correct" to her DD questions. It all started with the question asking how babies get into mum's tummy, to the day she found her 5 year old was using toilet paper as compreses as she was worried to stain herself when it arrived. Not to mention asking everyone who arrived at home whether they had a penis or a vagina...

amynnixmum · 13/12/2006 20:13

At 5 I would be inclined to just lump it in with whatever you call the rest of it For us it all gets labelled 'bits'.

Peggotty · 13/12/2006 20:16

i don't think there's any need to get too technical at that age really. 'Part of your front bottom' sounds ok to me. I hate to hear littleuns trilling about their penises and vaginas. They're willies and front bottoms, so there!

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handlemecarefully · 13/12/2006 20:16

Stick with 'part of her front bottom'!, and perhaps tell her that it's private and so perhaps she should only be doing that in private not in company (i.e. not repressing her and telling her not to do it at all, just encouraging her not to be quite so public about it)

Original poster
rhubarbcat · 13/12/2006 20:18

Thankfully we were at home, not in the playground She knows its private, but is also at the stage where she likes shouting bum, poo, willy to try and get a reaction. Don't want to add clitoris to the list, so think I'll leave it with what I said

OP posts:
pooka · 13/12/2006 20:19

It's a tricky one. I got all tied up in knots when dd was first into having a name for "things" and called it a vagina (when actually the bit she was referring to was the vulva). Having just seen Georgina the Giraffe in 64 Zoo Lane, she now calls the area her gina. Fine. Then on a packed train the other day she asked how babies got out of your tummy (after I explained that gently sawing a hole in my tummy so ds could get back in as she suggested might hurt a bit). I said they come out of your gina. She asks loudly "what, into the loo?".
She's three. I'm too young for this. Feel like one day I need to sit down on my own and predict all thorny questions that will be asked (re: death, birth, father christmas, religion) so can have responses rehearsed rather than saying something and then having to deal with the perfectly reasonable quibbles she has with my versions.

BlessThisMess · 13/12/2006 20:56

Well I thought I'd be all upfront and told my 5yo DD it was called a clitoris, and somewhere along the line she's got confused, and calls it her Mavis!!! I was hysterical with laughter the first time she said it!

pooka · 13/12/2006 20:58

Aaah Mavis is a lovely name!

MerryPiffmas · 13/12/2006 21:00

We call them girly bits, seems to cover much of teh worst aspects

7swansaswimmingup · 13/12/2006 21:14

sorry rhubarb but the title cracked me up! i can just picture your dd saying it and its made me chuckle. luckily i only have boys so "willy" is the only word i have to worry about at the moment until the eldest starts calling it a cock i spose

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