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Original poster

What to call testicles!

48 replies

Teasavedmylife · 22/07/2018 18:27

My 2yr old son has got pretty good language skills and has been referring to his penis as his willy for a while now. Loves to talk to me about (and demonstrate Hmm) his willy wiggling when he gets out of the bath!!
Today he pointed to his tescticles and asked “what’s this” and I didn’t really know what to tell him... Balls? Nuts? Straight to testicles? (Which to me sounds pretty weird but maybe the best option?!)
Trivial question I know but any tips? Ta Smile

OP posts:
RoseAndRose · 22/07/2018 19:21

Yes, oh spammer, I'm sure she does! But what does she think is suitable terminology for a very young child to use for genitalia?

NoArmaniNoPunani · 22/07/2018 19:25

I was all for DS using the correct terms, especially as he had to see a paediatric urologist. So we spent time discussing the correct terms.
At the appt the Dr said 'let's have a look at your willy' 😂😂

Original poster
Teasavedmylife · 22/07/2018 19:42

NoArmaniNoPunani that’s fantastic 😂

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mindutopia · 22/07/2018 19:50

Testicles. There’s great research to support calling things exactly what they are. It gives them unambiguous language they can use to talk about their bodies.

My dd has said vagina and penis since she was 2. In fact, at 2, she’s announced to the entire extended family at Christmas lunch, “I came out of mummy’s vagina!” They’ll learn lots of other words in school, but better to start with the ones that are anatomically correct.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 22/07/2018 20:03

I’m not a testicle fan...! Ok they need to know that’s the official name, but no one ever calls them that. I have a DH, 3 dses, a boy dog, and have heard the word testicles about ooh......once. See pp willy example above.

Pp with the stupid face up thread may do, but it’s not normal imo.

Or maybe in the south east we’re just a bit downmarket.

Chinnyreckoning · 22/07/2018 20:06

Chuckiea

Chinnyreckoning · 22/07/2018 20:06

Chuckies

NakedMum33and3rd · 22/07/2018 20:09

We told our boys 'testicles'. My 4 year old announced in the bath that he was cleaning his 'tentacles'.

BertieBotts · 22/07/2018 20:14

Testicles, but DS picked up balls from somewhere and I'm OK with that too. Like DS knows both penis and willy.

I, too, realised we had neglected to explain the name of them when I was carrying him on my hip one day and he complained that I was squashing his "Mussels sprouts" :o :o :o

I do think it's important that they have a recognisable term for their body parts. It doesn't really matter if it's an anatomical term or just a commonly recognised slang term, but it shouldn't be something cutesy which only your family uses. It's about child protection unfortunately.

BertieBotts · 22/07/2018 20:15

I did want to keep mussels sprouts though because it was so cute. And I suppose they do feel a bit like sprouts...

Tanaqui · 22/07/2018 20:18

Somehow very young ds must have heard balls or bollocks, because his became his bollybits- did also tell him testicles, and once at school it did become peanuts (and then later balls/ nuts etc). I was very fond of bollybits though!

EscapistTendencies · 22/07/2018 20:22

Well technically what he's pointing to is his scrotal sacks which house the testicles. Testicles can't be seen from outside the body . I just told mine testicles, by the time he got to school his friends all had their own names for them, nuts seemed to be the most popular in the early years, now it's balls. I think teaching correct names in the early years is best, they'll learn the slang when they're a bit older.

ProudThrilledHappy · 22/07/2018 20:26

Ds knows the correct terms but seems to have picked up the terms “my junk” and “nut sack” which he now uses alternately with great joy Blush

Pondering1 · 22/07/2018 20:31

In our house it's willy and dangles! Know what you mean about giving them an innocent name!

Original poster
Teasavedmylife · 22/07/2018 20:35

BertieBotts didn’t even think about child protection tbh! So cutesy family specific isn’t recommended in that sense?

OP posts:
Original poster
Teasavedmylife · 22/07/2018 20:36

Some of these names like “tentacles” and “mussel sprouts” have really made me laugh! Kids!

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Jaks6740 · 22/07/2018 21:50

It's willybob and billys in our house for my son. Penis and testicles feel too weird to say to my little boy Confused X

BertieBotts · 23/07/2018 09:51

Yep because if (God forbid) your child was being abused and they disclosed this information, it's much easier for somebody outside the family to recognise something is amiss if for example a child says "Uncle Billy says my vulva is really pretty" rather than "Uncle Billy says my flower is really pretty".

arbrighton · 23/07/2018 11:51

Just their proper name. I read somewhere recently that proper names are best in case, heaven forbid, they need to describe something that has happened to them

Original poster
Teasavedmylife · 23/07/2018 12:04

Cheers, never thought about it from that perspective!

OP posts:
fieryginger · 23/07/2018 14:12

I used to call them tessies.

NotUmbongoUnchained · 23/07/2018 14:18

My nearly 2 year old calls them his Nads. Which I love Grin

Ticketybooboo · 23/07/2018 14:22

Mine knows that they are testicles but they get called peanuts.

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