Female genitalia

[fractionated]

Hello! What are you all teaching your daughters to call their genitalia?

I have been using penis and willy interchangeably with my son, but am wondering what to use for my daughter. More because my son is starting to notice that she doesn't have a willy and I want to know what he should call hers.

I know vulva is really the best term, but I wish there was a "willy" equivalent... I don't want to be squeamish... I don't really want to use vagina as it's not really anatomically correct but at least it is a proper word and people are starting to use that more... more than they do vulva.

I don't want to say something stupid like "flower" or "lady bits". Ideas?

We recently had a senior consultant paediatric urology specialist refer to it as a “front bottom” to my 6 year old. She whispered to her dad “Doesn’t he know it’s a vulva?”

That's ridiculous

Ah - yes we used foo foo I’m afraid , but DD also learnt the real word vulva. Same as using winkie for boys bits but also willy. My mum always used ‘tiddles’ but that was unisex and used for both my brother and me.

Also used ‘your private parts’ for both DS and DD.

God I still call it a 'fandy' to my dd6. When she was smaller it was her 'fandy dandy'. My dh does not approve though.

Vagina because your sister has a vagina and you have a willy / penis is correct. Mainly it's been my sister doesn't have a willy and that's as far as is needed. If I was pushed to label parts it would be correctly.

@beingarayofsun except it would be incorrect to call it vagina...

Fanny

Vulva and girl bits/bits. Boys have boy bits, willy, penis and er... peanuts

I've made it to 35 and had two children and never ever referred to my 'vulva'. I don't particularly want to use it with my DD either. I don't get the hand wringing over the use of vagina for the whole area, it's more universally recognised and it also works for the protection against abuse argument. We don't tend to use anatomically accurate words for every single part of our bodies ALL the time, so why get het up about the vulva/vagina thing?

I don't get the hand wringing over the use of vagina for the whole area, it's more universally recognised and it also works for the protection against abuse argument

This was what I was thinking when posting earlier. I worry that an adult may not know what vulva means when a child is trying to disclose, especially as a lot of people may not be fluent in English.

Thanks all. This chat has made me feel more confident to use vulva. It is the correct term and I do feel strongly about the fact that the only reason many ppl don't know that is because people are scared of women's bits. It is a feminist issue to bring up our children using the right words.

However I do think a more informal name is useful. Maybe "private parts" or "wee wee", both unisex and kind of do what they say on the tin?

👍

My vote would be "private parts" or maybe "girl bits". Not "wee wee" cause that means urine!

Front bum/bottom is horrible. Too associated with being dirty for me.

It's not a question of being 'het up', more a case of being accurate, YouForgetYourself. Most people will use pet names but it is a good idea to know the correct name for our parts.

My son calls his willy his wee wee sometimes because that's what he uses it for. I guess the same is essentially true for girls, and I like the fact they would both say the same informal name but also know the correct anatomical terms...

You could use vag maybe? Or is that too adult?

Fanny is pretty universal in this area.

Ubiquitous not universal ☺️

What about "chuff"

I taught vulva and vagina (she used to say gina), but at school she's been taught to call it "my private parts" and that's all she will call it now.

Il say vagina When my Lo asks

I can see how calling it things like 'cookie' could lead to confusion in some situations, but I really don't understand the hand-wringing over vulva vs vagina. Yes it's less anatomically correct, but it's the right area. I can't imagine someone saying as an equivalent "No darling, that's not your ear that hurts, it's your auditory canal".

Ah ok in that case we'll just start using testicles for penis and vice versa. It's all in the same area, right?!

🙄

Can you imagine a man calling his testicles his penus and saying 'oh it's the right area so what does it matter'. I don't think so.. is it only girls who don't matter.