Word for vagina?

[ncnewbaby]

Parents of girls, what word do you use for vagina? I have a baby girl and can't remember what we used growing up!

I don't mind using correct names in a medical setting, but I don't understand why they need using outside of it.
Most of us talk about tummies and kneecaps so I can't see it being any different when referring to genitals.

I have boys but they know lady bits are a vulva

Loving the people falling over themselves to insist they’re using ‘noggin’ routinely with their children.

😂😂😂😂

We use "bits". It's what I grew up with and it works pretty well. As others have said there are plenty of other body parts with anatomical names and more informal names so not sure why this is any different. Using that name didn't stop any conversations in our house growing up. In fact my DM was so open and easy to talk to my friends would ask her things they didn't feel comfortable asking their own parents. My DD will learn the anatomical names just like she'll learn everything else as she gets older.

@Simonjt 😂😂😂 Rhinal means relating to the nose, no one ( not even doctors I know) say blow your rhinal. Good try.

DD knew it was a vulva but if it needed mentioning day to day we said girl bits

Vagina. But at the time my child couldn't say it and it called it 'China' for ages.

@Nearlytheretrees

DD knew it was a vulva but if it needed mentioning day to day we said girl bits

Exactly this for us too.

No one could misunderstand what she meant by girl bits if she needed to communicate to someone about it, plus she knows the correct terms if needed.

Fanny. We'll get into vulva/vagina at some point. We're still on fanny and willy right now

Fanny is awful! Also confusing if you ever meet an American. 😂

Not read all the replies but I refer to vulva, with the occasional smattering of "lady bits" or "front bum"

Typically I say vulva but when they are in the shower I will often say that it's time to wash your bottom, your back bum where your poo comes out, and then now it's time to wash your front bum then rinse your vulva (just with water).

I made a conscious decision to go with vulva as its important in terms of protecting them.

Also agree with others to check out NSPCC pants

@dontletthemugglesgetyoudownn

Oh come on they aren’t going to think the child has literally had a muffin from her lunch touched - and I am sure the parent will be able to tell them if it’s really so confusing.

if I told my doctor that my knee hurt he would understand what I meant but muff/fanny/bits etc would just be confusing. Especially as he is Italian.
And I do know the difference between vulva and vagina and would use the correct term.

We just refer to it as foof

The main issue is that any word used needs to be identifiable as to what it’s describing - if a child discloses that X touched her cookie, adults are less likely to pick it up as something to investigate than saying X touched her front bottom/girl bits/vagina/privates.

We frequently use words like tummy with young children instead of saying stomach. So long as the word used is clearly describing the correct body part then what’s the issue?

I teach Year 4; they all know vagina/vulva/penis/testicles but if there’s a playground incident I tend to hear ‘X kicked the football into my balls’ and know exactly what they mean!

Generally we say vulva (she’s only 4 so vagina hasn’t really come up yet??)

Sometimes I say foof which she thinks is hilarious

Vulva/vagina for girls, penis/scrotum/testicles for boys. I don’t understand calling perfectly normal body parts by a frou-frou name.

[quote dontletthemugglesgetyoudownn]**@ncnewbaby* but god forbid something happened to your child (sexual assault or inappropriate touching) and they tell a teacher that they've been touched on a insert childish name for vagina* how do the police or you know exactly where the touching has happened? Muffin could mean anything etc [/quote]
We use front bottom.
Anyone with half a brain would know what that means and my two year old wouldn't be able to properly pronounce vagina yet so I think it's more sensible to use a word people would understand when she says it.

I think your child is unlikely to need to refer to her vagina. I suspect you’re meaning vulva, and don’t want to use the word. I understand that, although I personally don’t agree. I know parents who say willy and fanny instead of penis and vulva.

Front bottom. Foof.

These are supposedly better than saying vulva? I’m cringing so hard at this thread. Genuinely this is so embarrassing.

Foof. I just can’t even cope

@girlmom21 try vulva, that’s easier.

It's ok for people to be casual and silly with their children. A vulva can be a foof. A foot can be a footsy-wootsy. A dog can be bugger. A tv remote can be a doodad. A younger sibling can a snuggle bug. It might be a bit cringey to some people but every family has their own way of communicating.

Some people on this thread sound depressingly formal and serious with their nearest and dearest.

We used to call the TV remote 'the buttons'.

We don't get hung up on boys calling their testicles 'balls'.

[quote PinkMochi]@Helpstopthepain why did you teach your dc to use the word “cunt”? That’s awful.

Also, most women in this thread say they’re using “anatomically correct” terms, but they’re not. It’s vulva, not vagina (which is only one part of your vulva). Do these women use words like bum, bottom, boobs and willy? Because those aren’t the “proper” scientific words either. If a girl said her “bits were hurting” then I’d know what she meant.[/quote]
I didn’t, I was replying to someone else who thought it was appropriate!