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Is your child ready for potty training at nursery? Here's the place for all your toilet training questions.

Potty training

Names for girl parts.....

28 replies

JennyPenny23 · 22/05/2010 22:11

Sorry I know the names for girl parts thread has been done loads but I just don't know what to do.

DD1 started PT today and currently just calls everything there a "bum". Thing is, there isn't a single other name that I feel comfortable using with her, for her girl parts. But I know this is the time that I can use to teach her this as she has been looking there and asking questions. But if I do, she is likely to pick up on the fact I am uncomfortable with it.

She knows boys have willys and thats fine, I feel happy with that. But its the girl bits I have issues with and really don't want to let her see this.

Anybody else feel like this or have any advice?

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thisisyesterday · 22/05/2010 22:14

you just need to call it a vulva and be done with it!

trust me, I feel your pain! i find it very, very difficult to utter the word penis in front of my sons, and so i said nothing. DS1 has never even asked what it is called, so when i finally plucked up the courage to tell him that it's called a penis he said that actually it's called a wee-wee place. so that was taht

be brave, use the correct term. the more you say it the easier it will become

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JennyPenny23 · 22/05/2010 22:17

Thanks for your reply seems a good plan as I guess if none of the other words feel comfortable then it might as well be the right one!

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mumcow · 22/05/2010 22:31

Jenny I agree with thisisyesterday. I always taught my DD to name it vulva, the same way I taught her the correct names for all her anatomy. Swallow your embarrassment and teach her what she needs to know, she'll grow up without your shyness

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MarineIguana · 22/05/2010 22:35

I need a solution for this too. I hate "vulva" and I think it will sound pretentious and precocious if kids use it to other people. We say "willy" not penis, so vulva seems ridiculously poncy. I don't care if it's the correct term - I don't make my kids say patella or cranium, or even navel for that matter, just because it's the correct term.

I wish there was a word like willy that is widely used and well-known, but friendly and nice.

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mumcow · 22/05/2010 22:38

Mary!

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thisisyesterday · 22/05/2010 22:39

fanjo it is then! lol

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MarineIguana · 22/05/2010 22:39

Actually I used to babysit for a lentil-weaving family whose 6-yo would screech at me "Do you want to see my vulva???" I don't like it, it makes it sound as if we're so desperate to send the "don't be ashamed of your perfectly natural body parts" message that we make things excessively anatomical. IYSWIM.

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JetLi · 22/05/2010 22:40

It's a tuffet in our house

That's what we called it when my sis & I were young. I couldn't start calling it a volvo now if I tried! And the boys have todgers.

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MarineIguana · 22/05/2010 22:41

Hmm fanjo (but will always be reminded of MN threads) or fanny?

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FrameyMcFrame · 22/05/2010 22:41

I've just said front bum and back bum... not ideal but it's worked ok.

DD is 8 now and has picked up other words from school, such as fanny which I don't really like but as she gets older I guess it's up to her what she feels comfortable with.

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MarineIguana · 22/05/2010 22:41

I like tuffet!

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LynetteScavo · 22/05/2010 22:42

The only hting I can bring my self to call it when taklking to DD, especially when we could be over heard in public loos is "front bottom"

My DSs still call it her "missing willy"

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thisisyesterday · 22/05/2010 22:43

omg you don't really use todger do you?

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ticktockclock · 22/05/2010 22:45

We call it a mooshy in our house! That is what my grandmother called it with me and I have just carried it on.

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BikeRunSki · 22/05/2010 22:46

My friends and their daughter use "Wilma" - a female Willy!

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JetLi · 22/05/2010 22:46

Yep - the boys have todgers. Even the grown up ones

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mumcow · 22/05/2010 22:48

Jenny, assuming your DD is very young,why don't you ask her what her friends call it, tell her the proper name so she knows, then leave it up to her what to call it?

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OzMama22 · 22/05/2010 22:50

I was brought up with fanny - but DD has misheard me and named it her finny! DS has a willy.

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JennyPenny23 · 23/05/2010 08:23

mumcow - although thats a nice idea. She is 2 so wouldn't have a clue about what others say and all the children (cousins and uncles) that are close to us are boys!

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heth1980 · 24/05/2010 18:44

we have just always referred to DDs lady parts as 'bits' and that's what she now calls it. Somehow vulva sounds like too grown up a word for a little 2yo......

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herewegoloopyloo · 24/05/2010 18:53

I agree Vulva sounds a bit much from a 2 yr old (no good reason though). We use 'gina' - pronounced as in Vagina rather than the name 'Geenah'. This makes it recognisable to others nor cause confusion (my issue with euphemisms/names like foo-foo, flower, yoni - plus there is the childrens song about 'little rabbit foo-foo running through the forest...' ) but not quite so 'grown-up' as vulva. And yes, I realise it is not 100% anatomically correct - but good enough, I feel.
Personally, don't like front bottom - association with poo, perhaps - but personal preference....

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mrspir8 · 24/05/2010 19:42

At the weekend we were at a 5th birthday party and all the kids spontanously stripped off as soon as the paddling pool came out-one little girl who was a little older was giggling and holding herself and went "oh no- you can see my vagina"

It was weird made me chuckle but i did feel a little uncomfortable hearing such a big word from a little girl.

It's minnie in our house-it's what we grew up with at home.

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BafanaBafana · 24/05/2010 19:47

We grew up using the word 'fanny' but it seems a bit weird these days. We call DS's bits his willy and balls but he does know the correct words for them. I agree - I would like an alternative to vulva/vagina, but havent found one. This is what DS calls girl's bits, so I guess it is what we will say to DD when she is a bit older (still a baby). There is no corresponding word like 'willy', is there?

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fin54 · 25/05/2010 18:47

probably be slatted for this one but we call it flower lol

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MoChan · 25/05/2010 18:58

I don't see what's wrong with the word vulva. It's no more weird or clinical than any other body part name. My two year old uses it, and it sounds fine to me. Better than some cutesy moniker she'll find embarrassing later.

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