Names for Genitalia?

[irishmum]

Hello,

What words do you use to describe female genitalia? Generally speaking, I go with the use-proper-names approach, although I don’t necessarily want to use clinical/medical terms for everything. I want my children to be comfortable with their bodies and their age-appropriate sexuality – that’s why I don’t really like the term “private area” at least as the term I will use the majority of the time. Thus, if I had a boy, I would use the word penis. But I am uncertain what words to use for my 18-month-old daughter’s genitalia. To me, vagina isn’t accurate because that’s an internal organ and it’s not used for peeing (the urethra is). I’m leaning toward vulva or mons or something like that. Any thoughts? Any children’s books about this subject, along the line of “Everybody has a Belly Button” or “Everybody Poops?”

Thanks for all your input!

[Tine]

Hi there!

The best all-inclusive term I've heard for female genitalia is "yoni." It more or less gets at what you're looking for. I know of some families who use this term.

We don't use the term -- mainly because I want Maria to have a term that others will understand. (I don't think most people have heard "yoni.") I chose "vagina" because it's analogous to "penis." The latter doesn't really describe all the boy parts either, but it's the primary part, KWIM? Ditto for "vagina."

I plan to teach Maria the other words for her girl parts when she's a little older, or whenever she asks, or whenever it comes up naturally.

[Tine]

P.S. May I suggest posting this question in the toddler forum? Lots of mamas there are probably dealing (or have dealt) with the same question. They might have some good ideas for you.

[Dancianna]

I had read enough that convinced me to use "vulva", but my boys are older now and "private area" is pretty much used for girls.

[Sheryl1678]

I always use the words penis and vagina for my dd. She shortened it to "gie" (rhymes with pie).

As she got older (now 3.5), she has asked me what is "inside her gie" and I have explained vulva, cervix, vagina as she asks. She also asked about her clitoris. If she wants to know, I explain the difference and I usually use the proper term.

[annethcz]

We use vulva or private area, depending on the circumstance.

[snguyen]

Originally Posted by annethcz

We use vulva or private area, depending on the circumstance.

:

[JSerene]

We taught our dd vulva and when she got older named the specific parts therein.

[mytwogirls]

Vagina. (and if I had a boy it would have been penis)

[LavenderMae]

Vulva and penis.

[ann_of_loxley]

We use the terms penis and vulva.

[mamazee]

Vulva and penis. She knows the word vagina too, as in "When mommy has the baby, the baby will come out of her vagina." So she knows it as a word for "birth canal" I guess.

[brightonwoman]

:
I only have boys, so it's been simple thus far...
I remember as a child myself, my sister and I came up with the term 'front bum' for ourselves...it looked about like a bum but it was in front...
I think I like yoni personally, but DH won't go for it I suspect. So we'll probably end up going with vulva.

on a related note--my 22mo calls his penis "piscene" I don't know how he came up with that from penis, but whatever!!

[heidirk]

penis, and scrotum. It will be vulva when we have a girl. I'd add clitoris and vagina as the subjects arise.

[brightonwoman]

Originally Posted by mamazee

Vulva and penis. She knows the word vagina too, as in "When mommy has the baby, the baby will come out of her vagina." So she knows it as a word for "birth canal" I guess.

I confess to telling my then 4yo that it was a 'baby tunnel' (I should have said birth canal but didn't think of it at the time). I told him uterus, but didn't say vagina because I didnt' want him repeating it to the neighbor kids...I tihnk he would have made me the pariah of the neighborhood moms if he'd taught all the kids to run around saying vagina (and he totally would have)

[karemore]

Glad to read this! DD is 3 1/2.

I feel the same way about saying vagina when we aren't talking about her vagina.

Doesn't make sense to me to use a real word incorrectly, and I don't want her to feel embarassed or confused about her body.

[Mama Poot]

Oh boy...we've been using "pee-pee" as a general name for the boys. But a distinction is going to need to be made soon since they have a baby sister now. For girls I think using "vulva" makes more sense, as a pp said you don't pee out your vagina, so that wouldn't be the right word to use.

[Rivka5]

We say vulva. It felt a little weird to me at first, but my daughter sees it as totally normal and natural.

As the need has developed, we've taught her the names for specific parts. She wanted to know what her clitoris was called (this was during potty training, when there was both a lot of nakedness and a lot of interest in that area of the body), and I told her. Now that I'm pregnant and we've been talking about that, I've told her that "the baby will come out of my vagina, which is a special place in my vulva that opens up to let the baby out."

[Mama Mko]

Vulva and Penis.

[AbbieB]

I used vulva when DD was young and added vulva, clitoris and urethra when the subject came up. When I was pregnant uterus and ovary came up.

When DS was born penis and testicles entered out vocabulary. About a month after he was born I realized I was using the wrong word . The part that is visible is his scrotum.



Privately to DH I refer to DS's bits as his baby junk. As in "Make sure you wipe all of his baby junk." or "Make sure his baby junk is pointing down." Why this cracks me up so much I do not know. The movie Juno warped my fragile little mind I guess.