What to call private parts?

Dana - posted on 04/04/2012

My 13 year old son prefers to call them his "Twig & Giggle Berries" while my 15 year old calls it his wiener & the boys. They know what they are but like to use a nickname they are more comfortable with. I think it is cute.

Sherri - posted on 04/04/2012

I consider a penis a pee-pee or wiener - it is what they and I are comfortable with so, I have no problem with it.

Julie - posted on 04/04/2012

Using the trem 'private parts' or penis is fine.



I wouldn't call something anything it isn't - his penis is not a winky, right?



When answering adults tell them 'privates' and they will get the general idea, you do not need to be so specific -

Elfrieda - posted on 04/03/2012

It's weird at first, but for myself (my son has a testicle that went missing at 5 weeks) I have to talk about it sometimes, and I just say "testicle". For washing and talking to my 2 year old, I call the whole area "your bits" and the penis "penis". If people ask where his rash is, I don't think they mean where exactly on his groin, they probably mean is it a heat rash under his arms, is it on his face from drooling, or is it a diaper rash? I'd just say, "It's a diaper rash". As for your m-i-l, she probably doesn't mean any harm, try not to be offended.

Jenette - posted on 04/03/2012

Vagina, penis, testicals...they are what they are

Karrie - posted on 04/03/2012

I have a 8 year old son and of course he know the medical name for his boy bits now but I still call his penis his "Doo doo" or his "Dude" and his testies is sometimes his "package" or "your boys". His bumhole is his "starfish" When hes in the bathtub , We call his buttcrack ,groin, foreskin and armpits his 'BITS" Dont forget to clean your "Bits" ...Make sure you get all the soap outta your "bits" My son was born with an undecended testicle and had an operation to bring it down into his left sack when he was two years old the uriologist has done a yearly follow up for the last 5 years after the operation because gravity has alot to do with the sucess of the testes placement and growth. The Doctor called his testicle A "potatoe" when he examined his bag "Theres one potatoe... Good..Two potatoes.Fantastic." I cant recall my son using any of the terms (Medical or Nick names) given for his body in a negative or rude or shocking manner. Ive seen other children do it and It sure can get a rise out of any adults within earshot. We do have a funny little ditty for smelly bum.It goes like this...Used to sing it when I was running his bath when he was a little guy!



Poo bum.. doodle doodle doodle doo

Poo bum.. doodle doodle doodle doo

POO BUM doodle doodle doodle dooo



With a stinky "STARFISH" too!!



Doodle doodle doodle doodle doodle doooooooooooo!! POO POO!!

Ms. - posted on 04/03/2012

Well I am a grandmother and this is what I use in my household:



Penis - Puppy Dog

Balls - Marbles

Breasts - Chi Chi's(chee-chee's)

Vagina - Flower

Butt - Cupcakes for girls & Bootjack for boys



Thats just me, I was not comfortable with penis, balls, etc. When they get older then we will have that discussion.

Genevieve - posted on 04/03/2012

I am not gearing children up for sexual assault. But if it came to that, pointing things out and saying the wrong term will not fly in a court room. It has to be the proper term. Every time. No ifs ands or buts about it. No time like the present to teach them the proper words. Nothing to worry about.

Deborah - posted on 04/03/2012

Boy parts.



we call my daughter's genitals her 'girl parts"



I agree wholeheartedly they don't need to know the technical terms at such a young age when they repeat EVERYTHING. My daughter walked around repeating 'boobies' for about a week and grabbing her chest after she learned the word. I don't like that, so instead of having a repeat performance of 'vagina' and the like, they are her 'girl parts' because they are the parts that make her a girl.



I think it makes perfect sense.

Kristan - posted on 04/03/2012

Call them by their medical term...penis...testicles...vagina...these are all appropiate words for a 15 month to learn. Children need to feel comfortable with their bodies...calling their genitals by another term...might cause them to feel ashamed or uncomfortable. There is nothing wrong with a child learning the correct term. The fact that it makes you uncomfortable is besides the point! ;)

Kathy - posted on 04/03/2012

I'm a medical transcriptionist, and we've always referred to body parts by their correct names. We used testes instead of testicles simply because it was easier for our boys to say when they were little. We also referred to them as private parts as a whole and told them that was because they were supposed to touch them in private, not in public.



Sedelia, perhaps you should refer to them as privates, also, instead of as secrets. When you tell them not to talk about their secrets, you could be leading them to believe that if a molester tells them not to talk about their secret (the molestation, I mean), they shouldn't tell you what happened. I agree with the other poster that it's a shame that we have to prepare for such an eventuality, but this is the world we live in, and it doesn't help to hide our heads in the sand. Some of the medical reports I've transcribed would break your heart. God bless all our children.

Sarah - posted on 04/03/2012

We also use the proper terms, penis, testicles, vagina, etc. I refer to them the same I would their head, arm, leg, etc. I believe that if we feel uncomfortable using these terms, we pass our discomfort onto our children. I also believe that by using other terms implies there is something shameful about our bodies.

Tina - posted on 04/03/2012

Hello Keirsten

Sorry you are having a hard time. MIL's can be vulgar, that is for sure! We have a 12 year old daughter now. At your son's age, I would just call them his privates, or his private parts. We have always called our daughter's private her peach. She also knows it is her vagina. We call a boy's private a weiner, but she also knows it is a penis. When you son gets older, you can explain this to him. As far as you mil is concerned...tell her you do not appreciate her being so vulgar!

Tina

Libbi - posted on 04/03/2012

I only have a boy, and both my husband and I refer to them as testes and peenie

Aiesha - posted on 04/03/2012

She didn't say navel was vulgar she was trying to make a point that even though the universal term is belly button...It doesn't change It from being a navel... I think its a little weird that the first thing everyone seems to be preparing for is a sexual assault situation. Um I guess being proactive is wonderful Idk....doesn't sit right with me.... LET THEM BE KIDS.....

Aiesha - posted on 04/03/2012

Krista e. I'm with you on the navel tip..

..my girls call their vaginas kitty cats and breast ,boobies I've never had a problem communicating with them in regards to there privates..(they could point them out if need be....I have one 9 and one 2...and they both are very aware of them selves..I do think there is a more appropriate time to be go into details about there body parts as they grow a little older.I don't mean arms eyes leg etc...And I'm also all for the technical terms to eachs own as stated above.I respect the different methods of parenting.....Jus for the record when I was growing up my parents had a cutsie name .(coodie)for me and my sisters....and I have never been confused... I love my vagina.....LOL

Ellen - posted on 04/03/2012

The hole thing should be called winky. make it simple.

Abbah - posted on 04/03/2012

:-)

Jodi - posted on 04/03/2012

Of course they will use it inappropriately! They are children. It shouldn't be a big deal. As parents, we teach them HOW to use it appropriately. They eventually will. How can we teach them how to use a term appropriately if they are not even permitted to use the term??

Victoria - posted on 04/03/2012

That's good I like that.

Victoria - posted on 04/03/2012

Sacks or marbles maybe.

Sedelia - posted on 04/03/2012

I have always called them both "their secrets". N we don't showor tell our secrets. Its funner that way.

Abbah - posted on 04/02/2012

I kind of understand the fear in some people! Even i am guilty of this, but a while ago i thought my son the correct name and now he knows, but he went through a phase where he kept screaming "my penis" or "do you have a penis?" or "show me your penis" and i tried not to freak out, was able to teach him not to use the word just for the sake of it (btw he is 5 and 1/2). Now my fear is with my daughter! i am afraid she will use it in appropriately. :-P

Jen - posted on 04/02/2012

LOL - My 15 year old refers to them as 'the tenders."



ETA: I've always used the anatomically correct terms. Yes, it was embarrassing at first and i have no shame admitting that. But I got over it very quickly.

Genevieve - posted on 04/02/2012

Please call things by the right name. A friend of mine has a neice who was molested. She was molested for 4 years until she came forward at the age of 7. And the police and counsellors were glad to hear that she could use and say the proper names. In a court room the child must refer to them properly. And if they are not comfortable saying the names it will discredit them in a court room if they say pee pee or wee wee. They need to be able to give the proper names so that the judge can hear if it was scrotum, penis, anus and so forth. Same thing for girls.

Belly button is one thing. Wee Wee is another. Because almost everyone that speaks english says belly button. But the simple fact that you are here asking what to call them tells me that there are too many slang terms for private parts. I would never think I would see a post asking what someone should call a navel. Because belly button might seem vulgar or misunderstood.

Max - posted on 04/02/2012

Andrea Allmon, sounds like the kiddies could use some anatomically correct dolls ... either that or take baths together.

Rebecca - posted on 04/02/2012

My daughter knows the real names, the same way she knows Mommy and Daddy's "real name". She likes to call her vagina (she's two and half) cooch and when I ask her what the real name is, she says vagina. She calls a penis, a penis...mostly I think because she doesn't own one so there is no need for a nickname.



I think balls is easier to say for a young kid than testicles, but you could say a shortened form of it if you think it is gross.



I mean, I'm not crazy about certain private part nicknames - to each his own.



All I can say is that, when I was little I said, 'virgina", because I couldn't say it at first. As I got older, no one corrected me. When I got into school (kindergarten I think), I remember some kids laughing at me because that's what I called it. So, while nicknames are cool, I think, to avoid future humiliation, it might be good for them to know the proper names as well.

~♥Little Miss - posted on 04/02/2012

BAHAHAHAHAHA..."Nards"

~♥Little Miss - posted on 04/02/2012

Penis and Vagina. There is absolutely no need to call it anything else. Why confuse them? It may make you uncomfortable, but it will just make them uncomfortable with the correct terms, and in the long run could make them feel uncomfortable with themselves.

Krista - posted on 04/02/2012

I don't have a problem with other people using cutesy names, but I do think that it puts a sort of stigma on the proper names.



In some ways yes, in some ways no. Is there a stigma on the word "navel", just because most parents refer to it as a "bellybutton"?



I agree, though, that if the proper terms are completely AVOIDED and not taught at all, then that is definitely not a good thing.

Serree - posted on 04/02/2012

We have always called private parts by the correct name.

Joy - posted on 04/02/2012

From day one, we call them what they are. Penis, testicles, elbow, nose, etc. I don't have a problem with other people using cutesy names, but I do think that it puts a sort of stigma on the proper names. To me, it's kinda like how saying "shoot" instead of "shit" implies that "shit" is a "bad" word. Saying "pee pee" instead of "penis" or "vagina" implies that there is something wrong with the proper names.



This is one of those "to each their own" topics for me. I don't care if one person calls them balls and another calls them testicles or if yet another calls them gum drops or whatever.



I like Krista's idea of calling them testes.

Terrie - posted on 04/02/2012

With us it is Winkie and the boys. lol But of course Penis, testicles and Scrotum are the tenicle terms. But when you live with nothing but men, there no telling what you are going to get. lol You here things like Whang, and Monkey. Don't ask. lol

Venice - posted on 04/02/2012

We use the medical terms for them. My grandson developed a mole

on his "scrotum", and I went through the whole "what word is more

appropriate". Scrotum is what the doctors use, my husband is a nurse

and uses the same term, so that is what we use!

Kate CP - posted on 04/02/2012

Or the chick who called her daughter's vagina a Twinkie. :/

September - posted on 04/02/2012

We use the correct names with our son when talking about body parts but I guess it's all dependent upon what you're comfortable with.

Teresa - posted on 04/02/2012

Call them testicles, but the rash wouldn't be on the testicles.... since those are internal. The rash is on the scrotum. ;)



My 4 year old son has never been told any different (though he HAS heard balls too).

Andrea - posted on 04/02/2012

My almost 3 yr old knows he has a penis and even went through a phase of asking men, once he had decided they were men, if they had a penis. It was his way of confirming he got the gender right. Needless to say some of them where quite surprised by the question but only my uncle who has no children and doesn't like little kids was upset by it. Now our issue is trying to convince my 20 month old Daughter that she does not have a penis - when she pees she will say "uh-oh my penis" and grab her diaper.

Right now he does not differentiate between his testes and his penis but his dad calls them "nards" so he will likely pick that up soon :(

Random - posted on 04/02/2012

Oh, dear lord. Please teach your children the proper names for their body parts.

Dawn - posted on 04/02/2012

I have three kids and taught them the proper names for their body parts right from the start. There is nothing to be embarrassed about when referring to different body parts.

Krista - posted on 04/02/2012

There's nothing wrong with nicknames, as long as they DO know the proper names, and as long as the nicknames aren't so out-there as to be utterly meaningless. I have no issues if a parent prefers to refer to her kid's penis as a "pee-pee" or "privates" or even a "wiener", because at least if (heaven forbid) the child has an injury there, or someone is hurting him, and Mommy isn't around to translate, a doctor or nurse or babysitter would still understand what the kid is talking about.



But I remember once here on COM , someone saying that they called her kid's penis a "Buzz Lightyear". And THAT is just nonsensical.

Sherri - posted on 04/02/2012

We call Penis - pee-pee. We have never referred to their testicles as anything, Their butt is a tucas. My kids are not ashamed of their bodies because we call them nicknames, that is just silly, They know the proper names we just don't use them often. They either use nicknames or refer to them as their privates.

Kate CP - posted on 04/02/2012

Testicles and penis is what we use here. My daughter has a vagina and breasts. The butt is the butt.



Knees are knees...ears are ears...eyes are eyes.



No shame in the body. It is what it is.

Krista - posted on 04/02/2012

Well, we must be vulgar, because we refer to my son's testicles as his balls (he's speech-delayed, and "testicles" is just too big a word for him.)



Perhaps a good compromise would be to call them his "testes". It's still an anatomically correct term, but it's a bit of a shorter "cuter" name. If you even want to spell it "testies" so that it seems more "child-like" in your mind, then that could be an option.

Chrystal - posted on 04/02/2012

I call my children's body parts by their medical name. I'd never give my sons eyes a cute name and I wouldn't do that for his genitals either they are all just parts of his body that he needs to know the correct term for. Besides that anyone interested in what is going on with my child's genital area are his care providers and imagine if a doctors office or childcare center needed to keep records of all the kids cute names for their genitals. It would be near impossible to remember what every kid calls them. A parent would end up having to say the medical term anyway; that is if a care provider even knew to tell a parent that say a little girl said her muffin hurt; may as well skip all the headache and use the real term.

Johnny - posted on 04/01/2012

What would I call testicles? Testicles. But then I would also call a penis a penis. It is a body part, not some sort of weird icky thing. When exactly is "old enough" to know the anatomical names for your own body parts? It isn't some sort of X rated information.



My daughter was taught the proper names for her body parts from the start. She wasn't able to say vagina, but called it her "gina" for a long time. Now she can say vagina and urethra and she knows they aren't the same. We haven't gone into more details yet, about her vulva or mentioned her clitoris, but she is only 3 1/2 and there is no point in confusing her. But I can not see how a boy knowing that he has a penis that he can urinate from and testicles would be at all confusing. And aside from going beyond their comprehension ability, I can not understand any good, logical reason why you would not want your children to understand their own bodies and how to refer to them properly?



You should also know that many sexual assault prevention educators strongly suggest that it is important for your children to know what the real names are for their body parts. For example, a parent might not understand what a child is saying if they tell you someone touched their muffin. Not to mention, f your child knows what it is really called, they at least have the proper words to communicate health problems to yourself, their educators, or a health care provider.

Jodi - posted on 04/01/2012

It's not vulgar to call them by the correct names. I've always just used the correct terms. I don't see the issue. But that's me.



However, I do feel that it is important that children feel comfortable using the correct terms from a young age too. Research has shown that a high level of comfort with the correct terms is important with respect to child abuse, and can also be important in later in life with regard to self-esteem and sexuality.

Sapphire - posted on 04/01/2012

Welcome Keirsten. You're going to get a variety of differing opinions on this site, and some women ar emore passionate on this issue than others. For me, I taught my son his correct body parts from an early age. Penis and testicles. That's the correct name. When my some was a toddler, he went though a phase calling his penis a "pee-pee" but I always continued to call it by the proper name. I really don't understand why someone would be uncomfortable with using proper anatomical terminology. Testicles are testicles. My son is 7, and has always known is body parts even though he has picked up on the slang and "balls" just bring giggles and potty mouth language. Please don't be uncomfortable becaus your son will grow up feeling uncomfortable or even ashamed of his body parts. Same with cutsie nicknames- the sooner you use the proper words the better. Good luck to you.