Boy Moms: What do you call it?

bbnmama2012 · March 2015

Totally random, but there has been quite the debate among my friends about what they and their sons call the penis. One friend says that it is best to call it by what it is, the medical term, penis. Others say that they fear what people in public would think if their son yells something about his penis in public. Lol. What do you call it?
Is it best to give it a kiddy name? Or should we be teaching our kids the medical terminology?

purtelle · March 2015

It's a penis. And we call it that

ksimo6 · March 2015

We use vagina and penis. I don't see any reason to call them anything else.

laurendutch · March 2015

My boys have called it both a wiener and a penis. They know what a vagina and what their testicles are! We try to teach them anatomy correct names.

nicolec3 · March 2015

Penis

dancelvr53 · March 2015

Pee-pee

fivesgirl · March 2015

We call it a penis. But my son has had a hard time pronouncing it so he'll call it his peanut.

kaitlynmaureen · March 2015

FTM, but we'll be teaching the proper names - penis and vagina. I hate to even go there or think about it, but unfortunately if it ever came down to it, no other names are admissible in court. If something terrible happened to your child and they're saying "he touched my pee pee," it just doesn't hold up.

KonaCoffeeBean · March 2015

kaitlynmaureen said:
FTM, but we'll be teaching the proper names - penis and vagina. I hate to even go there or think about it, but unfortunately if it ever came down to it, no other names are admissible in court. If something terrible happened to your child and they're saying "he touched my pee pee," it just doesn't hold up.

I literally lost a child protection hearing because of this once. Little girl who had several symptoms of sexual abuse, disclosed that mom's boyfriend kissed and touched her "cootie." Mom and boyfriend testify that in their house cootie= face. Judge admitted that he thought the abuse had happened, but we hadn't met the standard of proof.

KaLikeAWind · March 2015

KonaCoffeeBean said:

kaitlynmaureen said:
FTM, but we'll be teaching the proper names - penis and vagina. I hate to even go there or think about it, but unfortunately if it ever came down to it, no other names are admissible in court. If something terrible happened to your child and they're saying "he touched my pee pee," it just doesn't hold up.

I literally lost a child protection hearing because of this once. Little girl who had several symptoms of sexual abuse, disclosed that mom's boyfriend kissed and touched her "cootie." Mom and boyfriend testify that in their house cootie= face. Judge admitted that he thought the abuse had happened, but we hadn't met the standard of proof.

Wow. How terrible. I hope to the gods it was her face, but I know probably not. This was just a serious lesson in using the proper terminology.

Frogger5 · March 2015

Personally I think it's weirder to hear a kid say something about a wee-wee in public than a penis. It's not like we don't know what he's talking about with the first, and it makes me feel like he'll be sexually repressed when he grows up! Don't admit you have a penis! It's dirty!

ktjohnson87 · March 2015

We say penis. I really find it odd when grown ups are weirded out by mention of a body part. I don't want my children to grow up thinking there is anything shameful about their body that we need to make up code names to reference it.

MJMum524 · March 2015

Penis

karaelaine1991 · March 2015

Growing up, my family used the medical term for penis. Interestingly, though, the word vagina didn't come up at all until each of us girls hit puberty - and I'm pretty sure my brothers didn't hear the term at all until sex ed classes in middle school.

starrysmile18 · March 2015

I call it a wiener. I know it's not right, and when he's older we'll use penis. He goes to daycare and his teachers use 'penis.'

jfelicio · March 2015

Medical terminology is what we use I rather my kids sound educated rather than ignorant especially if they have to talk to a grown up about those issue. Say a doctor or a nurse

mvargas12 · March 2015

I literally lost a child protection hearing because of this once. Little girl who had several symptoms of sexual abuse, disclosed that mom's boyfriend kissed and touched her "cootie." Mom and boyfriend testify that in their house cootie= face. Judge admitted that he thought the abuse had happened, but we hadn't met the standard of proof.

That's so sad to hear

I never thought calling it something else could have that effect. I always planned on using "penis" and "vagina" but even more sure about it now!

annatta79 · March 2015

I read an article about protecting your children from sexual abuse. It made the argument that using proper terminology can be helpful in two ways. 1. It weirds a lot of adults out to hear a kid using proper names and that may be enough to keep someone away from your kid. 2. If you use proper names in your house and suddenly your son starts using other words, it is a red flag to you to look into where he is hearing those other words. We say penis and testicles.

Another suggestion in that article was to not force your kids to show affection to people. You want them to know that they can set boundaries when it comes to who touches them and how. Sometimes parents can override those, (doctors, mom needing to check out your diaper rash...), but you don't force your kid to hug grandma or give auntie whoever a kiss. I hadn't thought of that before, but I think it makes a lot of sense. We had to pull that card with my mom once when he didn't want to give her a hug. It was tough, but we had explained it beforehand and she dealt with it.

lilitaliangirl · March 2015

We use the term penis, as does our son. I never saw it as an inappropriate word for him to use. We also tel him that is his "private area" so he understands they are the same

jessieR358 · March 2015

I was taught in both undergrad and graduate school child development that you teach them to say the correct medical terminology. So we will be doing that with our little boy!

mamahawk12 · March 2015

For the love of God, please call it a penis. I totally judge when I hear little kids saying things like "weenie".

Addelie · March 2015

@KonaCoffeeBean A case was lost on that basis? That seems insane. Surely a child can point or otherwise indicate an area etc., especially if the child is old enough to speak and testify. I very much hope that the right outcome of the case was attained.

Addelie · March 2015

Also, this thread has been really educational. I will definitely be using the proper medical terms for all the reasons given above, which had never occurred to me before!

OnWayto3 · March 2015

What are we teaching kids if we don't use the proper name-- penis/vagina? That this part of them is shameful or embarrassing? Seems counterproductive imho. I won't call a finger a 'pokey stick,' so why present genitals differently? My boys have always had the term penis used. Granted, now that middle school has rolled around, new words are coming out, but thankfully they know what to call "it" to me versus friends.

)

KonaCoffeeBean · March 2015

Addelie said:
@KonaCoffeeBean A case was lost on that basis? That seems insane. Surely a child can point or otherwise indicate an area etc., especially if the child is old enough to speak and testify. I very much hope that the right outcome of the case was attained.

Not the entire case, but that particular hearing where I was trying to have contact suspended between the boyfriend and the child. She was 2.5 yrs old, probably would not have run into the same problem with an older child.

alsier · March 2015

Penis!

bbnmama2012 · March 2015

I'm so glad I asked. I have learned so much from you all! Thanks for your responses!

bbnmama2012 · March 2015

My cousin always called it "privates". My grandma was on the phone and he kept trying to listen to her conversation. She told him that it was a private conversation. He went home and told his mom that grandma was talking in the phone about her privates. Lol. A comical, yet genuine reason why I agree that it should be called penis.
Edit: grammar error

laurendutch · March 2015

I'm just so happy that my boys have moved past the whole game of "does so and so have a vagina/penis"...it was getting to be too much while waiting in the grocery store line and talking about everyone's anatomy!

I know that it's just part of development, so I would answer them.

momtobeobrien · March 2015

My boys (now 8 and 9) have always known it was a penis, when they were younger they called it their twig and berries, and around friends they call it their private parts.

taboullio84 · March 2015

Penis

amcheske · March 2015

We use penis with both our boys. It's so funny in public when They announce something across the room regarding their penis, only cause of people's reactions. You can tell those who feel we shouldn't use the proper term.

CateOfChicago · March 2015

I was going to use privates for both dd and ds but the court thing now freaks me out. Of course, that person would be 6 feet under before even making it to court.

eeyoreem · March 2015

We have always used the correct terms and we did have a time where my ds was telling people what they had but luckily that didn't last long.

MrsWiggleWaggle · March 2015

**PENIS! VAGINA! TESTES!**

I'm going with these terms in the hopes that when my LO becomes a parent he is mature enough to not be overly amused by the opportunity to type the words out in big bold capital letters. Also, so my future grandchildren may be saved any eye injuries sustained from rolling their eyes so hard when their snickering parents do this.

mommydlc · March 2015

We say penis or pee-pee

agapeflower117 · March 2015

We call it his peenie.

porklump30 · March 2015

bbnmama2012 said:
Totally random, but there has been quite the debate among my friends about what they and their sons call the penis. One friend says that it is best to call it by what it is, the medical term, penis. Others say that they fear what people in public would think if their son yells something about his penis in public. Lol. What do you call it?
Is it best to give it a kiddy name? Or should we be teaching our kids the medical terminology?

Penis. Your kid will probably yell out MUCH more embarrassing things in public.

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