Boy parts?!

Kelley421 · September 2015

I searched but didn't see a thread on this! Feel free to direct me there if one does exist.
My husband asked what we would be calling/how we would refer to our baby boys penis.
How this would be such a difficult question, I don't know!
My older daughter refers to hers as her "hoohoo" which we picked up from my nieces. (She recently asked proper names for genitals, and I told her.)
What are you calling your boy parts? By proper names?

Ju111310 · September 2015

With DS1, we call it a "weenis" aka a wee penis LoL DH just started calling it that & if stuck.

Monilee1017 · September 2015

My boys call their penis a penis. I don't see the point in calling it something else.

ashs88 · September 2015

With DS we call it a penis. I agree with PP and don't see a point in calling it anything else. I've also heard that it is supposed to be better in the long run if you call them by the proper names from the start. That way when they're older they won't be so uncomfortable using the right words and talking about their bodies. I am having a girl this time around and plan to do the same with her, although for some reason talking about a vagina with a little girl seems weirder to me than talking about a penis with a boy. I'll get through it though!

djdawn29a · September 2015

Isn't a weenis ur elbow??? Lol

SummerFall03 · September 2015

Why does there have to be a cute name? My sons call theirs a "penis"... because that is what it is....

holocene · September 2015

A penis.

MrsB915 · September 2015

We call it a penis because that's what it is. Sometimes we say "peanut" from hearing other little boys in our family use that. I believe in calling genitals by their proper name. It makes it easier as the kids grow up, they don't feel weird using the proper terms.

Also there's the safety factor. God forbid someone was inappropriate I'd want my child to be able to be able to accurately convey what was happening. Pet names can be confusing for nonfamily (ie school or daycare), especially some of the cutesy ones that I've heard.

I agree with pp, for some reason it is easier to talk about penis' than vaginas... weird!

laur0n · September 2015

If we're talking about when we found out the gender, we just say "boy parts" because that's what the tech said. We've never talked about calling it anything else though.

samara267 · September 2015

I will be calling my girl's vagina, a vagina. If I had a boy, it would be a penis. Using pet names for anatomy seems ridiculous to me.

maddisonwallace · September 2015

Boys have peeper's and girls have hooha's around my house. I live in the Bible Belt so hearing the word penis or vagina from a little kid sometimes is considered a little crass and it ruffles some parents feathers. But we will probably use them interchangeably at home.
My mom raised me using the same words and I never had a hard time learning the real anatomical names.

SummerFall03 · September 2015

maddisonwallace said:

Boys have peeper's and girls have hooha's around my house. I live in the Bible Belt so hearing the word penis or vagina from a little kid sometimes is considered a little crass and it ruffles some parents feathers. But we will probably use them interchangeably at home. My mom raised me using the same words and I never had a hard time learning the real anatomical names.

Do adults call them hooha's and peepers as well? Why would it be taboo for a kid to call them penis and vagina's?

DaphneMoon1 · September 2015

Another vote for penis.

Krisdee123 · September 2015

When it comes to female then, which would you say vagina or vulva if using proper anatomical terms? I'm not sure where I stand on this and curious what others think.

Edit for clarity

Kelley421 · September 2015

"QuoteText">Do adults call them hooha's and peepers as well? Why would it be taboo for a kid to call them penis and vagina's?

This is just a regional, almost cultural difference. Of the friends I've polled- not one refers to children's genitals by anatomical terminology. I am also from the south, and that is just what you find here. Conservative!
Personally I don't find either way to be right or wrong, good or bad.
Funny- hell yes! Weenis lol.
I agree that vagina is harder to say than penis though!
Between my husband and I, we say penis, vagina, hoo, dick. Whatever. I don't generally discuss genitalia with other adults, so it really hadn't come up.
ETA: I'm learning this quote function.

samara267 · September 2015

krisdee123 said:

When it comes to female then, would you say vagina or vulva if using proper anatomical terms? I'm not sure where I stand on this and curious what others think.

yes. absolutely.

Krisdee123 · September 2015

samara267 said:

krisdee123 said:

When it comes to female then, would you say vagina or vulva if using proper anatomical terms? I'm not sure where I stand on this and curious what others think.

yes. absolutely.

Sorry I should be more clear. Which one vagina or vulva?

mommaSimpkin · September 2015

My three year old son has always called his a penis. He knows he has a penis like dad, but mom doesn't have a penis because she's not a boy.
This boy will most likely be the same.
It's a penis or if we're in public, private parts. But he mostly calls it his penis.

Kelley421 · September 2015

Ahhh I see- if you are referring to external female genitalia then you should say vulva, not vagina.

samara267 · September 2015

vagina and vulva are not synonymous. Vagina is your actual vagina, and vulva is your external genitalia (i.e. labia, clitoris, etc.). I'll be using both with my daughter.

Krisdee123 · September 2015

Yes, my thoughts are that when she is very young and learning, there will not be a lot of instances where you would use the term vagina. Mostly we will be referring to what she can see, touch, etc so I think we will likely use vulva for the "general area".

SummerFall03 · September 2015

One of my boys pointed to his nipple one day and called it a nipple. My mother asked who "taught him that word!?" and I explained that I taught him the word, because that is exactly what it is. Some people might get offended, but I'm not making up cute nicknames for body parts. They are what they are people! Get over it!

Kelley421 · September 2015

That's right though- I'm pretty sure DD has no idea she has another opening, a vagina. She just sees the external parts. There is not a reason at this time to discuss vaginas.
We refer to nipples as nipples also. DD said nibbles for the longest time!

Krisdee123 · September 2015

I also drive a Volvo, so things may get super confusing.

"My mommy has a vulva"
Yup.

ainverso · September 2015

Penis or vulva, that's what we use. My mom is a nurse and I grew up with anatomical terms. Now I work in social services and cute terms are not helpful. They make things harder to interpret and help others.

ariasbabyblog · September 2015

We use the correct terms too. My son has a penis and scrotum, and as a whole they are his privates. Nipples are nipples, and his bottom is his bottom. We will be doing the same for this little boy too.

Latina211508 · September 2015

My son who is 6.5 calls it his penis and when he was younger we called it his peepee. I'm now having a fourth baby which is a boy and we will call it the same.

MeghaJake · September 2015

We use penis and vagina in our house. Breasts are boobies though. I'm a northern transplant to a very conservative, somewhat southern state. We say butt a lot too. Like "I fell on my butt." Or "get your butt out of my face." I never really thought butt was taboo. But I heard a friend punish her child for saying butt the other day. Apparently he was supposed to say behind.

Not There Yet · September 2015

We keep it formal in our house-- for my son it's a Mr. Penis and his neighbors The Testes.

nickilynn0516 · September 2015

We say penis.

maddisonwallace · September 2015

Kelley421 said:
"QuoteText">Do adults call them hooha's and peepers as well? Why would it be taboo for a kid to call them penis and vagina's?

This is just a regional, almost cultural difference. Of the friends I've polled- not one refers to children's genitals by anatomical terminology. I am also from the south, and that is just what you find here. Conservative!
Personally I don't find either way to be right or wrong, good or bad.
Funny- hell yes! Weenis lol.
I agree that vagina is harder to say than penis though!
Between my husband and I, we say penis, vagina, hoo, dick. Whatever. I don't generally discuss genitalia with other adults, so it really hadn't come up.
ETA: I'm learning this quote function.

Agree ^^^
It's just a cultural/regional thing.

CaraBoonie · September 2015

I very strongly believe in using proper (medical, even) terms for private parts and destigmatizing our bodies.

GAgirlinSDakota · September 2015

I've taught all of mine the proper names for all their parts, but b/c so many adults seem to get squeamish hearing those words come out of little kid mouths, I've also taught them that in public or extended family we use "boy/girl parts" or "private parts."

mamaksweez · September 2015

Growing up i called it my potty. What!? I suppose it's where my potty comes from, but no one taught me what to call it so that's what I came up with.
We will use penis and vagina at my house. (I'm not sure i actually ever heard vulva until I joined the bump! - yes I just adminted that.)
This conversation reminds me of Kindergarten Cop where the little boy stands up and says "boys have penises girls have vaginas!" Ha

Blueyedsky · September 2015

I do think it's important to note that most child development experts agree that using the proper anatomical terms is way better than nicknames.

However, there is something to be said by teaching your kids to say private parts in public, as it helps them make the distinction that they are to be respected, and they are indeed private.

In my personal opinion (maybe culturally where I'm from?) It comes across as rude and potty talk when kids just go around talking about their penis and vagina like they are totally normal topics for conversation with the whole world. I babysat for a kid the other day who kept going on and on about it. It was fine with me, I totally get that he had probably just learned the words and was trying them out and learning what was socially appropriate. But I do hope to teach my kid that in public, you generally don't bring up your issues with your vagina unless something is wrong or mommy or the doctor are asking you about them. In my book, they're special parts of the body and should be respected a little more than arms or legs lol.

cameronreed · September 2015

ariasbabyblog said:
We use the correct terms too. My son has a penis and scrotum, and as a whole they are his privates. Nipples are nipples, and his bottom is his bottom. We will be doing the same for this little boy too.

Don't take offense to this, but I just can't imagine a 5 year old referring to his "scrotum" lol. It just sounds funny to me because I'm from the south and we have nicknames for everything. I don't think I've ever even heard an adult man refer to his scrotum.

meldearob · September 2015

I think people can get way to caught up in this discussion. It's your opinion! My boys call it a wiener but not because we named it that. It's just what the call it but they know it's their penis. We also refer to their scrotum as balls. Same thing for potty. I don't expect them to tell me they sense the urge to deficate. However, if that's what someone wants to teach their child, fantastic! Go for it. Do whatever you want to do but know that whatever term they use, it would help if a caretaker could know why they were referring to. That's the only advice I have. I don't think other parents choices are "ridiculous" maybe just different than mine. Good luck!

BilBaby · September 2015

My son is just turned four and we say peepee.
Aka 'okay let's wash your peepee'. I also can't picture my son walking around saying 'my scrotum' and when we go to the bathroom we say 'using the potty '

Hipshaker · September 2015

We say vulva because that is what she interacts with. Your vagina is the opening where the baby comes out. You'd be surprised how many grown people don't know the difference! It's easy to talk about because I'm pregnant and at 3 she's obviously interested in how everything is going to happen.

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