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As soon-to-be parents my husband and I have been discussing a multitude of things. Where do we stand on discipline, schools, compactums and such like things. From the mundane to the more serious parenting stand points.
One of the things I came across was that parents used stand in words for penis and vagina when it comes to kids, like cookie or willy for instance. I wondered why they wouldn’t just use the anatomically correct terms for these body parts. An arm’s an arm and so is a leg so why is more power given to the words penis and vagina?
I had once read of a case where a preschool girl told her teacher that her uncle was playing with her binky and the teacher didn’t think anything of it, thinking it was a toy. That’s one danger that I can see with giving these body parts cutesy names. The other thing is that I don’t want my son or daughter to think that penis and vagina are “dirty” words as some of the older people in my family seem to think they are when I use these words. Like it’s something to be said in a whisper or behind closed doors. That’s how you give a word power.
But if it’s simply a penis or vagina from the very beginning then there’s no embarrassment attached to the word.
Disclaimer: The views of columnists published on Parent24 are their own and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of Parent24.
Do your kids call their private parts by their proper names?
One of the things I came across was that parents used stand in words for penis and vagina when it comes to kids, like cookie or willy for instance. I wondered why they wouldn’t just use the anatomically correct terms for these body parts. An arm’s an arm and so is a leg so why is more power given to the words penis and vagina?
I had once read of a case where a preschool girl told her teacher that her uncle was playing with her binky and the teacher didn’t think anything of it, thinking it was a toy. That’s one danger that I can see with giving these body parts cutesy names. The other thing is that I don’t want my son or daughter to think that penis and vagina are “dirty” words as some of the older people in my family seem to think they are when I use these words. Like it’s something to be said in a whisper or behind closed doors. That’s how you give a word power.
But if it’s simply a penis or vagina from the very beginning then there’s no embarrassment attached to the word.
Disclaimer: The views of columnists published on Parent24 are their own and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of Parent24.
Do your kids call their private parts by their proper names?
