Nicknames for privates?

[supertabby]

Hi, hope this is ok to post - it's a difficult subject to know how to Google!

My husband and I aren't in agreement about what to refer to testicles as. We have a 5yr girl and 2 yr boy, we've always used willy and fanny (I know some people would go for anatomically correct) but now my husband has started referring to "balls" but I see it as a bit of a slang word - albeit a mild one - and think it's better to call them testicles. Just wondering what terminology others use?

 

[Lucasmum]

I really read the title as nicknames for pirates and was thinking Long John

Lady bits in our house are called foofs

Men bits are winkys and balls

DS is older at nearly 10 and has recently started calling it willy but I really dont like that word dont know why it just makes me shudder, he is also aware of the proper term for them

 

[suzib76]

I don't see the need for slang terms. Fanny in particular is rather crude for a child to say

Just call the testicles testicles

 

[jessmke]

I don't see the need for slang terms. Fanny in particular is rather crude for a child to say

Just call the testicles testicles

I agree. They are body parts, just like an arm or an ear. I wouldn't make up a silly word to refer to her arm so I won't use a silly word for her genitals. In our house it will be vagina, penis, and testicles.

I'm not sure how balls is any more of a slang term than willy or fanny.

 

[mommytobe11]

We call everything by their proper name. But when it came to what to call testicles, saying the word out loud so casually felt so weird. However, I felt way better about saying "testicles" than "balls" So testicles it is! And it got easier to say as time went on.

 

[tallybee]

Proper names all the way here.

Teaching children anatomically correct terms, age-appropriately, says Laura Palumbo, a prevention specialist with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), promotes positive body image, self confidence, and parent-child communication; discourages perpetrators; and, in the event of abuse, helps children and adults navigate the disclosure and forensic interview process.

(https://www.theatlantic.com/health/...-teaching-kids-vagina-penis-and-vulva/274969/)

They're just body parts.

 

[smileyfaces]

Winky and balls.

No one I know has their child call their bits a vagina or penis. I don't see the issue with using a different word.

 

[Kiwiberry]

Lady bits: Vajajay
Male bits: Weewee

I see no issue with using nicknames (especially if they still know the real names). Its a lot less of a shock factor when saying it (more friendly), and might even make kids more comfortable with it.

My daughter is not at the age to understand yet, but when she is I am going to make sure she knows the real names for body parts, but uses the nicknames to be polite.

 

[kbwebb]

we use the word vagina, and this is the only name we use, she hasnt yet asked about males though even though she has seen OH occasionally when hes in the bath.

 

[supertabby]

I don't see the need for slang terms. Fanny in particular is rather crude for a child to say

Just call the testicles testicles

I agree. They are body parts, just like an arm or an ear. I wouldn't make up a silly word to refer to her arm so I won't use a silly word for her genitals. In our house it will be vagina, penis, and testicles.

I'm not sure how balls is any more of a slang term than willy or fanny.

Might be a regional thing - here "balls" gets used as a swear word. Not as strong as saying f-word but people might say "balls!" if they drop something /stub their toe etc. Fanny and willy don't get used that way.

 

[Tasha]

We use vagina, penis etc however I think Willy etc are fine and won't cause confusion should there be a disclosure of abuse since they're widely used terms and very clear what they are. I'm sure it means when people call them their Mary, flower, fandango etc. They're all words that are used primarily for something else and that could lead to confusion.

Balls here isn't a swear word, it's like say oh sugar, if you drop something. To me hearing a young child say Fanny would be more out there than a young child saying balls.

 

[Rhio92]

Penis- willy
Testicles- balls
Vagina - lady bits

Connor knows the real words for them all. I don't see a problem with the slang terms.

 

[lau86]

Mine are only little so we use willy and balls. I never forget my ds1 seeing my friends baby getting changed and shouting 'whys x got two bums?!' That was only a year ago! I'll use vagina for girls bits but right now they don't realise girls have something different, only that they don't have a willy

 

[Pearls18]

Balls here, that's what my husband says, he's never called them testicles. We have the expression "oh balls" but I wouldn't say it's a swear! Just another way of saying "oh no" but not as strong as saying "oh crap" for example. I don't really think words like willy and balls are nicknames perse because they are so widely understood to be penis and testicles it's not like we're trying to cover what the words or parts are, we just don't talk that formally in this house, just as I don't tend to say "breasts" (boobs) or even bottom/gluteus maximus! (bum!) That said the words for female parts make me cringe usually, not sure why we get so flowery when describing women?!

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

Willy balls and fanny.
I would never sit and have a conversation with a friend and say "vagina" or "penis". Just the same I wouldn't say I was sitting on my buttocks... it's a bum. My children know the correct words but why would they use them ... no one does lol

 

[suzib76]

Willy balls and fanny.
I would never sit and have a conversation with a friend and say "vagina" or "penis". Just the same I wouldn't say I was sitting on my buttocks... it's a bum. My children know the correct words but why would they use them ... no one does lol

Tbh I don't sit and have a conversation with my children about their genitals regardless of what terms we use it's never been a thing

 

[Midnight_Fairy]

Willy balls and fanny.
I would never sit and have a conversation with a friend and say "vagina" or "penis". Just the same I wouldn't say I was sitting on my buttocks... it's a bum. My children know the correct words but why would they use them ... no one does lol

Tbh I don't sit and have a conversation with my children about their genitals regardless of what terms we use it's never been a thing

Same as Rhi. Ive spoken before to mine because of periods etc. My daughter slipped off her bike peddles last week and had to say she hurt her bits. Mine know they are Vagina, vulva, anus, penis etc but at home we say willy, balls etc

 

[suzib76]

Willy balls and fanny.
I would never sit and have a conversation with a friend and say "vagina" or "penis". Just the same I wouldn't say I was sitting on my buttocks... it's a bum. My children know the correct words but why would they use them ... no one does lol

Tbh I don't sit and have a conversation with my children about their genitals regardless of what terms we use it's never been a thing

Same as Rhi. Ive spoken before to mine because of periods etc. My daughter slipped off her bike peddles last week and had to say she hurt her bits. Mine know they are Vagina, vulva, anus, penis etc but at home we say willy, balls etc

Oh yeah I obviously thas the period chat when DD1 was ready for it. I thought the thread was mainly about toddlers. If my youngest hurt herself like that she would probably just say her bum.

 

[Pearls18]

I've said willy to my boys plenty of times- usually telling my eldest to aim the damn thing IN the toilet bowl! I quite often have to ask my youngest if his bum is sore as he gets nappy rash. So I would say it's quite common to have to talk about these body parts even to toddlers and young children? Never spoken about balls though admittedly.

 

[suzib76]

I've said willy to my boys plenty of times- usually telling my eldest to aim the damn thing IN the toilet bowl! I quite often have to ask my youngest if his bum is sore as he gets nappy rash. So I would say it's quite common to have to talk about these body parts even to toddlers and young children? Never spoken about balls though admittedly.

Oh yeah absolutely me too.