Private Parts...Names?

[lvt77]

Ugh is it Friday yet?
So I had a situation today where a DCB age 3.5 told me “my hehowoo hurts really bad”??? I was like what, can you show me what you are talking about? So DCB walks me into the bathroom and says my “hehowoo” I have no clue what this child is talking about, so I started naming body parts. Turns out his Penis hurts . I call mom and tell her what is going on. She decided to leave him for the rest of the day because he would only be here for another 2 hours. No other symptoms were present.
I get a call from the mom about 20 min ago, she is yelling at me with rage. She is mad because I told the DCB that his “hehowoo” was called a penis and that is wrong, completely wrong of me to tell a 3.5 year old that. Turns out that he has a UTI. I was not too sure what to say to the mom….
The question is am I wrong, what words do you use? Or what should I have done?

[DCMomOf3]

I call boy parts penises or privates. i don't know what I want to call girl parts so I just say privates. baby words bother me.

at 3.5 I think it's fine he knows the real word,

[kendallina]

A penis is a penis and there is nothing wrong with calling it that. I don't think you did anything wrong at all!

Although in my house with my DD we call her parts "lady parts". Not that we avoid the word vagina on purpose but the actual correct term for the outside lady parts is vulva and I don't like that word.

[MamaBear]

Thats crazy!

That mom is wackoh! 3.5 is totally old enough to learn the "real" word for his parts. What a weirdoh!

[Abigail]

I would not know what to say either. I guess I would call it private parts too because the parents can have "the discussion" with them and decide what to call it I guess. In the end they'll learn it when they grow up. I guess if you're still upset about her calling you and yelling I would mention it to your licensure and ask what they would have called it?

[SilverSabre25]

As a whole, I use "boy parts" and "girl parts". I have started discussing the more "clinical" terms with my DD (3 yo) when it comes up (mostly penis/vagina), but she mostly sticks with boy/girl parts right now. The term is clear and anyone who hears it can know what it means.

I am fully, totally, 100% against "cutesy" names for body parts. I heard (read on a message board) a story a few years ago on the subject. It seems that there was a preschool teacher with a little boy in her class, and one day, the little boy told her that "grandpa was over and he was petting my puppy." The teacher assumed, naturally, that the family had gotten a dog. She told the boy, "oh, that's nice, dear!" and went on with what they were doing. The boy mentioned grandpa coming over and petting his puppy off and on over several weeks, and one day the teacher happened to ask the mom how things were going with their new dog. The mom couldn't figure out what the teacher was talking about since they didn't have a dog. The teacher told the mom what the boy had been saying, about grandpa petting his puppy, and her heart sank as the look of horror and realization dawned on the mom's face.

I don't remember what the source was for the original story...but it stuck with me pretty clearly. Cutesy names are NOT okay. There is NOTHING wrong with knowing the real names, or at least something that's reasonably close to it (I can't bring myself to refer to it as a "vulva" for example :

[Blackcat31]

... I have a 3 yr old who insists on saying "pecker". No amount of talking, correcting or discussion has curbed this. Mom says the same term (openly and loudly)...so I give up......
We all just say privates and leave it at that.

[Stacy214]

Yep, here it's a penis (or private) but nothing else and no baby cute names....That just has always drove me nuts. My Mom raised me with my "Petunia" or "Sunflower" hahaha, UGH! Then I swore my own children would know the real name of their body parts .
That Mom is just another weird one....I would have been speechless too.

[missnikki]

I am fully, totally, 100% against "cutesy" names for body parts. I heard (read on a message board) a story a few years ago on the subject. It seems that there was a preschool teacher with a little boy in her class, and one day, the little boy told her that "grandpa was over and he was petting my puppy." The teacher assumed, naturally, that the family had gotten a dog. She told the boy, "oh, that's nice, dear!" and went on with what they were doing. The boy mentioned grandpa coming over and petting his puppy off and on over several weeks, and one day the teacher happened to ask the mom how things were going with their new dog. The mom couldn't figure out what the teacher was talking about since they didn't have a dog. The teacher told the mom what the boy had been saying, about grandpa petting his puppy, and her heart sank as the look of horror and realization dawned on the mom's face.

How disturbing. I has a sad now.

[KEG123]

Dude, seriously?!?! A penis is a penis. Children should know the real names of body parts.

[lvt77]

lmao I love that you said dude...I grew up on the beach my whole life and moved north 3 years ago away from the beach. I say dude all the time and people look at me strange...

Thank you... I bet the doc called it a penis and I bet the mom didnt say anything to him....ugh

[lvt77]

As a whole, I use "boy parts" and "girl parts". I have started discussing the more "clinical" terms with my DD (3 yo) when it comes up (mostly penis/vagina), but she mostly sticks with boy/girl parts right now. The term is clear and anyone who hears it can know what it means.

I am fully, totally, 100% against "cutesy" names for body parts. I heard (read on a message board) a story a few years ago on the subject. It seems that there was a preschool teacher with a little boy in her class, and one day, the little boy told her that "grandpa was over and he was petting my puppy." The teacher assumed, naturally, that the family had gotten a dog. She told the boy, "oh, that's nice, dear!" and went on with what they were doing. The boy mentioned grandpa coming over and petting his puppy off and on over several weeks, and one day the teacher happened to ask the mom how things were going with their new dog. The mom couldn't figure out what the teacher was talking about since they didn't have a dog. The teacher told the mom what the boy had been saying, about grandpa petting his puppy, and her heart sank as the look of horror and realization dawned on the mom's face.

I don't remember what the source was for the original story...but it stuck with me pretty clearly. Cutesy names are NOT okay. There is NOTHING wrong with knowing the real names, or at least something that's reasonably close to it (I can't bring myself to refer to it as a "vulva" for example :

OMG I feel sick........that is so sad, see this is why kids need to know the names of their private parts. I agree that some words sound rather brash, but in the end we cant keep it a secret forever.

[KEG123]

I have no excuse for "dude" except that I am 23. LOL!

[lvt77]

I have no excuse for "dude" except that I am 23. LOL!

ummm Now I feel old...thanks....jk 00000000

[Stacy214]

I am 43!!!!!! And I say DUDE...I was raised on the beach, . I miss it