Thanks to all who replied

Well, I just wanted to thank everyone who replied to my original post
"Boy/Girl Anatomy". Here's the conclusion I've come to:

I've told Jenna that "the place where her pee comes from" is called her
Urethra. I am actually amazed at how she has mastered the word. At first
she was saying "Mommy, this is my Aretha!" Now, it's more like "ArethRa".
When the day comes that she asks about her vagina, I will give her the
word... even if that day is tomorrow!

I never thought my post would cause such a stir. But it's nice to see so
much activity on the board! I wanted to address a few people in a new
thread, because frankly, I was starting to get overwhelmed with the length
on that one. So, here goes:

To Gummy Joe... I don't think you're a troll. You just jumped in fast on
my original post (I think you were the very first to reply) and I didn't
recognize you. Then, your reply was just so... short? "Vagina? Bagina"?
My initial reaction was that you were mocking me. When you said "Either
way, it's not a real problem" I felt like you dismissed me as some kind of
idiot for asking such a stupid question. I still feel that is it a very
legitimate question and as a caring parent I sought advice from the other
caring parents on this newsgroup. Evidently, by the amount of people who
replied, lots of others thought it was a good question too... and worth some
thought and debate. I apologize that I scared you :~)

To Chotii... While we might have slightly different parenting styles, I
value so much of what I read in your posts. I always find you to be
informative and you seem like a compassionate a great mom . That you're a
little more liberal (and I'm a little more conservative) is just fine. I am
a bit more conservative as far as what I want to teach them at 4, but that
doesn't mean that I think you're over the top.

To Cindy... I like what you said about "Private Parts". I have started
introducing that concept to them. I've always told my kids how beautiful
they are (their bodies too) and how strong and healthy their bodies are.
I've always been very much into helping them develop a positive body image.
So, when they talk at home about they penis or urethra, I subtly interject
that "Yes, this is your penis (or urethra) and they are your private parts."
And that just like any other part of their body, it is okay to talk about
them... and touch them (in private). I've been telling them that it's okay
to say "penis" or "urethra" at home, but it's more polite to say "Private
Parts" if we're in public. Not that they've ever really done that, but I do
think it's good manners. Then, onto "Only you and Mommy and Daddy touch
your private parts... and Mommy and Daddy only touch when we're helping with
the potty or helping to wash at bathtime."

Anyway, thanks to all! It did help me come to (I think) a good conclusion.

Lynn (Mommy to Charlie and Jenna 8/30/00)

The conclusion you came to sounds wonderful.

I too was shocked, amazed, and a little overwhelmed with the length of the
original thread. At one point I counted 80 replies! While it is great that
everyone is so supportive and eager to offer their opinions and advice on
the matter, I would be willing to bet that you did not anticipate quite THAT
many.

--
Terri & Rob
Colton (11-29-00)
Aimee and Kylie (12-22-03)
Visit us at:
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a..._kylie_colton/

The conclusion you came to sounds wonderful.

I too was shocked, amazed, and a little overwhelmed with the length of the
original thread. At one point I counted 80 replies! While it is great that
everyone is so supportive and eager to offer their opinions and advice on
the matter, I would be willing to bet that you did not anticipate quite THAT
many.

--
Terri & Rob
Colton (11-29-00)
Aimee and Kylie (12-22-03)
Visit us at:
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a..._kylie_colton/

The conclusion you came to sounds wonderful.

I too was shocked, amazed, and a little overwhelmed with the length of the
original thread. At one point I counted 80 replies! While it is great that
everyone is so supportive and eager to offer their opinions and advice on
the matter, I would be willing to bet that you did not anticipate quite THAT
many.

--
Terri & Rob
Colton (11-29-00)
Aimee and Kylie (12-22-03)
Visit us at:
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a..._kylie_colton/

I didn't read the entire thread, but I'd like to point out that a vagina is
INSIDE the body and not the entire female genital area. When a female child
asks what her genetalia is, the correct term for the outside of the body
that she can touch is her labia. Only the inside is referred to as the
vagina. Ureter is the correct terminology for both boys and girls, and
urethra is also correct but somewhat confusing. The terminology that is
easier for children to grasp is, boys have penises and they pee out of the
ureter in their penis. Girls have labia and they pee out of the ureter in
their labia.

Anatomically correct. :-) Also, I agree that when outside in public,
private parts are just fine to refer to genetalia, but as your children age,
having them learn the term genitals is going to be more helpful because most
doctors and other medical specialists use that word.

Marjorie
mum to almost 12 yo b/g twins

I didn't read the entire thread, but I'd like to point out that a vagina is
INSIDE the body and not the entire female genital area. When a female child
asks what her genetalia is, the correct term for the outside of the body
that she can touch is her labia. Only the inside is referred to as the
vagina. Ureter is the correct terminology for both boys and girls, and
urethra is also correct but somewhat confusing. The terminology that is
easier for children to grasp is, boys have penises and they pee out of the
ureter in their penis. Girls have labia and they pee out of the ureter in
their labia.

Anatomically correct. :-) Also, I agree that when outside in public,
private parts are just fine to refer to genetalia, but as your children age,
having them learn the term genitals is going to be more helpful because most
doctors and other medical specialists use that word.

Marjorie
mum to almost 12 yo b/g twins

I didn't read the entire thread, but I'd like to point out that a vagina is
INSIDE the body and not the entire female genital area. When a female child
asks what her genetalia is, the correct term for the outside of the body
that she can touch is her labia. Only the inside is referred to as the
vagina. Ureter is the correct terminology for both boys and girls, and
urethra is also correct but somewhat confusing. The terminology that is
easier for children to grasp is, boys have penises and they pee out of the
ureter in their penis. Girls have labia and they pee out of the ureter in
their labia.

Anatomically correct. :-) Also, I agree that when outside in public,
private parts are just fine to refer to genetalia, but as your children age,
having them learn the term genitals is going to be more helpful because most
doctors and other medical specialists use that word.

Marjorie
mum to almost 12 yo b/g twins

"animzmirot" wrote in message
...
I didn't read the entire thread, but I'd like to point out that a vagina
is
INSIDE the body and not the entire female genital area. When a female
child
asks what her genetalia is, the correct term for the outside of the body
that she can touch is her labia. Only the inside is referred to as the
vagina.

Well, I suppose if we want to get REALLY technical we can explain that the
opening of the vagina itself is the perineum, but this isn't useful for
anything I can think of at this point in my kids' lives (they're 6, 4 and
4). But you do have a point. I think 'labia' and 'vulva' are fairly
interchangable, except that 'vulva' refers to the entire area, and 'labia'
to the various individual fleshy bits.

You know what struck me as odd with my daughters? I don't remember what I
looked like as a little girl, so I was shocked to discover that there are
parts of a girl's external genitalia which hardly even exist at birth (like
the inner labia) and which grow and can become quite large at puberty.
Funny, I've had girlie bits my whole life and it never occurred to me that
my baby daughters would not look like mature women, minus the hair. So
that's another thing I've had to explain. "Why do you have that there,
mommy?" "Because I'm a grown up woman. When you're a grown up woman, you'll
have that too. Right now you're a little girl."(*) Silly me. I knew that a
boy's penis grows considerably at puberty - not just hair - but it never
occurred to me that girls did growing there too. Even though I am one.


*I find this explanation works for all kinds of things. Like "When will I
grow nursies?" and "Why don't I have milk in my nursies for my babies?" and
so on.

--angela

"animzmirot" wrote in message
...
I didn't read the entire thread, but I'd like to point out that a vagina
is
INSIDE the body and not the entire female genital area. When a female
child
asks what her genetalia is, the correct term for the outside of the body
that she can touch is her labia. Only the inside is referred to as the
vagina.

Well, I suppose if we want to get REALLY technical we can explain that the
opening of the vagina itself is the perineum, but this isn't useful for
anything I can think of at this point in my kids' lives (they're 6, 4 and
4). But you do have a point. I think 'labia' and 'vulva' are fairly
interchangable, except that 'vulva' refers to the entire area, and 'labia'
to the various individual fleshy bits.

You know what struck me as odd with my daughters? I don't remember what I
looked like as a little girl, so I was shocked to discover that there are
parts of a girl's external genitalia which hardly even exist at birth (like
the inner labia) and which grow and can become quite large at puberty.
Funny, I've had girlie bits my whole life and it never occurred to me that
my baby daughters would not look like mature women, minus the hair. So
that's another thing I've had to explain. "Why do you have that there,
mommy?" "Because I'm a grown up woman. When you're a grown up woman, you'll
have that too. Right now you're a little girl."(*) Silly me. I knew that a
boy's penis grows considerably at puberty - not just hair - but it never
occurred to me that girls did growing there too. Even though I am one.


*I find this explanation works for all kinds of things. Like "When will I
grow nursies?" and "Why don't I have milk in my nursies for my babies?" and
so on.

--angela

"animzmirot" wrote in message
...
I didn't read the entire thread, but I'd like to point out that a vagina
is
INSIDE the body and not the entire female genital area. When a female
child
asks what her genetalia is, the correct term for the outside of the body
that she can touch is her labia. Only the inside is referred to as the
vagina.

Well, I suppose if we want to get REALLY technical we can explain that the
opening of the vagina itself is the perineum, but this isn't useful for
anything I can think of at this point in my kids' lives (they're 6, 4 and
4). But you do have a point. I think 'labia' and 'vulva' are fairly
interchangable, except that 'vulva' refers to the entire area, and 'labia'
to the various individual fleshy bits.

You know what struck me as odd with my daughters? I don't remember what I
looked like as a little girl, so I was shocked to discover that there are
parts of a girl's external genitalia which hardly even exist at birth (like
the inner labia) and which grow and can become quite large at puberty.
Funny, I've had girlie bits my whole life and it never occurred to me that
my baby daughters would not look like mature women, minus the hair. So
that's another thing I've had to explain. "Why do you have that there,
mommy?" "Because I'm a grown up woman. When you're a grown up woman, you'll
have that too. Right now you're a little girl."(*) Silly me. I knew that a
boy's penis grows considerably at puberty - not just hair - but it never
occurred to me that girls did growing there too. Even though I am one.


*I find this explanation works for all kinds of things. Like "When will I
grow nursies?" and "Why don't I have milk in my nursies for my babies?" and
so on.

--angela