What do you call..

With our sons, we just called it willy. I don't think it really matters what you call it, he will learn the proper name later.

I always use the proper names for things. THey become familiar with the terms when they are in the tub. As I was an elbow - I say "elbow" and so on. Genitalia becomes much less mysterious and forbidden when it is treated as normal. PS Mylot wouldn't let me put in the proper names for genitalia so we know where some people get their ideas from!!!!

At his age that is good enough. The time will come when you can use the real names for those parts. Children can be taught at an age appropriate need to know system and you did just fine. Funny mine has not ever asked about names. We are open about bodies and teach that they are nothing to be ashamed of. Society says that they must be covered since everyone cannot be trusted to act nice and in our winters clothing can be a real good thing for warmth. Good luck with him.

its better to use a cutesy name like peppee or putepoe etc... dont worry abt it all, he would know it in years to come.

its better for you to call it on a curtesy nickname...we call it here as putotoy hahahha...

At that age I think you are right to use the cute names. Lcuky for me - my kids didn't ask me about it at that young of an age. My son is now three and he calls it his peepee and my daughter is 5. Though she knows whats down there- she never has asked what it's called. I think with her age when she does ask - its time to use the real terms for their body parts. It's nothing to be ashamed of.

kuunnaa

LOL, I must admit I have just read the most funny discussion I have found today! What can I say to you ? I am a 25 years old male and I never got any experiences like this one in my entire life with my mother and my father was barely around and when he was he was too drunk to talk about situations like the one you presented. The thing is that whatever you might call it, it makes absolutely no difference when they will grow up, because they will learn by itself what is it called and what it's doing. Just act normally and get on with your life. :)

We always used the correct anatomical names for all body parts. Having worked adolescent and children's mental heatlh for years, it was drummed into my head by many a social worker and psychologist that correct names were best.

I agree that it's easiest for kids to learn all their parts by the right name, even if you are silly and call them other things on occasion (like noggin for head). BUT, I was telling DS (15 months) that I had to wipe off his boy part (by the name) and he got fixated on the word. Now we'll be sitting doing something totally different, like eating dinner, and he'll start saying it. I'm just grateful that he can't pronounce it right yet. It sounds more like "penny". Maybe we'll stick with a nickname until he understands that you don't just yell about it all the time. Ugh...

We have a 19 months year old boy. We call his thing the tinkywinky. When I change his diaper he goes down on it with his hand. Smacking on it. I say that will hurt you stop it. But he continuing. When I clean his tinkywinky it gets stiff sometimes too, that means to me he likes to be cleaned up there. And thats just fine because cleaning up also includes the tinkywinky. Its healthy to pay attention to it, it means, he is aware of other things than himself.

I have brought my children up to use the proper name for body parts. I think the reason that we have a society who is offended by words that describe the male and female anatomy is because they have been brought up in a household where the correct names were offensive. As a parent I think we all need to give our children reliable accurate information and not bring them up to be offended by such words as pen(mylot censors that word)is. When God made little boys, he made them out of string, he found he didn't have enough so he left a little thing and the correct name for that thing is pen is.

I think peepee is the best thing for you to use if it's the first thing that came to mind, as long as you're comfortable with it!! If you use something you're uncomfortable with, your little one will be uncomfortable discussing these parts with you. With my kids I started out with peepee, and then it got to private parts, then just, my private. My kids are older now and they know all the words they could possibly use and when they're talking to me or a Dr. they have no problem discussing what's wrong. I don't think it's so much as what you call it, I think it's the parent that has to be comfortable with the word(s) they choose. If you act embarassed, the kids will be embarassed.