Ivy learns why boys are boys...

Ivy has discovered that Noah has an added appendage...down below!

She was fixated on it all through bathtime and even had a tug or two (Noah didn't mind at all). :oops:
It was pretty funny and cute the way she looked at it and then looked down towards her own. I think the penny finally dropped that they are not the same human being, they are seperate entities!

My only worry is that it will become a habit and never having had a boy/girl pair I don't really know what to expect.
Anyone out there with a boy and a girl gone through something similar and how did you cope? Did they eventually grow out of 'inspecting' each other?

Aww how cute! My poor bro - he was having a bath with another little girl when they were maybe 2 or 3? Anyway, the little girl was jealous that she didn't have one.. so decided he shouldn't have one either and tried to bite it off!! Mum said the shriek that came from the bathtub was incredible! LOL. Anyway - she missed.. and he had teeth marks just above it. LMAO.

I think the curiosity is very natural... I know older siblings often ask why the new baby is different. I wouldn't worry too much just yet.. there's nothing dirty in it at that age :)

Aw Tiff that's pretty cute!!!

Yeah, I'm not too worried...YET! LOL Liz that the bite marks were above the intended target! I bet your brother felt lucky that day!

B456 - My girls got in trouble at school for calling it a vagina! I was halled up to the office to discuss it! I was mortified when I found out what it was all about, because they used the correct terminology!!! Bloody hell. In our house and living with a midwife for a mother things like that are discussed as a normal part of life (which it is). It's not my fault if the offended mother had taught her daughter that her vagina was a 'twinkle', now, is it?

ETA; All my girls inspected their own girly bits and Noah is lovingly known as 'Scruncher' for his little wanderings during nappy change and nappy off time. Also I do remember when they were around the three year old stage openly discussing why boys (Daddies) and girls were different.

Thanks Carrie, yeah, I thought it was pretty cute too and had a bit of a giggle with DH tonight but you know, you just worry over the little things somedays.

my b/g twins discovered that they have different bits when they were around ivy and Noah's age. We just didn't make a big deal about it. Its just a natural thing, and so innocent. Even now they grab at each other, and when they do we just shift the attention elsewhere to something else. They think its hilarious!
just go with the flow with this one!
HTH

Thanks Odette,

Will definately go with the flow!

Wow at people being offended by the word vagina! Sheesh.

I actually heard that children NEED to know the proper names should anything inappropriate happen to them (heaven forbid) because they need to be able to say where they were touched (or something like that anyway). Correct me if I'm wrong! And sorry.. bit morbid. But I think it's only appropriate that they learn the proper names anyway, or they end up all awkward and giggly like me trying to say it! LOL.

very cute lol - I wonder what two boys will do.

Oh Trish - I'm sure they'll have size comparisons, and peeing competitions galore! LOL

Tiggy, I'd say its fine... all very innocent ;)

As to calling a vagina a vagina its actually a safety measure too apparently it can empower an abuser for a child to call it a childish name (ie. Flower, hoohar, mickey, fanny etc). And there have been awful stories about parents not knowing what their children mean because they didn't use the right terminology and they went abused unnoticed. We have vagina's and penis' in this house... Paris has no idea of any other names.

*hugs*
Cailin

At school when we teach Child Protection we have to teach the kids the correct names as part of the unit. Its as stated previously, so that in cases of sexual abuse children can be very specific about what has happened. You do have some funny moments with the kindies though, I had a little boy who told me that girls have volvos!!( You do all the areas not just the penis and vagina)

It's vagina and Penis in our house that way it should be, it was funny when Reny and Reth found out what was the difference between them and Rory.
We explained and then Reny said "Yeah but daddy's is bigger!" and Reth said "No daddy's not bigger it's hugiiiie!" (Nudity is not a problem in our house) But that was indeed funny, Memories!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

And now Reth says "Daddy has a penis and mummy has a vagina" :lol:

Cai, thanks - I'm sure you understand my fears.
Same in this house, penis and vagina all round, no strange names.
MrsMac, school musn't have taught child protection when my girls started school, they were up in arms about the whole vagina thing.

Trish - Oh I think it will be fun times in you house in a couple of years. THey might have 'how far up the wall can you get it competitions' !

Tiff, Tehya and Noah quite often have baths together and there has been many a time where she has given "it" a good yank. Tehya grabs with both hands on either side of herself and says "many many many" it's too cute. Yes we call it a fanny and a doodle here. I guess just because that's what I was brought up with.

I don't stress about the touching I just tell Tehya to leave it alone. But she is older than Ivy too as is Noah.

Trish, from experience I can tell you that peeing comps are to be expected. Although, my brothers used to do it and not to be outdone I joined in. Apparently I could be as good as the boys :oops:

LOL Trish - you crack me up!!!! I can just imagine wall comps with a girl involved!
When AJ and Mal moved in with us, Lily decided that she wanted to be a boy too and was often caught outside piddling in the garden with AJ! It's all good fun, isn't it?

Shhh just don't tell anyone ;)

With regards to using names. Are you all using vagina to refer to the whole genital area, or do you explain that it just the inside part? I have always been funny about the word vagina being used to encompass the whole female genital area, or am I just going to confuse things for Maggie if I am particular about naming?

I would only call it a vagina not the whole other names. I think that would only confuse her more.

We call it vagina, I don't want to confuse her,I will explain the other things later

Yeah, it's just a vagina here too. I guess when the girls are older it will get more...detailed but simple is best in this house. When the girls were little and couldn't say vagina, they called it a ginee.

LOL T has explained to hil older friends what the difference between boys and girls is already . . . some people parked out front of our house the other day and got a baby out of the car dressed in pink ! T shouted out "LOOK MUM ITS A BABY" "A PINK BABY, SHE IS A GIRL 'COS SHE HAS A VAGINA" and then repeated the bit about her having a vagina quite a few times

OOOh Yeash a vagine here & a penis, but only Daddy has one of them in our house so far!
Maddy does also call it her fandango(?)..

I have herad Maddy on numerous occasions explain how babies are made to her other school friends & her teacher & she shows them the "Where did I come from" book & talks about Penises & Vagina's!!

I know my cousin attended a dad & son sex ed calss when he was about 11 or 12. They asked if annoyone knew the correct name for a penis (they pointed to a picture I guess) & my cousion couldnt get his arm up quick enough, so he stood up & announced it's called a "Belana?" Which was what they called it at his place & my Uncle just about died, after that it was penis & vagina.... hee hee

Marks brother did a similar thing, sex info night at school and they asked if anyone knew what a girls parts were and he put up his hand and said it was a "yunya" Marks' mum was so embarressed and had no idea where that came from.

Very cute though.

In our house daddy has a doodle & mummy & Mya have fanny's or a vagina. I've always called them that from since i can remember.
Mya has recently discovered her privates & always touches it when her nappy is off & checks it out when shes in her swimmers.
She has showers with both DF & myself. She stares at my boobs & try's to pull at DF's doodle. I heard him the other day in there with her, telling her that it was daddy's doodle, not hers, she just gave a giggle & carried on playing in the water......i think he gets a little embarressed sometimes LOL. I told him shes just wondering what it is as she & i don't have one.

You know Astrid, I'm a bit the same, I wouldn't want to call the whole area the vagina either. I didn't really have any awareness there was an 'inside' part to my bum til I was much older, it just wasn't relevant to me when I was a kid, iykwim. I think the whole area was just 'bottom' til I got older, but I'm sure if I had come home with a tale about someone else and my bottom, that would be enough for mum, til I was old enough to learn the specific names.
So far here, Riv has a willy, but I figure most adults know what a willy is anyway. It's the obscure girls bits names (like twinkle, wierd) that could be a problem I reckon.

And having a chuckle at your stories girls, kids can be so cute!
I might ask dh tonight what he and his brothers got up to as kids :P

The funniest story I ever heard was my gf telling me she walked in and found her 2-3 y.o. son with his penis in the tap LOL!

*hugs*
Cailin

Can't help myself, I do tend to use the word Fanny, but atleast that is commonly used, so unless your American you would understand what she is referring to.

Ouch Cailin. Funny though :)

Cailin - that is a classic!