That time has come!

[ruthandsam]

Any good books out there suitable for me to read to my 4 year old girl regarding names of parts of the body.

She walked into the lounge the other day and promptly displayed all and asked her 19 year old brother what her clitoris was called. I'm struggling and don't want to confuse things for her for when she gets older.

Thanks!!!

[leanne_1987]

lol my little girl calls her bits minkie or minnie, no need to get all technical with each bit yet!

[daisya]

Where on earth does a 4 yr old get the word from in the first place? Jeez, aren't' they allowed to be children anymore.

[starone]

It's all right daisy, she didn't actually know what it was called but was just asking (I think).

[albaqwerty]

I'm thinking that was ruth's word and not her 4 year old's daughter words.

Just tell her what each part is called when she asks.

[RATTER15]

and 19 year old son jumps out of window with embarrassment. :-)

[bednobs]

hmm, in my very long ago experience of 19 yo boys, they didn't even know such a thing as a clitoris existed, let alone the name for it :)

[rsvp]

good one bednobs!

[albaqwerty]

would you care to re-phrase about your long experience of 19 year old boys?
please, I didn't think you were like that, lol

Having only recently gained a 19-year-old I'll ask his girlfriend tomorrow when I see her :D

[madmaggot]

The embarrassment is yours alone ruth; just answer in a matter of fact way that it is called your **** and it's a part that girls and ladies have. Then calmly explain that this is a part of the body that we normally keep covered up except in special circumstances such as when having a wash. You'll know when you've said enough because she'll get bored at that age when you go on too far. If she asks what boys have instead then just calmly tell her.
None of us is born bashful but generally kids become a bit shy at the age your girl is, or a bit older.

[boxtops]

Are you sure she meant her clitoris and not her female bits in general? That's very specific for a 4 year old - I didn't know there was such a part at her age!

[madmaggot]

BTW, when I was a girl female bits were generally referred to as 'your yoyo' in our family. Boys had a 'tail'.

[boxtops]

The boys had a willie and the girls had a winkie - but the trend nowadays seems to be to call the parts by their proper names. It does avoid a great deal of confusion in later life, if you go to the doctor and have to use a baby name for your bits because you don't know what it's really called.

[fliptheswitch]

I don't know why, but I feel slightly uneasy about answering this. But anyhow.
Personally, I think 4 is too young to be going into such detail. I don't see why a four year old would need to know that. What if she starts saying it when your out in public, how embarassing would that be?!
I would just do what other people have mentioned, just use a silly name.

[annie0000]

I haven't had this specific book, but the books by these people are usually really good - we have had the "how will I grow" and "how did I begin" ones which are about the body changing and about where babies come from, which would probably be the next stage. Personally I would stick to the real words but I don't think she needs a specific word for each bit.
http://www.amazon.co....qid=1313701705&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co....qid=1313701902&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co....id=1313701224&sr=1-12

This looks good, but probably for an older child:

http://www.amazon.co....qid=1313701224&sr=1-7

[ruthandsam]

Thank you ever so much everyone - not an comfortable subject to bring up as I had to be so specific. Just to put everyone's mind a rest, my daughter just pointed. We responded by just saying it is something that a girl/lady has rather than seeming shocked and she seemed to understand (didn't want to reinforce the behaviour). Whereas my son vanished to his bedroom and I haven't seen him since (joke)!

On a serious note though, I just didn't want to give her too much information because it is not necessary (let them be children) whereas when I was a child the reaction from my parents was of shock, horror, embarrassment and total disgust - How times have changed!

Thanks again.

[ummmm]

It's a body part. She will still act like a child if she knows the name of it. Like madmaggot said, the embarrassment is yours. She doesn't need to know it has anything to do with sex.

[Athley]

My mum used to call it 'front bottom' and 'back bottom' lol !! My friends mum used to call it a 'Maudy' or a 'Mary' ................ in fact they probably still do :oD