Why is it so hard to say the V word?

Vagina

There I said it, well actually no I didn't, I typed it didn't I?

This one little word have had me thinking this past week. Not what you were expecting read, right? :)

To fully understand I am going to take you back to that imaginary list we have spoken about before, you know the one you tend to make years before you have children of all the things you are going to do as a parent when you do have children?

My list had things I had picked up from other parents, like keep the room dimly lit with no TV, phones or any bright lights or loud noises for night feeds, it helps them feed and then drift of back to sleep - you too (it really does!)

It also had teach your kids the proper name for their 'bits', after a conversation with a friend years ago about her kids and the day care they went to. And that's exactly what I had planned to do...

That is until push came to shove.

And now, well its the plan but we are having trouble saying it.

Yes for some stupid, crazy, completely irrational reason Matilda's Dad and I find it odd to say vagina to our daughter.

Why??

I have no idea.


And what's worse if Matilda had been a boy I don't think we would have any problem with penis. Strange hey?

Just as I first started to question myself about this my copy of My Child Magazine landed in the mailbox and wouldn't you know there was an article about teaching the parts of the body to young children by the Raising Children Network. The article not only stated that its best to use the anatomical names from the start, it also said that girls should learn vulva before vagina (why? Check out the article here...)

Great I thought, we're set, anatomical names here I come...

Well... that was the plan but... we are still stuck on girly bits! Humph.

So now the challenge is to get over the silly awkwardness that we both feel and just say it. Over and over again, just say it, like any other body part.

Maybe we need a 'girly bits' swear jar to help it along ;)

I wonder, does anyone else have this problem? Am I over thinking it? And if you don't use the anatomical names, what do you use?