We were in the store the other day, getting socks for my daughter. She was coercing me into getting her tights, and I was looking around at the sale racks. I saw some promising-looking UV-protective tops for $3, so I was looking for one for my husband. My daughter pulled out a pair of shorts. “Look mom! These are perfect for covering daddy’s — insert private part here—!”
When I told my husband later that day, he just about died of embarrassment. However, I was a little proud of my daughter. After all, the brain to mouth filter is not in perfect form yet, and it was rather amusing. Most of all, though, I am proud that she’ll talk about private parts in public, and in a very matter-of-fact kind of way.
Why is it important to teach your preschooler the correct name for his or her body parts? Well, it’s important for health, for one. When your child is at school, telling a teacher or a nurse where he hurts, it is good if he can articulate this clearly. It’s also good for another, less pleasant reason. If your child ever experiences abuse or sees an adult do something that is not right, then that child can go to an adult and tell that adult exactly what happened, without using cute jargon.
In our house, we talk a lot about childbirth these days, because my daughter now has a baby cousin. We also talk a lot about private parts, because she is four, and four-year-olds are keen on body parts and bodily functions. So when she brings up things at the grocery store, do I cringe? Yes, a little. But I am proud too – of her and of our courage in using the correct words for body parts.