7 Ways To Explain Penises To Your Son, Because He Deserves To Know His Body
bySarah Bunton
Many parents have plenty of names for their children's genitals: pee-pee, wee-wee, peenie, winkie, hoo-hoo, and other cutesy options. There are more ambiguous terms, too: special parts, your business, down there, private parts, private area, and more. Though you may prefer using these terms because they are a little more comfortable (and are bound to make for some adorable stories down the line), there are actually a lot of ways to explain penises to your son that won't make you terribly uncomfortable. Because, not every part of parenting has to be an awkward situation.
You might think that any kind of conversation with your child involving genitalia is taboo or a rabbit hole that leads to even more grown-up matters. But that's not necessarily the case nor is it a bad thing. Catherine McCall, a licensed marriage and family therapist, wrote a compelling article in Psychology Today where she explains how damaging these alternative terms can be. "The more we don't talk about it, and also don't teach ourselves and our children about healthy sexual development, the more we are grooming them to be abused and/or exploited," she wrote. Teaching your son the correct terminology to avoid potential abuse is a major reason to explain penises to your son, and if you're worried about the conversation, here are plenty of ways to talk about it.