Ramblings of a mom who's kids know their parts

OK, so my hubby had CNN headline news on this morning and a report they did caught my ears. It appears that the long standing play, "The Vagina Monologues" has changed it's name to the "The HooHaw Monologues". This happened because a woman called and complained after passing a billboard advertising the play with her niece in the car and the little girl asked the woman what a vagina was, so Aunty Dear was embarrassed. She should be, but Mom should be mortified that her daughter would even have to ask.

Now, I've never watched or had the urge to watch the monologues, and I neither defend or oppose the play, I just think that not educating our children is a big problem in our society (but that's a blog for another day)

It didn't say how old the girl was, but it is my opinion that if she is old enough to read, she is old enough to know what a vagina is. I mean, SERIOUSLY, pet names for body parts are not cute or funny and when kids find out the real name it just becomes a problem that they didn't know all along.

I have heard teachers and moms tell stories of when a child finally learns the real name for these body parts and the kid thinks it is the funniest thing ever - causing them to go around spewing the new "bad word" in every imaginable (and, I'm sure, quite embarrassing) situation. And, of course, at school where another 1/2 of their classmates (probably more) are learning the word for the first time.

Had these children's parents (specifically mothers, since we all know how 'involved' most dads are in child rearing, LOL, again, a blog for another day) used those word with their children all along, it would be a non-issue. Words that are a part of a child's vocabulary (excluding curse words) won't get used in the inappropriate ways or places.

From infancy, my children started learning body parts - in the baby bath tub, I would tell them that I was washing their knees or drying their shoulders .

Anyway, what do you think, when is it appropriate to tell your kids that they have a vagina instead of a hoohaw?