They have a what?!

After years of letting Emma believe that boys have vaginas, I decided tonight to tell her the truth.

She made a comment that included "boys' vaginas" and I thought, she's almost 6, maybe it's time for her to know that they're not actually called vaginas.

So I told her. "Emma, boys' vaginas are not called vaginas." Pause, hesitation, pause. "It's a penis." I waited for her to repeat what I just told her. It's what she does.

"A penis?"

Pause. Please don't make me say it again. "Yes."

"Why is it a penis?"

"That's just what it's called."

"Is it because it's a long vagina?" She motions her hand from her crotch down to her knees during the word "long".

"Yep."

And that was the end of it.

As much as I dreaded it, I feel relieved that no longer will she be getting confused looks from those not in our "everyone has vaginas" world.

Parenting is hard.