Just read this article and it got me thinking. I have two daughters (aged 8). One doesn’t do kissing / cuddling very much at all, but the other loves affection, still loves to give big hugs and yes, she likes to kiss on the lips too. I don’t want to discourage affection but I have to admit it is starting to get to the stage where I am thinking I should try to stop her from doing it/expecting it. I guess I am hoping she’ll naturally grow out of it (which is what I would prefer) but what if she doesn’t?

Does anyone else think it is right/wrong/indifferent? Anyone had to deal with similar?

I kiss my 5yo daughter on the lips. Seems totally natural to me and I’m amazed anyone considers it otherwise.

I guess I am hoping she’ll naturally grow out of it (which is what I would prefer) but what if she doesn’t?

But she will, do you think when she’s 15 she’ll still want to kiss her dad? Highly unlikely she’ll want to speak to you let alone display affection 🙂

I don’t see an issue here.

Eldest is 7, younger is 4. Both kiss me on the lips.

Don’t see anything wrong with it myself. Just a simple expression of love.

I draw the line at tongues though.

I accidently kissed my mother in law on the lips at the weekend – now that is definitely an issue!

With kids, we’ve always kept it no lips, I guess pre-empting the issue arising as they grow older. We have had conversations a few times about it, explaining the difference between kisses on cheek and lips. They seem to get it, so a non-issue really.

This is news? WTF is wrong with people. I kiss my son on the lips, he’s well cute and cuddly. Very affectionate and extremely confident too. He’s three and I’m getting all the kisses and cuddles I can before he disowns me in his teens

But she will, do you think when she’s 15

Well yes I know she won’t then, but I guess the question is – is there an age where it is no longer acceptable?

Yep. Own children only. No tongues.

Great big snog – yeah a bit wrong.

Quick peck on the lips fine – my 14yr old daughter still does it before she goes off to school.

is there an age where it is no longer acceptable?

When the kid no longer does it, its a natural thing, it’ll stop at the right time.

With kids, we’ve always kept it no lips, I guess pre-empting the issue arising as they grow older

You’ve never kissed your own kids on the lips? That’s a bit weird. What issues were you per-empting?

Why would you want to stop her kissing you?
She may think she has done something wrong.
She may well stop of her own accord.
She may not, you may be very lucky & get kisses from your daughter your whole life.
Chill out my friend.
I’d be more concerned about your other daughter not hugging / kissing enough, but suspect it’s a twin/sibling reaction thing?
I hope all 3 of my children hug/kiss me for a long long time.

is there an age where it is no longer acceptable?

I kiss my mum and dad on the lips, I’m 43.

My daughter is 7 now, i am happy to give her a kiss on the lips, most of the time she will kiss me on the cheek, i don’t think there is anything odd about it, it is a father and young daughter being affectionate. I think of all the kids in the world who are abused or not-loved and i think that showing me daughter she is loved is how i want her to be brought up, she still sits on my lap watching TV to and asks for a “snuggle”.

I grew up with a father who beat ten bales of turd out of me and stunk of whisky, i know which father i’d rather be.

My sister in law criticises the fact that at 7 she still occasionally sucks her thumb and actively smacks her childrens hands away from her kids mouths, but if it still provides comfort to my daughter (who is T1 diabetic and extremely brave about the finger pricks, pump changes and injections) then why not.

Why would you want to stop her kissing you?

I don’t want her to and I love that she likes to show affection but I guess it is the concern about the perception from others if I let it go on too long. I guess I should just stop worrying and let it happen for as long as she wants it to.

it is the concern about the perception from others

It’s none of their business

I guess I should just stop worrying

Yep

It’s none of their business

This is true – although I did get a flaming from some on here when I mentioned that I joined my girls in a shower after swimming lessons (when they were 6 IIRC).

although I did get a flaming from some on here when I mentioned that I joined my girls in a shower after swimming lessons (when they were 6 IIRC).

That’s a bit different to a kiss on the lips!

i dont care….. a non issue imo.

That’s a bit different to a kiss on the lips!

His daughters saw him naked. Big effing deal.

The wife and I still walk around naked when we get up in a morning and when we go to bed!

Wish my son would just give me a hug occassionally!

I kiss my mum on the lips – I’m 53 and she was 78 yesterday. Happy birfdee Ma!
<3 <3

This is true – although I did get a flaming from some on here when I mentioned that I joined my girls in a shower after swimming lessons (when they were 6 IIRC).

As above my daughter is T1 diabetic, i had an old woman start shouting at me in the pool about abusing my daughter and reported me to the manager of the sports centre due to the needle marks on her bum from injections in her swimsuit, i ended showing them her kit and the old bag didn’t even think to apologise for what was very traumatic for my daughter.

I did get a flaming from some on here when I mentioned that I joined my girls in a shower after swimming lessons (when they were 6 IIRC).

Some people are very uptight – especially when it comes to kids and parenting.
(speaking as someone who was falsely reported to social services 😆 ).

Nothing wrong with either kissing your kids or them seeing your bits IMO.

Surely it fosters far healthier attitudes to affection and body image than being emotionally undemonstrative and treating bodies as something shameful.

His daughters saw him naked. Big effing deal.

I didn’t suggest it was a big deal. But it’s very different to a discussion on your child kissing you on the lips.

That’s a bit different to a kiss on the lips!

His daughters saw him naked. Big effing deal.

See – it is all a very divisive issue.

Nothing wrong with either kissing your kids or them seeing your bits IMO.

Surely it fosters far healthier attitudes to affection and body image than being emotionally undemonstrative and treating bodies as something shameful.

Indeed

I guess there is a cut off point that comes at a certain age (probably somewhere in the teenage years i’m guessing) where kids don’t want to be fussed over by parents, but my daughter, whatever age, will always be my daughter and i’ll still try and give her a hug when she’s 40, it’s only weird if you make it that way or the intention is off.

A kiss and a hug are one of the most intimate things you can give a person, and what is more intimate than a parent / child relationship?

I hope I still can hug and kiss my son when he is older, I certainly encourage it now and he is 7.

What are these people actually complaining about? Is it that they don’t like to see other people kissing or do they think the kiss is somehow a precursor to a more explicit and illegal activity? How do you get so morally shrivelled that this becomes a thing for you?
Either way some journalists really need to get out of the office and do their job properly instead of social media cut and paste.

My kids have grown up in a house full of love and confidence building. Still tell my 12 yr old son and 15 year old daughter I love them, they look cool, you’re beautiful etc. They get so much shit from social media and other such bollox about how they should be. Still get a kiss off both of them as and when. Final thing, tbey both seem happy which will do me!

My smallest one (7) still climbs on my knee puckering up for a kiss, so he gets one. The middle one (10) likes a hug and doesn’t mind a kiss on the top of his head – two years ago he refused either. The big one (16) neither gets or I imagine would want a kiss on the lips but she’ll still come and sit on my knee or cuddle up on the sofa if she wants to talk about something or watch TV with us. Same with their mum. Kids need affection and I take the view that they can have as much as they want, but it’s also on their terms/what they’re comfortable with which I think is important as well.

mine are 13 and 11; I don’t know why but I do feel slightly uncomfortable about it with my older daughter who “isn’t a child” any longer. I still give her a hug and a kiss on the forehead or cheek as greeting / bedtime / just because I love her but on the mouth seems a bit wierd (although I happily kiss my mum wherever it happens to land). Like I say i don’t really know why it feels uncomfortable and in fact i feel uncomfortable that it feels uncomfortable, but it’s the natural development now.

My youngest is 11 and a different person, she still wants a kiss on the lips* and gets it (although at bedtime I usually try to dummy it and go in for a raspberry on the neck instead, leading to a wrestling match and raspberry blowing being administered to almost any visible bit of skin)

* not this morning as i dropped her at the corner to meet her friends to walk the mile to secondary school for their orientation day. She didn’t even want eye contact then as I’m apparently too embarrassing. Kids – strange.

Me earlier (actually who am i kidding. This man is my aspiration, to hit those levels of embarrassing)

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLzC_b1Q5BE[/video]

I still give my boys a quick squeeze on the bum when we hug* and they’re all in their 20’s

* This maybe because they have to bend down so much to hug their stocky little munchkin of a father so I have to get my own back somehow

My boys are five and six. I love the natural affection that we share; I’m dreading the day when they no longer want to hold my hand when out for a walk or on the way to school. Can’t be too long now 😥

I kiss my mum and dad on the lips, I’m 43.

The trouble starts when they wake up half way through and you have to explain why you’re in their room.

I don’t get it, it’s a kiss on the lips not tongues.

That’s a bit different to a kiss on the lips!

Yes but it’s also not an issue.

Yes but it’s also not an issue.

This. I’m not even sure how you could function without showering with kids under 6 a fair bit. Swiming pools, campsites. The need to closely supervise them and both of you wash makes it pretty much the only practical way.

Yep. Own children only. No tongues.

Just don’t end up like the Donald 😉
“I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.” “Don’t you think my daughter’s hot? She’s hot, right?” 😯

Yes but it’s also not an issue.

I didn’t say it was. It’s amazing how easily people want to jump to conclusions.

Our son is 19, he still gets a kiss and a hug when I’m off to bed or we’re going away for a few days.

Reading the “article”, it sounds like it’s something that (some) Americans get upset about, so not really a thing for normal people to worry about.

😉