Should parents kiss their kids on the lips?

[Gingersnap]

Should parents kiss their kids on the lips?

By Susannah Breslin, The Frisky
September 21, 2010 8:57 a.m. EDT

(The Frisky) -- Personally, it feels strange even writing that title.

Why wouldn't parents kiss their kids on the lips? Isn't that what all parents do? You know, kiss their kids on the lips to show their love? Apparently, some people find the idea of a parent kissing his or her son or daughter on the lips deranged and disgusting. But who?

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One is a reader of the advice column penned by Margot Howard (daughter of Eppie Lederer, who once wrote an advice column as the famous Ann Landers) who wrote in under the name "Want My Husband's Lips for Myself" to complain that her husband regularly gives a peck on the lips to his 5-year-old daughter.

And, really, the letter writer's name ("Want My Husband's Lips for Myself") says it all, doesn't it?

WMHLFM wrote into advice columnist Dear Margo asking if the fact that her husband kissing his daughter on the lips completely freaks her out was weird or not.

His daughter (the advice seeker's stepdaughter) is five, and this stepmother of one year, who has kids of her own, says that her husband kissing his daughter on the mouth is "driving me crazy" and "aggravates me to no end."

The crime, as she describes it, is a "peck," but, she declares, it belongs on the girl's cheek, not her lips.

"I even explained that you do not kiss on the lips unless you are married," she waxes. "I have mentioned that I'm totally against the gesture; he said he will do so until the day he dies." Why so upset, stepmom? According to her, it's "a sexual gesture and very inappropriate."

There are a lot of outraged comments at the link, as you might imagine. Only one comment addressed what I think is the only important issue here: stop doing it if the kid doesn't like it as he or she gets older.

Infants and toddlers have a high degree of comfort with body fluids but older kids may not. I spent way too much time as a child wiping off spit generated by assorted female relatives.

CNN

[Shannon]

I do my best to avoid any displays of affection with my son. Kiss your kid on the lips? I find that downright creepy.

[noonwitch]

Babies and toddlers, yes.


Any kid over 4-no. Not that it is wrong in and of itself, but it's also important to set limits with kids in order to teach them to set limits themselves with people they meet. Nobody wants kids to think it's okay to kiss adult strangers on the lips, so parents shouldn't do it once they start teaching their kids about stranger danger/avoiding Mom's weird cousin.

[FlaGator]

I do my best to avoid any displays of affection with my son. Kiss your kid on the lips? I find that downright creepy.

Especially if you're slipping him the tongue.

[Molon Labe]

I do my best to avoid any displays of affection with my son. Kiss your kid on the lips? I find that downright creepy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw8f_vxfPBc

[Articulate_Ape]

Especially if you're slipping him the tongue.

Heh.

[warpig]

No.

[RobJohnson]

I was 16 & she was my 26 year old step mom....it was right before she dropped me off at band camp. :p


I'm not a big fan of PDA, but am getting more used to it in my older years. I have customers that run up and hug me after they have been gone all summer......I must admit, it warms my heart.

[malloc]

I do my best to avoid any displays of affection with my son. Kiss your kid on the lips? I find that downright creepy.

I have lots of thoughts and opinions on the matter at hand, however, this particular comment has my feathers in an uproar. I have many kids and I would take whatever stops necessary to ensure the success of any of my individual children, even if that meant I had to give up my own time indefinitely.

Since you do your best to avoid any display of affection with your son, how do you know that you son has any affection for you? What if he hates you and has no affection towards you? Someday very soon he's going to be a lot, a whole lot bigger than you and have the most private access to you. What if you still find your son creepy then? What if he still finds you distant and unreachable?

[Gingersnap]

I have lots of thoughts and opinions on the matter at hand, however, this particular comment has my feathers in an uproar. I have many kids and I would take whatever stops necessary to ensure the success of any of my individual children, even if that meant I had to give up my own time indefinitely.

Since you do your best to avoid any display of affection with your son, how do you know that you son has any affection for you? What if he hates you and has no affection towards you? Someday very soon he's going to be a lot, a whole lot bigger than you and have the most private access to you. What if you still find your son creepy then? What if he still finds you distant and unreachable?

I'm pretty sure Shannon was just kidding with that remark. ;)

It's her husband that doesn't get any display of affection. :p