When did you stop (if you ever started!) kissing your child on the lips?

[FlickerBlackRed]

Just a musing - I dont think there are any right or wrong answers, but I went in to say goodnight to my DD17 tonight, went to give her a little peck on the lips, as we always have done, and she sort of offered her cheek instead, which she's never done.

It's fine, and I'll absolutely take my cue from her but I just wondered if it's weird that we've done it for this long and she's now feeling awkward? I mean, it never felt weird, but it just made me a little sad tonight.

Saying that, I haven't kissed my parents on the lips for a few decades, so I guess it may naturally taper off as kids grow up. But oh, my heart!

Ew. I have never done that. Why would you?

A kiss on the cheek, forehead, whatever. Why the lips?

I've no idea really when I stopped
My child is 12 I kiss her on her face/cheek wherever rather than her mouth. But if she wanted to kiss on the mouth I'd do that still. But she she's not like that

I actually don’t know. 12 and 15 and don’t now. Couldn’t tell you when it stopped so probably a good while ago

Whenever is right for you and the children. She prefers a kiss on the cheek now and that’s fine. As long as nobody is forcing anyone for a kiss or hug, then I think it’s whenever.

My DD13 will kiss me on the lips - she wouldn’t kiss her dad on the lips (but then she doesn’t really kiss him at all!)!

I’ve never understood why people find it weird but I agree with OP that you take the lead from them and no doubt during the teen years it’ll stop.

Hmm I’m not sure. I kiss my 5&8 year old on the lips, but I’m not sure what age I would stop. Maybe when they go to secondary school, or whenever I can see they’re no longer comfortable with it.

WTF. Never. Gross. I have never kissed anyone apart from partners on the lips. Yuck.

Cheek, and forehead. Kissing on the lips is wrong to me, and overstepping personal boundaries. I couldn't imagine doing that, and my children are young.

Maybe I did when he was a baby, but I can’t recall ever doing this .

Dd1 (17) rarely kisses on lips but dd2&3 (14) usually choose to. I let them lead. I might lean over and kiss one of them on the nose and she’ll turn and go for lips. Her choice and I don’t mind. I kiss my parents -just a peck- on the lips sometimes. Dh doesn’t with his.

I imagine that for most people it will stop in the teen years.

It's not something I'd probably do naturally, but I have no choice when my 18month old plants one on me 😂😭 She comes at me with an open mouth and 'kisses' me on the lips, but it feels more like being licked by a dog.

Thanks all! I'd never really given it much thought, and the last thing I'd want to do is make her feel uncomfortable, but I feel she's slipping away from me as it is (that's me being dramatic! She's just becoming so grown up and no longer needs me like she did!), so it tugged a little at the heart strings tonight. Sigh.

It’s not gross to kiss your dc! 😆 none of us are snogging them 🙄😆

Yes I'm afraid I agree with that. Just why!

Erm, because we're a normal, tactile family who love each other and there isn't anything 'ew' about that?! 🤣🤣

Probably when my boys became old enough that I didn’t want to make them feel uncomfortable. I’ve always followed their lead with hugs and kisses though, I actually can’t remember the last time my youngest kissed me which is sad. He used to give me very sloppy baby kisses.

When my son was a baby we kissed on lips yes. But I wasn't comfortable with it even then.

My DGD 10 and one DGS 7 still kiss me on the lips, but not older DGC. Not sure I've kissed any of my DC on the lips for years. I'm not overly kissy and tend to be led by the kissee, if that makes sense!

Gross? Really?! OK 👍

Never.
Only one women ever did, I immediately explained we don't do that. She was taken aback but fine with it.

Erm, we're a normal, tactile family who love each other, and we have never kissed our children on the lips. HTH. 😂😂

um, I’ve started (very gently, as subtly as I can manage!!) redirecting my sons kisses to my cheek etc already… and he’s only just turned four! I never encouraged it, and only ever opt to kiss him (when I’m the kisser, not the kissee!) on his forehead, head, cheek, whatever, but he always goes for the lips!
I’m surprised actually that your daughter has got to 17 before starting to find it a bit uncomfortable, personally.

She was probably uncomfortable before this tbh, but has only now attempted to draw her boundaries.

It’s not gross or weird to kiss your DC on the lips.

That said, I’d never really do it by choice.
DD is 5 and I smother her in kisses whenever I get the chance but they tend to be on the head/ cheek or just wherever, she had her arm pressed against me this evening whilst we were chatting so that got a few kisses.

DD is going through a phase of demanding she gets to ‘kiss me back’ at the moment and is also very interested in the concept of mistletoe (they sang Rocking Around the Christmas Tree at school and it features) so she keeps pointing at random branches and saying we have to kiss now. She always goes for the lips. I’m guessing it’s a phase and I’ll follow her lead but like I say, it wouldn’t be my go to and I’m anticipating it stopping long before teen years although I can’t really say why (there’s some stuff in my own past it’s probably triggering maybe?)

Ds is only 3 and I always kiss him on the cheek and if he wants to give me a kiss I'll generally offer my cheek but sometimes he will turn my head and is determined to land on my mouth, I don't make a big deal of it really but equally I wouldn't want other adults doing it. I'll probably start redirecting him gently from now on actually.