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Original poster

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

189 replies

FlickerBlackRed · 16/12/2025 22:45

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!

OP posts:
Meadowfinch · 17/12/2025 05:03

Never. Yukk! 😫

chipshopElvis · 17/12/2025 05:11

I don't remember when I stopped with my son but definitely don't now, he's 16, probably he was quite little. My daughter who is 14 kisses me on the lips, I wouldn't do it to her in case she was uncomfortable, but happy to accept

Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 17/12/2025 05:16

Tillow4ever · 16/12/2025 23:45

My youngest is 14 in 2 weeks, he still gives me a kiss on the lips, although it’s less frequent these days. My 17 & 20 year olds sons don’t really do kisses at all now - can’t remember how old they were when they stopped but I think it was younger.

I go by what they want/need/are comfortable with. I never ever considered anyone would have an issue with a parent kissing their child on the lips or vice versa (except if they have a cold sore) so I’m finding it a bit bizarre all these posters saying ewww etc! The only people sexualising this are YOU. I find it disturbing that you would look at a child kissing their parent on the lips and immediately jump to it being wrong because it’s for sexual partners only… it’s a peck on the lips, it’s not ramming a tongue down someone’s throat!

You and others are saying you go by what the child wants and is comfortable with...

But YOU brought them up to think it was normal! The poor things have had to go through the process of discovering they're the odd ones out in their peer group (hopefully not the hard way by being bullied for it), deal with all that embarrassment and shame, then pluck up the courage to let you know they now want you to stop. You could've just not started, and spared them all of that.

Signed: 54yo 'child' of mouth kissers who still cringes at the thought.

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Families
IbetItIsnt · 17/12/2025 05:21

No, not something we’ve ever done in my family. I do think it’s odd.
Isn’t kissing a baby on the lips potentially very dangerous?

pilates · 17/12/2025 05:22

We are a normal loving family and do not kiss on lips nor did my parents. Have you not heard of herpes?

BeanQuisine · 17/12/2025 05:37

pilates · 17/12/2025 05:22

We are a normal loving family and do not kiss on lips nor did my parents. Have you not heard of herpes?

It does seem a gruesome habit. I'm fighting off visions of the adult couple, who've just had a long and vigorous session of mutual oral sex, then plastering their hapless kids' lips with kisses...

SleepingStandingUp · 17/12/2025 05:52

BeanQuisine · 17/12/2025 05:37

It does seem a gruesome habit. I'm fighting off visions of the adult couple, who've just had a long and vigorous session of mutual oral sex, then plastering their hapless kids' lips with kisses...

Show quote history

I think that says more about you than the posters on here who kiss their kids on the lips.

Simonjt · 17/12/2025 05:57

pilates · 17/12/2025 05:22

We are a normal loving family and do not kiss on lips nor did my parents. Have you not heard of herpes?

If you have herpes you shouldn’t be kissing your children at all. No one in our family has herpes, so it isn’t something we have to worry about.

Olive42 · 17/12/2025 05:57

We are a pretty tactile family, lots of hugs and kisses on cheeks but never on lips. French DH has mentioned he finds it weird to see people kissing their DC on the lips so perhaps a cultural thing too. The French obviously do lots of kisses on cheeks to say hello and bye to friends and family (la bise) but lips are reserved for partners so we are possibly influenced by that. I am English though and think beyond around 5 it is a personal boundary to stop kissing DC on lips. I never started though.

Simonjt · 17/12/2025 05:58

BeanQuisine · 17/12/2025 05:37

It does seem a gruesome habit. I'm fighting off visions of the adult couple, who've just had a long and vigorous session of mutual oral sex, then plastering their hapless kids' lips with kisses...

Show quote history

If you’re imagining children and sex at the same time thats extremely worrying.

NewGirlInTown · 17/12/2025 05:59

Really cannot stand parents kissing their children on the lips. So invasive and inappropriate. Poor show.

PortSalutPlease · 17/12/2025 06:13

I find it really odd that people get so het up about it - all this “lips are for romantic partners only”. You don’t have any problem using your mouth to eat, or talk, or breathe - it has plenty of non-sexual purposes. And people don’t say women shouldn’t breastfeed their kids because boobs? Or that we shouldn’t give birth vaginally because the baby would touch your vagina? Not everything needs to be ascribed to sexual intent.

Some people choose to do it and some don’t, but it’s not an inappropriate thing for people to do.

BeanQuisine · 17/12/2025 06:15

Simonjt · 17/12/2025 05:58

If you’re imagining children and sex at the same time thats extremely worrying.

Show quote history

I'm obviously imagining these events as taking place separately in time, so alas, you're clearly the one we need to worry about.

QueenAstrid · 17/12/2025 06:18

Lochroy · 16/12/2025 22:51

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

This!

TheGrimSmile · 17/12/2025 06:21

I cant remember when it stopped. But there's nothing weird about it at all. I remember the some people finding it strange that David Beckham kissed his daughter on the lips and making a big fuss about it. I remember when I was younger everyone kissed each other on the lips. So adults would kiss other adults/ family members goodbye on the lips. I think there's been a cultural shift.

TheGrimSmile · 17/12/2025 06:22

I think we've become more "continental" with the cheek kissing thing.

ApolloandDaphne · 17/12/2025 06:24

I have never kissed my children on the lips. I have one uncle who always tried to kiss me on the lips as a child and it really upset me. He was such a creep.

ClearFruit · 17/12/2025 06:25

I've always kissed my kids on the lips. People saying it's gross are very strange, iny opinion. DS 19, now kissese on the cheek. DD 16 and DS 13 still peck me on the lips.

stillavid · 17/12/2025 06:30

I thank god that I come from a family where lip kissing children was not a thing. To me it is very odd and I feel very sorry for the 17 year old DD who has finally put her boundary in place.

Crofthead · 17/12/2025 06:32

TheMotherSide · 17/12/2025 02:11

Never lip-kissed my DC. Culturally, it would be a massive no-no where I was raised (Scandinavian country). Just thinking about it makes me recoil. I think it is something about the possibility of mucous membranes touching which feels off. I can't imagine my (very warm, affectionate and hands-on) parents ever moving in to lip-kiss me as a child.

Mucus membranes touching with a person you’ve grown inside of you, flesh of your flesh, who you’ve pushed out of your vagina. Yea, don’t want to get overly familiar!

Fuckoffeasypeelers · 17/12/2025 06:37

suburberphobe · 17/12/2025 01:17

Kissing on the lips is for romantic partners, not for our children.

I would find it creepy if my parents did that. Crossing a boundary.

Agree

In our culture it is reserved for romantic partners only so I find it extremely wierd and crossing a boundary massively..
I also don't get why you would want to kiss kids with all the bugs going around
Blech

Pricelessadvice · 17/12/2025 06:39

Never. I know some people think it’s normal but I just find it a bit strange.

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 17/12/2025 06:47

Lochroy · 16/12/2025 22:51

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

Don’t be ridiculous 🙄

HighLadyofTheNightCourt · 17/12/2025 06:51

BeanQuisine · 17/12/2025 05:37

It does seem a gruesome habit. I'm fighting off visions of the adult couple, who've just had a long and vigorous session of mutual oral sex, then plastering their hapless kids' lips with kisses...

Show quote history

This says more about you tbh.
We’re a tactile family and my 11 year old still chooses a kiss on the lips at bedtime. It’s completely innocent to kiss your own child. It’s fine if you choose not to, but to view it through a sexual lens is very much a you problem.

santasbaubles · 17/12/2025 06:55

I have never kissed mine on the lips and to be honest I think it’s weird and gross.

I remember babysitting a little girl when I was a teenager who tried to kiss me on the lips at bedtime and I was horrified that she thought that was a normal thing to do - I barely knew her. I think it creates confusion about what’s appropriate.