Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Kissing goodbye at school

65 replies

OneToThree · 26/09/2013 10:22

AIBU to think it's not on to make your child give you a kiss goodbye before going into school when they clearly don't want to?

My ds 6 doesn't want to and I wouldn't dream of making him.

OP posts:
PeppermintPasty · 26/09/2013 11:00

spelling fail

PeppermintPasty · 26/09/2013 11:01

-my own I meant!

onadietcokebreak · 26/09/2013 11:04

What TEE said.

This is an interesting article although not the one I was searching for.

edition.cnn.com/2012/06/20/living/give-grandma-hug-child/index.html

mrsbingle · 26/09/2013 11:15

Hell yes. I smother my son in kisses. He gets the giggles.

OneToThree · 26/09/2013 11:23

Good article onadietcoke

OP posts:
Lweji · 26/09/2013 11:26

It's our job as parents to be embarrassing.

If he doesn't want a kiss, at least some form of physical contact is mandatory.

notanyanymore · 26/09/2013 11:28

Ha! I called 'see you later snugglebum' across the playground to DD the other day, LOVED IT!!

ExcuseTypos · 26/09/2013 11:29

YANBU. If someone doesn't want to kiss you, then you should respect that.

I have DDs at uni and we still kiss and hug when saying hello and goodbye. However, having a nephew who positively winces if any adult looks likely to kiss him, I know to stay well away. A threat of a kiss is a very good way to make him behaveWink

Thisisaeuphemism · 26/09/2013 11:29

I agree- the freedom to kiss or not is important to me!

Sianilaa · 26/09/2013 11:30

Both my boys would be very upset if I didn't kiss them goodbye every morning. But then, they are only Reception and Yr1 age so plenty of time for that to change.

Though I plan on doing it forever :D

Madamecastafiore · 26/09/2013 11:31

I normally do kiss DS (nearly 9) goodbye each morning but today he was standing with a boy who is a ultra competitive little brat and you could see DS was squirming bless him - he did the eyebrow raise when I went in for a kiss so just gave him a little squeeze. The relief was palpable by the look on his face.

edam · 26/09/2013 11:31

My ds is 10 and still happy for me to kiss him in public. Thankfully. I keep thinking he'l get embarrassed and make me stop sometime soon but so far he's OK.

Thisisaeuphemism · 26/09/2013 11:32

You kissing them is different from making them kiss you.

onadietcokebreak · 26/09/2013 11:33

I now refuse to make my children kiss or hug anyone. Shame my mother just doesn't get it.

SugarHut · 26/09/2013 11:36

DS is 5. And majorly influenced by DP's 16yr old DS. DS is therefore 5, and in his own eyes James Dean cool.

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than hearing the school bell, seeing him glance up with the look of crap, where is she?.... and watch him try and sneak in to the school unobserved.

I ALWAYS observe Grin In swoops moi, usually alarmingly fast from behind. Me: "Bye bye darling!!!!" (bear hug from behind) DS: "Mum. Get OFF." (through gritted teeth, cross face) Me: "Of course Mummy will give you a kiss!!" (loud enough for the whole playground to hear, clamp DS between knees and headlock) DS: "Mum, Getttttoofffffffffff!!!!!" (trying to look cool, now laughing like a chimp) Me: "Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!" (Miss Piggy style, all over DS face)

Then without fail whisper in his ear "Always remember...." and he replies (rolling eyes) "Mummy loves you" I do this every time I leave him.

DS is then released. He pretends he hates it Wink Actually, I see his little buds watching his face as he creases up during the Miss Piggy onslaught, and they are half laughing, half wishing they could join in with their mummys.

Jellybeanz1 · 26/09/2013 11:39

Awwh Sugar do you leave Chanel lippy on his cheek? Smile

SugarHut · 26/09/2013 11:43

I wish...it's the school run...I'm more likely to leave him with a questionable looking brown smear across his face because I've driven there munching nutella on toast Grin

OneToThree · 26/09/2013 11:48

I still think its quite selfish to do it when the child doesn't want it.

My ds was happy for me to kiss him goodbye in reception but not after that.

I always say bye, love you, have a nice day. He's fine with that and if he is then I am too.

OP posts:
cocoplops · 26/09/2013 11:51

Luckily mine still do at 5 and 8. I wouldn't if they don't want it. My MIL dropped my 5yo off and she was miffed that he wouldn't kiss her on the lips, only the cheek! Hmm

SunshineMMum · 26/09/2013 12:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QueenofallIsee · 26/09/2013 14:15

My 8 yr olds don't and my 15 yr old is getting to what I call the 'luvvie' stage i.e. she has gone full circle since being little and now hugs and kisses on cheek as a greeting to anyone and everyone

Littlest boy (6) will whisper - quick kiss Mum now, after checking no one is watching.

lisylisylou · 27/09/2013 07:13

At end of school yesterday in the playground I let out a little scream yesterday! My kids come running out and up so fast that I thought dd (7) was going to headbutt me in the stomach! She's like a little battering ram lol. Then my ds (9) comes out running up, he hugs me and then lifts his feet off the floor so he's dangling like a chimpanzee. Then the coats and bags get flung at me and they run back off into the playground to play tig!! The parents just stare and laugh now!!

womma · 27/09/2013 21:34

I make sure DD goes into class with a big lipstick kiss on her cheek every day. It's my motherly duty.

grabaspoon · 27/09/2013 21:38

Sometimes my charge 5.11 wants hugs, kisses the whole shebang Grin other times he does a little wave and skips off without any interaction :( Why do they grow up :(

Jinty64 · 27/09/2013 21:56

Dh took ds2's (16) hand to cross the road recently. To make it worse they were right outside the school gates. Ds will only take a lift to school from me now!

Swipe left for the next trending thread