To be gutted hugs are back!

[Zerowillpower]

Just a quick one (light hearted). I’m not gonna lie, I’m not a fan of physical contact, I’m a bit of a germ freak (pre covid) and also have loved the fact my newborn baby hasn’t had to be passed round all and sundry like my first baby!! Obv hate covid! But for me the great thing about it is people washing their hands more, no one using my bathroom and not having to physically touch anyone!! I’m also someone who doesn’t like to offend so not a lot of people know about the fact that I’d rather not touch them or be touched. Just heard we can hug again from 17th May- arghhhh!!! Anyone with me or am I a freak on my own?!?!

Nobody is forcing you to hug people...

So just don’t hug people

@Thatisnotwhatisaid this is true but someone goes to hug you and what you say, no thanks, back off?!?!

Even when it's not forced, there are situations where there is social pressure to hug. I know a few people who don't seem able to greet anyone by any other way, and if I say no, I look standoffish.

It’s a part of life it happens! Especially now close friends and family will be like we can hug yay! How rude if I’m just like nah you’re alright!

@WhoWants2Know thanks, this is what I mean!

I’m so glad Boris says it’s ok for me to hug my own family from the 17th! So magnanimous of him!

You sound a bit intense on the old germ front OP. Have you ever addressed that? And ‘all and sundry’ I assume would be your family that are keen to have a hold of your new baby? That’s really entirely normal.

Is anyone seriously letting the government dictate exactly what date they can hug someone?

I am not a hugger either though. Not a germaphobe, it just makes me feel a bit awkward. I'll let people hug me if they really want to but I never initiate it unless it's with my husband or daughter (or I'm drunk lol). I just don't really get the whole pointless awkward back-patting types of hugs that people insist on!

[quote Zerowillpower]@Thatisnotwhatisaid this is true but someone goes to hug you and what you say, no thanks, back off?!?![/quote]
Yes. Nobody is forcing you.

I can't wait to hug my parents.

I'm. Another none hugger. People just don't get it, hugs make me feel violated yet I'm supposed to just accept it otherwise people take offence. They just don't seem to be able to undetstand that to me pressure from them to hug is offensive from my viewpoint.

@Thatisnotwhatisaid that's actually not true, often people do force hugs. And short of pushing them off which would be considered extremely rude, there's nothing you can do about it.

I saw a t shirt on SM this morning with I don't do hugs on it. Is that an option
It's a bit tongue in cheek, but I imagine it works.

@SmidgenofaPigeon I did say lighthearted in my post, sorry if it came over all intense!

Same here op ! Meeting with relatives and being expected to hug and cheek kiss again. I have so enjoyed having a break from that. Ok, we could say no thanks I will just stick to a friendly wave. But it’s not socially acceptable to do that

@Zerowillpower you did indeed OP. But if you’re not a hugger, how did you deal with that pre-pandemic? I’m not an all-out hugger either really but I don’t see my family very often at all so will do a hug hello and goodbye. We don’t hug other than that.

I know how you feel...I've bloody loved having the covid excuse to use for getting out of hugging certain people.
Makes my stomach turn thinking now that I haven't got a valid excuse -apart from 'I don't want to'

I’m happy about it. I’ll only be hugging those I want to. That’s going to be less people than it would be in non covid times, but it will be nice to hug my favourite people.

I totally get your point about babies. There’s something about passing babies round like a bloody toy when all they really want is to snuggle up with their mummy which niggles in the back of my mind. Hardly a major problem and it’s the social convention so we all do it, but when I think about it too much, it is for everyone else rather than the previous little person it should all be about.

Not keen on hugs either, partly because I'm not keen on the contact and the rest is all about the germs!!
Pre-COVID I was all a bit reluctant to say anything, didn't want to offend....but COVID has actually given me the confidence to say, Nah, don't bother mate, I don't like it, give your hugs to someone else.
Just tell everyone "With everything that's recently happened, I'm still being cautious, I'd rather not, thank you" and stick to it.

I'm so happy for the huggers. They have really suffered and I'm really pleased for them that they can have what is to them a very important contact. I'm not being sarcastic, I genuinely mean it. I know how much it matters to them and it's been awful for them.

For myself, It's a sad return to my pre-covid look of absolute horror that stops huggers in their tracks, arms open. 😁

I have never let the government tell me who I am and am not allowed to hug and when. If the person i've been with was happy to hug we did, if not we didnt.

Its really that simple. Trying to outlaw hugs has been the most batshit action in this pandemic

Go for the elbow bump as they go in for the hug. Might get some fun reactions. (Ow!). Then apologise that you are still in the Covid routine but when they try again do the foot handshake (aka kick them in the shin). That'll tell 'em.

I agree the removal of hugs, fake kissing, and even the ridiculous air kiss has been one of the plus points of the last year.

I don't mind hugging my family, but I am not one to hug people as a greeting, it just isn't something I would do.

I get you OP! I hate hugs too. Within reason, I am happy for people to hold my babies (DD2 was born last September so covid was an issue) but DD2 has decided she doesn’t like being held by strangers so that fixes that issue if I don’t want them to hold her.

As a non-hugger, I can categorically say that saying no hugs doesn’t do a damn thing.

@SmidgenofaPigeon sorry! Wasn’t just referring to family - my immediate family (mum, dad, sis etc) aren’t big huggers either and we all live close by and see each other a lot so we don’t feel the need to hug I suppose each time we see each other. I guess (I know completely unreasonably) I’ve always felt this way about hugging or handshaking - but it’s all very socially acceptable so pre covid I just had to go with it when someone went in for the hug or handshake (have they washed their hands after going to the loo, etc, would be ringing in my head!). I couldn’t have stopped it as it looks really rude and offensive and they’re only being nice... but since covid put a stop to all that, I haven’t had to worry about it. Now got to get back in the rhythm again of acting like W normal person who doesn’t mind physical contact. It didn’t rule my life! I got on with it. I’m not moaning now. I just wondered if anyone else felt the same as me to not be that overjoyed at meeting with friends again who wanna hug to say hello lol!

I’m with you OP, not because of germ catching though, but I find it awkward and unnecessary if a colleague or someone comes to hug me. Haven’t missed that at all as I don’t like to offend well meaning huggers.