kissing babies on the lips....

Ok, does anyone else here have a problem with people kissing babies on the lips?

I think it's gross, in all honesty. Last night at my MIL 50th, DH's 12 y-o adopted sister kissed my 5 month old DD on the lips. I told her not to, which was fine.
I think my MIL does this too, but I have never actually seen her. I thought she was the other day but I wasn't sure so I didn't say anything. She and DH kiss on the lips sometimes, so I guess she would. They can do whatever they want (though that would be BIZZARE in my family) but not to my little babies. I mean I have to sterilize their bottles - but what's the point if they are getting kissed on the lips by adults and kids( who could get ANYTHING from school).

I have always gotten the feeling that when they mind the twins they cant wait for me to leave so they can do whatever they want with them. MIL actually said that as soon as I leave DH's little sister races to pick them up. (what's the difference if I am there or not, I only dont want them woken if they are sleeping) Mostly they are really good with them. But after the flu we all got after the twins went there for the day (no-one told me anyone was sick, found out when we went to pick them up) I am a bit touchy. DD still has a yucky nose.

Anyway, just wondering what the general consensus is on this one.

 

I kiss my own babies on the lips all of the time as does my father, but this is how I was growing up as well. I wouldn't want others to but my babes I will.

 

i kiss my babies on the lips, but DH doesn't. he feels weird about it. i would NEVER allow anyone else to do it. i don't like when old ladies kiss their hands, either. i always take out a wipey right in front of them and start wiping their hands right after. yuck. and MIL puts her fingers in their mouths to feel for teeth. i had to tell DH to tell her that was not okay. i'm very germaphobic.

i also get the feeling that the IL's want the chance to be alone with them so they can do what they want. and feed them things i don't approve of. it hasn't happened yet, but i know it will. FIL tried to feed them sour cream at 3 months old!

 

i agree with the OP, it's not something we do in our family.

 

A couple of weeks ago I went to kiss my DD on the cheek and she turned her head really fast and I ended up kissing her on the lips. I was worried about the germs, but I didn't have a cold or anything and she was fine afterwards. I don't think it's a problem unless someone has a cold or flu.

 

I HATE it when people I don't know well do it, but it doesn't really bother me if it's family. I kiss them on the lips sometimes, although more often on the cheek.

 

I kiss mine on the lips, but so far, I've never seen anyone else do it. My MIL is the opposite of yours, she thinks it wrong to kiss any baby on their lips.

I grew up kissing my Mom, aunts & uncles (her brothers and sisters) on the lips, it's all I knew. I must admit if you are not used to it, it does seem odd. My DH will not kiss anyone, except me on the lips and his family is the same way.

I would never kiss someone elses baby (or child for that matter) on the lips because not all people grew up like me.

 

I read in a parenting magazine that it's not a good idea to kiss babies on the lips b/c you can introduce cavity causing bacteria into their mouths... before I read that I thought nothing of me kissing my own children on the lips but I don't do it now. And before I read the article I don't think I'd have too big of a problem with close family kissing the babies on the lips. But I'm southern and we're real "touchy feely" in my family. :wub: :air_kiss:

Christy

 

I never did in my family, but my husband does it and I do sometimes. I would NOT allow anyone else to do it. I tell people not to "touch them" when people stop me in public -- mostly they are covered with a mesh (call me Michael Jackson). Yeah, babies dont' need to get sick. I figure when they start school they will get sick then. Right now they are just too little.

 

QUOTE(tinalb @ May 2 2008, 06:51 PM) [snapback]752769[/snapback]
I HATE it when people I don't know well do it, but it doesn't really bother me if it's family. I kiss them on the lips sometimes, although more often on the cheek.

I am the same way.

My friend and I had this discussion when I was preggers because she came from a family that kisses everyone on the lips, everyone. I personally could never do that, but it's what she is used to. She thought it was odd that my family doesn't.

 

I kiss my babies on the lips sometimes, but usually on the cheeks. I would however, mind very much if someone else did it. It weirds me out. But I think a big part of that is I was molested as a child and I guess I overprotect them a lot.

I also get the feeling that my ILs love it when I'm not there so they can do things their way. My MIL wanted to let them try mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving and made a big joke at the table that I was too overprotective so they couldn't try it.... sigh... oh well though, not too much I can do but let them know what I expect them to or not to do....

Shannon

 

Interesting! I kiss my babies on the lips all the time. That's the way I grew up. My mom and I still give each other a peck on the lips! But I would go totally ballistic if somebody outside the family did it. Yech.

 

I kiss them on the nose and cheeks, a couple times they've turned and I've got their mouths, and Sofie opens her mouth when I come at her.
I would go absolutely ballistic if anyone else ever did! And strangers trying to touch my babies, OMG! I got some serious germ and 'touchy feely' issues!

 

I kiss my babies on the lips all of the time but DH does not. Correct that, I kiss DS on the lips but I cannot kiss DD on the lips because her tongue is always hanging out of her mouth. DD, Lily, has those lips like little Shiloh ( you know, THE SHILOH) and her lips are always open partway.

Anyway, I would hate it if anyone else kissed them on the lips and I always tell others, i.e. nanny, my sister, etc... that they can kiss them on the top of their head ANY time they want but the face is off limits. As a side note, my dad insists on kissing my sisters and I on the lips and it makes us nuts...we HATE it! My little sister actually got in a fight with my dad about it the night before her wedding because she requested he NOT kiss her on the lips after he walked her down the isle and he got really mad about it!

 

I am definitely not a lip kisser, except for my husband. Once I was traveling with my two oldest daughters, one of them 10 mos. old at the time. A woman in an airport approached us and was looking at her and smiling. Before I realized what was happening she bent over and kissed her on the lips. I flipped out. She was very old and didn't speak any English, but she and everyone nearby knew I was horrified. I took antibacterial wipes and scrubbed my baby's mouth. Ugh. :angry:

 

I kiss my babies on the lips. I just stopped kissing DS #2 on the lips b/c it started feeling a bit ackward. I would never want anyone but me and DH to kiss them on the lips though.

 

I kiss them on their cheeks, nose, head and necks but very rarely on their lips (unless the turn my way). DH doesn't and says it is weird. I too would freak if anyone else did. I am like pp, I don't like anyone touching them. When strangers come up and go to touch them a say in a nice firm way, please don't touch them. My parents and my inlaws say I am too protective at times with the 'wash your hands first' thing but I am the one staying up and caring for sick babies so if it means the comments being made then so be it.

 

Well...Both DH and I practically French kiss our boys and they LOVE it. In fact, they even lean in for it, grab our faces and open their mouths wide enough that our lips make the loud echo-y smack sound when we kiss them. I know my MIL does the same and at first it made me a little uncomfortable, but they're just so irresistable. My mom and everyone else in my family is so anti-breastfeeding that they think my boys' lips are disgusting because they've touched my breast at some time during the day. My mom literally makes the eew sound when they accidentally kiss her on the lips. So I don't have to worry about it on that end.

As far as the in-laws waiting for you to leave...I totally relate and as wonderful as my inlaws are, I hate this part about their visits. Every time I've left, they've stuffed their faces with food. I just wonder what else they do when I'm gone-obviously they want to do things with them that they couldn't if I were there. And obviously if I don't want them to do something then it's not good for them. So if they love them so much, WHY do they want to do those things?! It's pretty irritating. But as for the kissing, I let it slide with the grandparents...okay, and aunts too.

 

I could never resist kissing those little lips, isn't that what they are there for? Family kissing on the lips is just fine, strangers kissing on the lips would be a no no but never encountered any that have tried.

 

I still kiss my pop on the lips and I used to kiss my mum on the lips too and I turned out just fine

 

I kiss all three of my kids on the lips all the time!! I also have no problem with close family kissing them, but I would definitely not like a stranger to do it!!! Maybe it's because both sides of my family are big on affection.

 

i kiss my babies on the lips now while they are little, but the older they get the weirder it would be for me. I would defiantly not kiss my adult child on the lips mainly because my dad kisses me on the lips and it creeps me out, belch

 

QUOTE(cohlee @ May 2 2008, 07:50 PM) [snapback]752919[/snapback]
I kiss them on the nose and cheeks, a couple times they've turned and I've got their mouths, and Sofie opens her mouth when I come at her.
I would go absolutely ballistic if anyone else ever did! And strangers trying to touch my babies, OMG! I got some serious germ and 'touchy feely' issues!


You made me spit my drink when I read that... haha I totally envisioned open mouth baby slob kiss. ditto strangers, germs, and so forth.


I don't kiss my babies on the lips... that is just asking for puke in the mouth. I kiss them on their cheeks and forehead. My mom has kissed me on the lips before but usually do the cheeks. My niece and nephew try to kiss me on the lips... like I turn my face for them to kiss me on the cheek and they grab my face and plant one on the lips... and in the back of my mind I am like AHHHHH GERMS. I am going to get sick. They are in preschool and kindergarden germ central. But they are my favorite little tikes in the world. So it isn't that big of a deal.

 

i am not a lip kisser, except for dh of course i've seen him kiss ally on the lips sometimes, but it doesn't bother me. however, i think i have kissed every OTHER part of my babies (ok, minus the diaper area).

i too have serious germ issues, like i won't drink out of anyone else's drink or take food from their plate (again, except for dh)--i even feed the babies from separate spoons and bowls, but now when they switch binkies or sippies, i don't freak out anymore...i do what i can LOL

sandra

 

Dont get me wrong here people - I kiss the absolute h**l out of my kids.....just not on the lips. Anyway, they are drooly little monkeys. yuck.

 

This so has to do with how you were raised I think. It was never done in my house growing up and personaly I think it's uber-creepy. I don't know, I always thought that only a spouse should be kissed on the lips. I understand why others do it; my BIL does with his kids, but his kids (4 and 6) have kissed me on the lips once or twice and I felt super creeped.

 

I kiss mine on the lips sometimes, I don't know about DH. I think he has/does. I don't like others doing it though. Nobody has even tried to, thank God!

 

DH grew up kissing his mom and the lips, but I did not. I think it's kind of wierd. With that said, I don't think anybody but the parents and maybe a sibling should be allowed to kiss a baby on the lips. But like I said, I'd rather no one kisses my babies on the lips at all.

 

QUOTE(ehm @ May 2 2008, 08:14 PM) [snapback]752963[/snapback]
I could never resist kissing those little lips, isn't that what they are there for? Family kissing on the lips is just fine, strangers kissing on the lips would be a no no but never encountered any that have tried.


Completely agree with this post...I mean it's clearly not sexual to kiss them on the lips so I don't get the creepiness of it. We're talking a peck not a make out session. But then I grew up in a family of lip kissers and we pretty much do what we know right? I am also not a super germ freak so don't really worry about them picking up germs from me that they wouldn't get from me anyway. Obviously I wouldn't kiss them on the lips when I was sick. My one exception to the family member thing is their little cousins. I wouldn't like to see my neices or nephews kissing them on the lips since I feel like they are germier.