children discouraged to kiss grandparents

I meant 'grans' should check!

Never felt I should - I just waited for the hugs and they came because they saw me hug their mother! Some grabs are too. 'Whiskery' too which I suppose is unpleasant!

Here everyone kisses everyone, it can take 10 minutes to get around an office in the morning before you start work kissing all and sundry. I get bighuggies from DGS and it is up to him to give them.
I once seriously offended Morrocan friends when they visited with their new baby and i wouldn't kiss him as I had a very very bad cold, they visited unannounced I must add.
When we lived in Portugal all the old men in the village where always wanting to kiss the little girls and we found it very uncomfortable, DD was a cute little blonde and seemed to get a lot of attention. We told her to just laugh and run around as though playing but not get too close. On the other hand they were great babysitters just sitting in the vallage square keeping an eye on everyone !!!!!!!

I don't mean don't kiss and hug because of the silly article, but perhaps it is uncomfortable for another reason for the child, you have to gauge their enthusiasm I suppose.

... but that article is nonsense!

Difficult subject isn't it? But has made me think a bit more than usual, as perhaps I shouldn't be such an enthusiastic hugger. Much as we like kissing our lovely little grandchildren, it may not be as nice for them. None of my own children like kissing and only one likes a hug.I don't like all the mwah, mwah either, but feel obliged to go along with it as everyone else does it.I think the 'expert' stuff is nonsense by the way, but perhaps we should have a think about not being OTT when saying hello and goodbye.

All I know about kissing babies is that my daughter likes to tease me and say "Who did you allow to kiss me when I was a baby when they had the herpes virus!?" She suffers with cold sores. Or "coleslaws" as she used to say when she was little.

Lucy , I think you need to BLUE it !
Anyway what a truly ridiculous article !

My father told me that he would hide when elderly relations were leaving, so that he wouldn't have to kiss whiskery old aunts. I hated it too, and actually still dislike mwah mwah between friends and relations When did it become fashionable?
Anyway, I don't make my grandchildren kiss me. A hug is quite enough

Hmmmmm - got me thinking! Must admit what I do not like - and have seen it on several occasions is parents demanding of a young child that they 'Kiss and hug' a friend or relative upon meeting or departing when the child is quite obviously reticent. An unprompted affectionate greeting by anyone is a delight (I'm not talking about what goes on behind closed doors and called 'our little secret'. Children should be allowed to be comfortable in how they show affection, what is natural and comfortable for one child could seem over the top to another. Also things change as a child grows and develops their own personality.
My DD will sometime remind her children that, as they are leaving now, would they like to say goodbye and give Grandma a 'Kisscuddle'....this is nearly always followed by a mad dash at me and some pretty ferocious cuddling, it is their natural and heartfelt response to saying goodbye and I respond similarly. I would never demand it and know my daughter and her husband will just smile wryly if does not happen (its usually more to do with them showing their dislike of going home (its a bit of a journey and I do rather let them make a complete mess of the place with crafts, toys etc, whilst they are staying.

Somebody was reading the Mail earlier than me then, Ariadne. I don't normally click on threads about 'experts'!

Think there is another thread on this - "Oh dear, another expert."