# Should parents kiss their kids on the lips? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562 "2010-09-21T18:19:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/1 "2010-09-21T18:19:39Z")
> **[Should parents kiss their kids on the lips? - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/09/21/tf.parents.kiss.children/index.html?hpt=Mid)** > > Personally, it feels strange even writing that title. This seems a bizarre question to me. I kiss my kids on their lips regularly. It’s sweet and loving and a celebration of intimacy. But I don’t kiss my teen aged son on the lips anymore. It just kind of naturally faded away once he hit that awkward pubescent stage. But we still kiss each others cheek goodnight. Are people really against kissing a 5 year old on the lips? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/2 "2010-09-21T18:23:55Z")
“So _that’s_ how it is in their family…” ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/3 "2010-09-21T18:29:50Z")
As long as there’s no tongue, I don’t see a problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/4 "2010-09-21T18:31:12Z")
Oh FFS. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/5 "2010-09-21T18:33:07Z")
I agree that it’s something that normally fades away. Stepmom has issues. ---
**Author:** ![Cyningablod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Cyningablod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyningablod)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/6 "2010-09-21T18:33:41Z")
I kiss my six-year-old daughter on the lips, all the time. As does my wife. It’s totally natural, totally innocent, and like Palo Verde said, a celebration of our intimacy as a family. When she gets to be a teenager, I might stop kissing her directly on the _lips_, but right now, while she’s at age 6? She’s just too darned cute NOT to kiss! ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/7 "2010-09-21T18:34:13Z")
I still occasionally kiss my daughters (6 & 8) on the lips, but I wish my mother-in-law would stop kissing me on the lips. Squick. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/8 "2010-09-21T18:35:51Z")
The woman complaining about her husband kissing his 5 y.o. daughter on the lips in the quoted article says you’re not supposed to kiss on the lips unless you’re married. Oh, shit, I am in trouble. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/9 "2010-09-21T18:48:51Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > As long as there’s no tongue, I don’t see a problem with it. I prefer Jeff Foxworthy’s comment about your possibility of being a redneck if your grandmother has ever slipped you the tongue… ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/10 "2010-09-21T18:50:16Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > The woman complaining about her husband kissing his 5 y.o. daughter on the lips in the quoted article says you’re not supposed to kiss on the lips unless you’re married. Oh, shit, I am in trouble. You’re telling me. I have to track down and marry the over eager beagle puppy I met when I was five. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/11 "2010-09-21T18:50:26Z")
Of course! And I kiss, my dog on the lips, and my cat on the lips, and the guinea pi — hey, what’s this cold-sore looking thing? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/12 "2010-09-21T18:59:10Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > The woman complaining about her husband kissing his 5 y.o. daughter on the lips in the quoted article says you’re not supposed to kiss on the lips unless you’re married. So she wants the guy to marry his daughter? But that would be bigamy! Correction, that would be VERY big of me. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/13 "2010-09-21T19:09:40Z")
You should also not i) Bath your kids ii) Bring them into bed when ill or scared. iii)Cuddle iv) Anything family related at all The whole concept as elucidated in the OP is batshit insane. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/14 "2010-09-21T19:10:57Z")
**AK84** , as their family you’re at the highest risk of molesting or abducting them. Keep away from them, forever! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Luggage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@The\_Luggage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Luggage)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/15 "2010-09-21T19:11:54Z")
Yes, I kiss my boy on his lips, and his granny too - though my dad gets it on the cheek now. Always thought it was perfectly proper (absent tongues!) ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/16 "2010-09-21T19:17:52Z")
The idea totally squicks me out, but my parents never kissed me, period, nor did I ever see them kiss each other, and thus I think my view is probably pretty warped. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Luggage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba8739/32.png) [@The\_Luggage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Luggage)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/17 "2010-09-21T19:22:06Z")
**Chizzuk** , my former parents-in-law were very _very_ kissy in front of the family at large - tonsil-tickling and all - and I found that pretty squicky. But it hasn’t stopped the smacker-on-the-lips thing. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/18 "2010-09-21T19:40:38Z")
> [@Palo\_Verde](#): > > Are people really against kissing a 5 year old on the lips? Yes, although for me it’s more of a hygiene than moral issue. Google herpes labialis and rhinovirus for more details. I still kiss both of my children, just on the cheek or forehead. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/19 "2010-09-21T19:41:41Z")
Somewhere in the 8 - 9 year old range is when I stopped with mine. What the hell’s wrong with that? ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562/20 "2010-09-21T19:45:32Z")
**Maggie** and **Bosstone**! YES! Praising the use of FFS! And the Ferris ref. Well done! I’m 42 and always kiss both of my parents on the lips. Never thought anything of it, other than “love you!” I guess I don’t really know many other people that do, but it’s perfectly normal and sweet, as far as I’m concerned. Rarely kiss my brother, but I don’t know why. An occasional smooch on the cheek, perhaps. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-parents-kiss-their-kids-on-the-lips/554562.md?page=2)