Are You Hugger ?

The other thing I don't like is when parents insist a child kisses X or y. Why should they if they don't want to.

I was thinking exactly this!

It's funny how adults complain about physical contact yet many GPs complain that their GCs children don't force their children to kiss and hug GPs out of politeness - it's totally wrong! children's bodies and consent should be respected, and if it is they'll more likely grow up to be adults who bother to read other people's responses/body language and don't give unwanted hugs

I still meet up with a group of (all female) former colleagues I have now known for about 30 years and we do hugs.
I quite regularly give my daughter a hug.
The littlest boy likes a hug and I sometimes get one from the biggest. They both like snuggling up if you are reading to them.
I wonder if this depends on how your family did this sort of thing. My grown up neice commented that I seemed more prone to hugging than my sister, (her mother) ever was.

I hug friends and family with abandon - except for DSiLs who consider a hug a threat and will run a mile! I much prefer hugs to this kisses/specs clashing thing you're expected to do after dinners. I don't expect kisses from DGC over the age of five when it gets to be embarrassing for some but do grab a quick hug which none seem to mind. In fact sometimes they give hugs voluntarily!

Notanan , FYI I too lived in the U.S. for over seven years. You must have been in a non hugging state as I was constantly hugged.?

I was going to post on here about a recent "hugging" experience, but as I'm still wary of the delightful person who printed and posted previous posts to my boss, I won't!

admittedly it was east coast that I worked on dorset

I only hug immediate family and a few others. I know my parents loved me but we weren't brought up with a lot of hugging as adults. It didn't seem to be needed. There is an increasing amount of social hugging in our village but I don't get involved if I can help it.

I come from a very tactile, huggy family, and I will hug anyone who needs it. However, I'm not into the kissy kissy stuff.
I do love hugs though.

I always discreetly disappear if I can see a hug looming.

Greyduster creative types lol

I think I have a steely stare that puts people off hugging me!

I'm ok with hugging. Last time someone attempted the double kissing thing we both went the same way and met in the middle. Embarrassing.

? Phoenix did someone really do that?

I work with a lot of "luvvies" who do the silly air kisses, up to three these days. I don't kiss or hug anyone unless they're close friends.

tell us more stillalive
Anyone we know
Any stories?

I'm ok with hugging. Last time someone attempted the double kissing thing we both went the same way and met in the middle. Embarrassing.

This happened to me and my brother in law
Trouble is, the ILs are all cheek kissy people, BIL (not DH's brother, DH's brother in law, so the ILs are not BILs birth family) and I are not! It works okay if BIL or me are doing the cheek kiss thing with one of the ILs because we let the ILs "lead" as it were, but when it got to our turn to cheek kiss each other we were both awkward and nobody was leading and we were swaying a bit and I picked a side and he picked a side and well….. we both silently agreed to never speak of it, we just approach each other VERRRRRRY SLOWLY when we get to each other during the IL cheek kissy greeting sessions

Hugs are safer! soo so much safer!

No hugging here either I hate my personal space being invaded and feel incredibly awkward when I see moving information the huge and mwah! mwah!

Moving in, not moving information!

Phoenix what a horrible thing to do, must make you very wary of putting anything on here now. Please don't stop though some of your posts have made me laugh out loud.

Coming from a non hugging family I have had to train my
self to accept hugs , am not terribly keen on kisses unless they are from children though .
I remember the first time I saw a footballer cry during a match , we all sat open mouthed ! I think we have all got a lot more demonstrative in the last 20 years or so . A lot less of the British stiff upper lip on view but what I really dislike is the constant crying on TV over every little thing including being overweight , having small boobs , big boobs, thin hair , being too tall - the list goes on .. I am a fairly sensitive type but rarely cry in public unless at a funeral or similar when I just can`t control it .

Yes I'm a hugger - not of strangers, but have one or two good friends, of both sexes, whom I do hug.

I am always concerned that when we all greet and shake hands when meeting in church on Sunday mornings that many germs will be spreaf at the coffee (h biscuit ) fellowship which follows the service. In the last few years people have begun to hug each other and I think hugging is a far better idea and less likely to spread germs.

I have a lovely Hungarian DIL and I get a kiss on both cheeks every time we meet. It seemed strange at first, her custom, but now love it .... she is the daughter I would have wished for if I'd had a girl :-)

I'd definitely miss my hugs. As a previous poster said I also befriended an elderly neighbour and she loved a hug as she hadn't;t had one for years. I think hugs are truly life affirming, providing both parties want to participate.

Oh, goodness - my first 50 years were spent in the States, and I can assert that I'm hugged far more over here than I was in the U.S.! Yes, that includes strangers. Perhaps it's because I'm now in north east England and they claim to be friendlier here than in other parts of the U.K...? My theory is that it's just so COLD here, everyone wants to share body warmth. That said, I hate being hugged by people I've only just met. If it's an American thing, it must also be American to tell people forthwith that you do NOT want to be hugged, because I used to see that all the time.