Kisses and colds

Having moved home hundreds of miles away after 3 years helping look after grand baby when mum went back to work, I phoned said grand baby and told her I missed the cuddles. "I miss the kisses' she said - Cue tears...........

I think some people are too obsessed with germs - they are everywhere and we can't avoid them but we build up immunity to most of them. Normal hygiene such as washing hands after the loo, before eating or preparing food, taking care to cook and store food properly and not reheat are all that is necessary (unless you have a chronic health condition that is. ). As I have said,, I have never caught cold sores from my husband, but we all get colds and tummy upsets occasionally, they are unavoidable. Having said that I do think kissing on the lips other than with your partner is a bit weird if not creepy. One of my grandsons age 5 does it on purpose and knows i dont like it so it causes lots of giggling. But I dont worry about catching anything from him.

Hard to avoid germs when they wipe their noses on your jumper!

Just had my two GC here for a week. Nearly 6 & 1yr old . Enough snot to fill a bath three times over. I'm now full of cold but how can you not give & accept GC kisses. It's a sign of love. A privelege. I couldn't care less about germs. Giving & accepting love to & from my GC is first & foremost. Never kiss on the lips. As one gran said earlier there's nothing like neck kisses & blowing raspberries on the little ones necks. I love the kisses on the scrawny little neck of my youngest as it has him/me in fits of giggles. I enjoy those precious moments while I can. They'll never come round again.

My DH has had cold sores for as long as Ive known him and neither I nor any of the children (now in their 40s ). Have ever caught it. But i avoid kissing anyone except DH on the lips!

18 month old GS used to give the most snotty, wet and slushy kisses. He would just zoom in and get me when not expecting it. Ended up laughing so much and trying to get away when he had me in his sights giggling uncontrollably. Grown out of it now but I shall remind him when he's about 18 and has a girlfriend.

My own 3 and all 4 DGCs are totally clear of coldsores despite the fact I'm a sufferer. I'm sure Mum passed the virus to me (but not my sisters).
Kisses on cheeks or tops of heads and loud clear warnings if I do develop a sore - including colour-coded towels in bathroom!

Knowing that cold sores are easily spread, and once you have got the virus you will NEVER get rid of it, I wouldn't dream of lip-kissing. Do you really want to see a small child with that nasty sore on their face.

While my grandchildren are small I usually grab them and pick them up in my arms or lift them off their feet and give them loads of kisses on their heads, round their neck etc making it a fun thing, making them giggle. If they want to kiss me and go for the lips I let them as I don't want to put it in their heads that it's not a good thing. As they get older they don't want a kiss always so I make it a game to chase them, catch them, tickle them etc and plant a kiss on their heads, giving them a big hug at the same time so that the hug is the main thing and it's all a bit of fun.

2 eldest GC, aged 14, just hug. 2 middle GC, aged 10 kiss on lips, youngest 5 does a mixture of hugs, kisses and air kisses. All are comfortable with how they react and will know when they want to change. No pressure from me either way, but my grownup children boy and girl (both in their 40s) always kiss me when we meet and if they are staying will kiss me goodnight when going to bed, quite naturally as do their partners. We have always shown our affection openly and in this way.

Hugs and kisses on the top of the head (the DGC, not everyone I meet!).

I do wonder if this new trend to kiss friends is helping to spread bugs.

Germs are everywhere, generally you survive them. In very specific circumstances then OK avoid them but you need to be exposed to them to build up resistence.
I find it so sad that kissing on the lips to show you love someone seems to be frowned on these days. We have always done that in my family and I hope always will.

Never been a touchy, feely, give us a cuddle, give us a kiss then person.
No I am not cold or insensitive as I can turn on the tap at any little, as well as big thing, and more so these days with what one observes going on in the world.

I was sad to hear an item on the radio a couple of weeks ago, where a woman was claiming that expecting children to kiss or hug relatives is a form of child abuse. Obviously this applies in inappropriate situations but it made me wonder whether we have carried our fears re child abuse to ridiculous extremes. I know this is veering from the point of OP but it just brought this strange conversation back to my mind.

Two months ago. DGS, aged 9, said he was sorry he couldn't give me a kiss because he had a cold sore. A considerate child. By Christmas, the sore had healed and kisses were available.

I hug and kiss top of heads. By far, my biggest dread is the stomach bug! We haven't seen three DGC for almost a week till we make sure everyone is clear!

Some time ago I worked in a school in Sarawak. When meeting my class for the first time, the children lined up to kiss my hand then touch it on their forehead. I rather liked that.

Always been a kiss on the cheek except DGS at times as he does like a "lip kiss" occasionally but he's only 6. With older children & Adults a hug & kiss on cheek.

I never force children & am happy for a hug but if they don't want to I usually say "ok I didn't really want one" works a treat

If you want to avoid their germs maybe say it's YOU that has a sore throat and don't want to pass it on???
My gd lives with me so I catch every germ & occasionally nits too ?

Mine are all under 7 so i kiss and blow raspberries on their fat little necks. I have two older step grandchildren - we hug and kiss each other on the cheek. This will probably happen as my little grandchildren get bigger. Absolutely NO lip kissing - really weird!

Tops of heads only as they throw themselves at me and arms go around my waist. I think they are more comfortable with that approach too. It has just evolved naturally into that way and everyone happy with it. Used to kiss their little toes when they were babies and smelling of Johnson baby powder - yuk perish the thought now they've all got sweaty feet in trainers!

DD used to demand a kiss "on both her faces"!
Don't do lip kissing, just the French sort, both the faces...

Necks, a guaranteed giggle Fest!

As children, my parents and grandma would kiss us on the lips, but no-one else. I've never considered kissing our grandchildren on the lips, we do hugs, cheeks and top of head, all feels very natural.

Am also concerned about passing and giving germs, so don't really advise the lip kissing generally. ?

I have never kissed the GC or my own children on the lips. My mother told me when I was quite young it was not the thing to do and I always felt uncomfortable anyway when kissing some of our relatives. I give hugs and cheek kisses and top of the head ones to all the small people I see.
Here in France many people do the cheek kissing whether they are British or French but we have one friend who always tries to insist he gets a lips kiss from all the women. I find that not nice. it is easy this time of year to not do it with all the germs about.