Should kisses on the lips be for spouses only?

Sure I give the kids a peck on the mouth! But not if I’m sick or something, in which case I don’t kiss my husband either.
Are you saying that it’s OK to pass infectious diseases on to your husband?

I’m fairly certain I’ve had this discussion on Fluther before, and I simply don’t see anything wrong with anyone kissing on the mouth. I don’t do it, personally, but I’m not an affectionate person, as far as that goes. I don’t care to hug or kiss in general. I see nothing wrong with it, though. Especially with children. If my 4 year old nephew leans in and plants a big kiss on my mouth, I’m not going to argue with him. It’s very sweet, what could possibly be wrong with it?
As for the cold sore virus, you shouldn’t be kissing anyone if you have an active sore.

You can spread the cold sore virus by kissing on the cheek as well so that’s hardly the most robust argument for withholding affection from your children.

I think it is OK to kiss both spouses and children on the mouth. But if the child is uncomfortable with it, it should, of course, not be forced. I used to hate it when I was made to kiss relatives!

Of course if it’s a passionate kiss that’s only for hubby. A little cheek peck is all anyone else gets from me. The grandkids try to give me those slobbery mouth kisses but I avoid that at all costs.

@perspicacious… My grandkids don’t get all slobbery. Why do yours?

I think most kids under the age of 5 give slobbery kisses.

Um…I find that only babies actually give slobbery kisses. By the age of two or so they’ve learned that it’s not cool to drool when they kiss!

You are of the same school as my Mom and thus me.

@Dutchess_III Maybe we define slobbery differently. Every baby is slobbery in my opinion.

I don’t see what the big deal is. I am not personally fond of kissing people other than a woman on the lips, but I don’t look down on anyone else who does it.

Yes, babies are slobbery, until they learn better, @perspicacious.

@Dutchess_III My grandkids are still babies. :)

This will give a lot of opinions on the topic.

hookers follow that rule….......

tongue is reserved for spouse. if you are affectionate, they you feel the need to plant one.

I will kiss my daughter on the lips, but my husband won’t. I don’t like for anyone else to do it, but her grandparents often do it anyway. I don’t know – it just grosses me out for her to be kissing so many people for some reason.

I am not qualified to answer this.
I kiss everything on the lips, my geese, cats, horse, on & on.

I have no issue with a quick kiss on the lips with anything or anyone I am intimate with.

It’s a cultural thing. If it is inappropriate in your culture to kiss non-spice on the lips, then don’t.

I’m more comfortable with kissing on the cheeks or forehead for everyone but spouse. I’m very fond of hugs, pats and shoulder or arm rubs, very fond of hugs!

Personally, for me lip kissing is only for my spouse, everyone else gets cheeks and foreheads and hugs.

Depends on the person, really. I kiss my sisters on the lips, not my mother or brother. I kiss some female friends on the lips, and as @Coloma mentioned, my dog, too. It’s not frequent with anyone, but it happens often enough to say it happens.

Yes, just close family members only.

I’ve never really thought much about it. I used to kiss my kids on the lips when they were little, but not so much now that they are teens. I’m more of a hugger, but I wouldn’t be bothered if they kissed me on the lips. I kiss my Mom on the lips sometimes, but more often on the cheek. It’s just the way it naturally happens though, because it’s not something I put any thought into.

It’s okay as long as all participating parties are okay with it (that sounded odd). Otherwise, why wouldn’t it be okay? My parents kissed me on the cheek, forehead, top of my head, etc. but never on the lips; that’s just how they did it. I view a kiss on the lips as romantic and I would reserve it for someone I’m in a relationship with.

Thanks for all the answers it looks like it is divided. I don’t look down on anyone one that does it either way but I personally only give my spouse lip kisses. Smile

This question comes up so often on Fluther…I find that interesting…people have such hang ups and supposed rules about this kind of stuff. I kiss my spouse on the lips and my kids on the lips (they’re 4 and a half and 2) and I give some of my friends quick pecks on the lips when we say goodbye (if they have a cold sore, they let me know and the such..oh and when you have a cold sore, you shouldn’t be kissing anyone including your spouse). There is nothing weird about it.

@Coloma your goose has lips??

@Dutchess_III

haha…well…no…but his beak is pretty cute and he has an overbite. ;-)

That depends on culture and personal comfort level. In some cultures, a kiss on the lips doesn’t carry any sexual connotations. And on an individual level, some people don’t have a problem giving their friends a quick peck on the lips. I would only kiss someone on the lips if I was romantically interested, but that is just me.

I’ve been thinking about this…we tend to sexuality everything, if we can. Boobs, for example…their main function is to provide milk for an infant, but we’ve sexualized them to the point that if a mother is nursing their baby there are those who freak out because they can’t separate function from sex.

@Dutchess_III I agree about the breast feeding. But, kissing on the lips is not a functional thing really between parent and child. Although, it is functional in other parts of the animal kingdom for parent and child to meet lips or beaks.

Actually, the function of lips is that they are a gateway to your innards for food and air, just like the ‘mouth’ opening in a worm or any other animal, no matter how primitive. Humans sexualized the opening.

@Dutchess_III I know, but it is ok to see a picture of a woman’s mouth, even her kissing. But, not ok to publish a picture of a woman breast feeding. Some birds, maybe other animals too, mush up food for their young and the parent places in their babies mouths with their own mouth, or rather beak. So, it is very normal, and not sexual, for the mama and her young to touch beaks in that circumstance. Humans don’t do that.

No, I don’t feed my young with my mouth. That’s what I have imposable thumbs for!! But I do kiss them, smack! when it’s called for. I also have no problem what so ever seeing a women breast feeding or a photo of a women breast feeding. It’s all about the concept. Different parts of our body can be used for different reasons.

I agree with you. My family does not kiss on the lips, mother and child, but if others do, I am not judging it. The only thing I hate is when children are told to kiss grown ups when they don’t want to. Lips or cheek. I have no problems with breat feeding, and I think people wo sexualize are simply wrong.

@JLeslie I so agree that to force a child to kiss, or even hug someone they don’t want to is WRONG!! There have been times when my grown children told their little kids (my grandkids) upon leaving to “Give gramma some lovins!” and my grandchild, for what ever reason didn’t want to. If Mom persisted I was quick to jump in and say, “No! It’s cool! Just leave it!” It’s not like it hurt my feelings or anything!