Baby kisses – Do you kiss your little ones on the lips?

I’ve been reading articles lately pulling the whole parents kissing kids on the lips debate into the spotlight and shedding some controversy on the practice.

Full disclosure. I kiss my kids on the lips.

Let me be clear, it is not sexual in any way whatsoever.

I kissed my babies on the lips from the time they were born, almost instinctively. I never thought I would kiss my kids like that before they were actually a part of my life. Then they placed my little boy on my chest shortly after he was born and my lips were drawn to his. I almost couldn’t control it. I wanted to inhale him. I loved him to the point of pain and all I wanted was to cover him in my love. I kissed him on the forehead, on the eyelids, on the top of his perfect little head and yes…on the lips.

The fact that someone, a stranger, can possibly look at the way I decide to show my child affection and pass judgment makes me furious.

Those strangers were not there when a doctor told me my son’s heart had stopped beating during his surgery. They weren’t there when I paced the bathroom in the middle of the night holding a coughing toddler trying to steam her airways open.

Those strangers aren’t there when my children are sick or hurt or sad.

Those strangers won’t be there as we continue to face life’s ups and downs together.

Those strangers have no right to make a judgment call on the way my family decides to live their lives.

Every family has their own way of showing affection. Every individual has their own line for their personal space. Some people are cuddlers and huggers. Others prefer not to be touched at all.

I definitely take into account my child’s comfort level with affection and respect their space.

As Mr. T is growing the way we show affection has evolved. Naturally, we have moved away from lip kisses and now our love tends to be shown through cuddles and hugs and chatting.

Ms. J is a kisser. She is very comfortable with physical affection and will touch, hug or kiss any chance she gets.

Regardless of how our lives evolve, it’s OUR lives and OUR decisions.

Open up the internet and you will find something that makes you feel as though you are royally messing up this whole parenting thing. Articles that take something perfectly natural and try and add shame to it make me very unhappy.

I don’t feel ashamed that I kiss my kids.

I don’t feel ashamed when I kiss them on their perfect little toes and their beautiful little bellies.

I don’t feel ashamed when I kiss my kids on the lips.