Psychologists Revealed Kissing Children On The Lips Can Be Dangerous

February 14, 2018

When it comes to raising children, there are questions that are left open. For example, is it appropriate to breastfeed a baby in crowded places? When should we talk with children about puberty? The ways of manifesting love are also among these questions.

Many parents do not see anything shameful in kissing their child on the lips because, in their opinion, this is just an innocuous manifestation of feelings. At the same time, other people consider such behavior unacceptable. This point of view is shared by specialists.

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American psychologist Charlotte Reznick from the University of California claims that the mouth is an erogenous zone, so kissing small children on lips is unacceptable.

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Despite the fact that adults see it as a harmless manifestation of love, it can mislead the child. Children can match kisses with their parents' romantic relationships and do not understand why adults behave the same way with them.

If someone asks me, at what age it is necessary to stop kissing children on the lips, my answer will be unambiguous - right now. (Charlotte Reznick)

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The clinical psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack questioned her colleague's opinion:

A kiss on the lips does not confuse the child in any way. In this case, breastfeeding would also be considered unacceptable, because it has much more sexual component.

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Family therapist Paul Hawkmaier shares McCormack's point of view:

It is important that parents adhere to certain boundaries in communicating with children. If we consider a kiss on the lips as a way of expressing affection, then there is nothing unacceptable in this gesture.

At the same time, dentists do not support this manifestation of feelings and warn parents that there is a huge number of microbes in the person's mouth that can be transmitted to the child through the saliva.

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As you see, the opinions of both professionals and parents differ. However, most of them still do not support this practice. Each parent must decide for himself whether it is worth expressing one's love and affection for children in a similar way. The main thing is to pay attention to the child's reaction, take his opinion into account, and always respect the personal space.

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And how do you feel about kissing children on the lips? Do you think it is unacceptable, or you don’t see anything shameful in this gesture? Please, share your opinion in the comments!

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