If your 7-year-old is kissing others on the lips, it can be interesting to handle. It really just depends on the child.
How do you handle your 7-year-old kissing others on the lips? Don’t freak out, but teach respect of what kissing is. Teach your child about how there is a time and a place for kissing. Your child will also have to learn about consent and if others even want to kiss them. Kissing on the lips can also spread nasty germs that may get your kid sick.
I kissed my older sister’s friend on the lips when I was 8, so I’m probably not the person to write this post. I was very aware of what I was doing, so I think if kids are aware then they can also be taught how to conduct themselves when it comes to kissing.
Why do Kids do This?
Children see others kissing. They see adults, like their parents, kissing each other. Children receive kisses from others. It’s a classic “monkey see, monkey do” situation.
Now, this is not a bad thing. Kissing should not be taught as a bad thing. It is important to show affection but children need to be taught that there is a time and a place for this.
Kissing that children see sends the message that this is how to show someone that you care about them. Because of this, it’s no wonder that a child might give a kiss to their friend. In their head kissing means “I care about you.”
If you find that your child has kissed one of their friends, don’t get up in the night about it. It happens. Just teach your son or daughter about asking and making sure the other is okay with it.
The Potential Dangers of Kissing
When your kids get sent off to school you hope they learn something in Math or English. They probably do but they learn many other social things as well. Sometimes, they are taught by the other kids.
It’s important as a parent to be involved with their lives school as much as you can be. Children need to understand social things and it is good for the parents to
Kids are Walking Germ Stations
I would say that the biggest problem is probably germs passed between their mouths when they kiss on the lips. Kids are always getting dirty. They stick their hands who knows where and those hands usually end up in someone’s mouth.
It’s just kind of known that children have a ton of germs on them. That’s the main problem with kissing. From this your child can get flu-like symptoms, Generally, in older kids, this equates to mono. Fortunately, your kids aren’t teens so for whatever they won’t get mono.
Consent for Children
Okay, so this can be a heavy topic. I am not a parent but I have some thoughts I wanted to share.
Young kids don’t see kissing as a sexual act. They don’t connect the dots. They only understand what happens in the movies, not what can go on behind the scenes.
Because of this, as they get older, you will need to explain to them about consent. They need to start asking other’s if they even want a kiss.
When they start to enter adolescence, they need to understand that don’t need to kiss others. It’s just not necessary. As they get older, slowly teach them of these things so they can stay safe from potential harm.
Kissing Safety Tips
If your child just wants to kiss people, teaching children who they can safely kiss is important. Don’t make kissing seem like a terrible thing to your children, because it is not.
Teach them that kissing s reserved for family members or very close friends. High fives are for other people. Whatever you feel comfortable with.
Teach your child to ask for help from an adult they trust if they feel uncomfortable at any time. If someone wants to kiss them and they feel uncomfortable, they should talk to an adult.
If they do get kissed by someone that they didn’t want to be kissed by, let them know they did not do anything wrong. Solve the issue if there is one and teach your children about safety and consent when you feel it will be understood.
Where do People Stand on a Child Kissing Someone?
There are many different opinions. Some people think it’s appropriate. Some are worried that the spread of germs will increase so they believe it to be wrong. There is a myriad of reasons.
Actress Hilary Duff came under scrutiny when she posted a picture of her at Disneyland kissing her 4-year-old son on the lips. Even David Beckham got ripped for doing the same thing.
I guess if you’re famous, people have to disagree. There were many different reasons why people were upset. It really just comes down to preference.
What I recommend is to make your own rules. Decide here and now where you stand with your children kissing others. If you don’t have kids yet but you plan on it, make your rules concrete now. If you already have kids, start making your list and let your kids know the rules.
In some cultures, it is completely fine. In others, it is not. It also really just depends on the area you live in and your family dynamic. You choose for yourself and nobody should backseat parent on those choices.
Use your discretion and things should be fine.
Emotional Maturity
As your child grows older, they will begin to understand emotions better and you can teach them about the emotions
During this time of a child’s life, they grow strong bonds with friends. These friendships become super important to them. That’s why it is important to have already grown a relationship with them.
They start to play games like “house” where they take on identities of a mother or father in their limited understanding of the roles.
Boys may start to think that girls are gross and vice versa. Kissing might be considered “gross” to them. As they hit puberty, this will change and their whole world will change.
As they physically mature, their emotional maturity will go with it. Your child is growing and is about to enter one of the most rollercoaster ride periods of their lives.
Stay close to your kids and form that emotional bond with them early so they have someone to turn to when they don’t understand.
Related Questions
Should I kiss my child on the lips? You decide for yourself. I don’t think that it is weird when the child is young but maybe when they get older its time to slow that down. That is just my opinion. There has been much debate for years on this subject.
Hilary Duff and David Beckham’s family have come under scrutiny on this subject for posting pictures of themselves kissing their children on the lips. In the end, you have to decide for yourself what you are okay with and what you are not.
Can a mother kiss her newborn? Some respiratory infections and bacteria from a kiss can play a role in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or as some people call it, “cot death.”
There is no concrete evidence to show that you should not kiss your baby. It’s a special moment, but be selective with who you let around the baby at first.
What is the right age for your kid to kiss someone? Okay, this topic is completely up to personal preference. You lay the rules down with your kids. Some people say 14 is a good age. Some say you shouldn’t kiss someone until after high school.
Personally, from what I have noticed, things happen and your kids are going to kiss someone at some point. It’s best to teach them about consent at an early age and what kissing means. This can help immensely in the long run for when they do eventually kiss someone.
