It is becoming a common practice for adults to plant kisses on children's lips.
Children enjoy being kissed even when they have no idea what it means. A little baby would smile or laugh when an adult plants a kiss on him or her.
Most parents kiss their children as a sign of affection but they will cringe when they see others kissing their little babies on the lips. Some others will however not even be bothered about it.
Some people would not mind if the kiss is from grandparents, siblings and other family members but they would not accept it when it's coming from friends and peers.
Though some will point out, "I don't want people kissing my baby on the lips because it is not healthy," but deep down, you know that is not the main reason. Some parents feel like kissing their children on the lip is something intimate that an outsider shouldn't do without permission.
Recently, there was this photo of a popular TV personality Sammy Walsh kissing the 3-year-old son of Ice Prince on the lips. It quickly sparked a lot of reactions. Some said there was nothing wrong with it as he was a little child and besides his family was not complaining. Some others were not comfortable with it as they pointed out that Sammy and the little boy were not related.
Children of all ages see adults kissing one another and most children also receive kisses from parents and other adults. This sends a message that kissing is acceptable.
But when is not okay for an adult to kiss a child on the lips? Even as a parent, at what age should you stop giving your children kisses on the lips? What kind of kiss is acceptable for a child?
These questions have caused heated arguments on social forums.
Below are some of the reactions of Naij.com readers when asked if it is okay for adults to kiss children on the lips.
Abiola Afolabi Jose said: "Why should one kiss a child on the lips, peck is ok on d cheeks, be it one's child or not."
"If I may share my opinion in this issue, I will say NO, because it also written in the holy book; it says train up a child in the way that he should grow and when he is old he will not depart from it. But me as a mother I can give my child a kiss on the cheek, not on the lips. It also way of showing the child some love," Itohan Mercy said.
One of our readers said: "It depends of the age, like 0-3, yes but from 4 years upward, I won't allow outsider to kiss them on their lips. If you love my kids that much, open your wallet bring out money and go and buy him/her dolly baby, no come spoil my pikin for my hand."
According to Evelyn Osenuya Salawu, who said pecking the lips of a child is quite different from kissing a child lips, she only pecks her child and so it is allowed. She however won't allow it go beyond pecking from family members.
"If you don't want anyone kissing your child on the lips, then as a parent don't kiss them on the lips, so they know the difference. Kiss them on their cheeks," Atama Mag Edugwu-Imoke said.
Whether you are in support of giving a child a kiss on the lip or not, you should know that the medical side states that it is not safe to kiss a child on the lip, because the adult can transmit an infection to the child.
Babies are quick to contact diseases because of their poor immunity, parents should therefore be careful about who they allow to kiss their children on the lips.
Besides, you might see it as a harmless show of affection but do you know the motive of the person giving your child a kiss. There are many children being sexually abused on a daily basis and some of them grow up with the scars.
As your child grow up, he needs to know that certain kissing behaviours are not acceptable.
Source: ereporter