Well, we've reached that age with Jude where we get to decide how to handle the topic of physical affection and the how, why, when, with who it's appropriate. Today he made himself into a barrier and demanded that Maddie kiss him. After I stopped laughing I had to tell him he can't force someone to give him a kiss. While I'm aware at this age it's really just a normal sign of affection with everyone he loves, from friends to family, there's that delicate issue of how others will feel. Other little boys are already starting to act in that "men don't show that kind of affection with each other" male standard. Little girls don't mind as much but then you have to worry over what the parents might think or feel. "Dude, your son is trying to make out with my daughter!" Not really, but it's still a relevant concern as they get older where do you begin to draw that how do you go about explaining that to your physically affectionate child?
I didn't stop to think, when Jude was smaller, how the fact that we kiss on the lips may complicate things for him with other people too. Most other people don't want to be kissed on the lips by anyone but a significant other or possibly their own children. Hell, I don't want people I'm not close with kissing me on the lips, and kids can be gross sometimes. Food on the face, snot, too much saliva hanging out, not to mention those open mouthed baby kisses, so I get it.
But I also don't want to curb Jude's natural affectionate nature because I think it's an asset over-all. What to do?
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