Do you make your children hug and kiss people?

Do you make your kids hug and kiss people? Like family/family they don’t see too often.

This is something my mom gives me a hard time about.

I personally don’t make my kids hug and kiss people if they don’t want to. I feel like their comfort is more important than making other people feel better if that makes sense. I want them to know their bodies are their bodies, and if they don’t want to touch someone/be touched, they don’t have to.

I was a very, very anxious child. Very bad social anxiety. My mom used to make me hug and kiss everyone. I didn’t mind my aunts and uncles and grandparents, but then there was some family I didn’t really know, and I remember always hating it.

I remember being a teen and in my early 20s and had a very hard time setting boundaries with people, (Particularly guys I was seeing) and was always somewhat of a people pleaser. I’m not saying this is bc of what my mom made me do, but I do sometimes wonder if theres a connection.

My mom thinks my kids are going to be rude. They always do say hi and bye, they usually do want to hug and kiss but sometimes they don’t and I’m cool with that.

(Kids are 2 and 4)