I'm totally curious about kissing now and how the custom originated. I mean, it has to have developed somewhere along the evolutionary line from some practical application (mothers feeding their babies pre-chewed food, etc. which DOES squick me). Then it became a sexualized custom for certain situations but not others.

I just need to avoid Freud.

I'm totally curious about kissing now and how the custom originated.

In China it was considered absolutely barbaric. Tantamount to cannabalism because you were tasting somebody else. It's totally cultural.

Um, eww. How do you "accidentally" slip someone some tongue? It's pretty easy to keep one's tongue inside one's mouth. Unless she kissed him when his mouth was already open, in which case, that's kind of her fault. I don't think that's something to blame on the family, in any case.

ETA: In response to Jesse's kissing groom story.

Or, you know

Seriously? Because I have a great relationship with my parents, but I have never kissed either one on the mouth. For the idea not to squick me, it would have to be a very young baby.

Me three.

My husbands family NEVER kisses each other on the mouth. We do. It's not like we're French kissing--just pecks on the mouth.

My father always kissed me on the mouth, and still does. My mother never did. Nothing about it squicks me. I think he probably kisses my nephew on the mouth, too. But it's such a normal thing I've never noticed.

My dad never got weirdly cold when I hit puberty, either. I've heard some dads do. That makes me sad.

I'm totally curious about kissing now and how the custom originated

I think it was likely all about mothers chewing food to make it soft for their babies. But I'm just making that shit up.

Emmett (infant, less than a year old) would tub with me, and he had no problem with grabbing me by the scrotum. (I had plenty of problems with it, of course.) They do stuff like that all the time. That's the thing you learn as a parent - there is intense physical intimacy that is NOT sexual.

Persactly! Also, heh. Owen has recently discovered his newest, favorite tub toy. So now there's this whole thing of "how long is long enough to play with it." Which, I figure it's his, I guess it's his to enjoy.

My dad never got weirdly cold when I hit puberty, either. I've heard some dads do. That makes me sad.

I saw my father in law go apeshit over the fact that my sister in law (who was 10 years old at the time) was wearing a long t-shirt to sleep in. He freaked out and demanded she go put on a pair of short. Dude, the t-shirt was down to her freakin' knees!

He was an only child of an only child who was adopted by elderly, strict, Old-World Germans (who didn't celebrate Christmas).

I ran around in t-shirt and underwear in the house until I was 14. My dad regularly made the trip down the hall to the bathroom in his BVD's. We're just more open about that kind of thing.

Um, eww. How do you "accidentally" slip someone some tongue? It's pretty easy to keep one's tongue inside one's mouth. Unless she kissed him when his mouth was already open, in which case, that's kind of her fault. I don't think that's something to blame on the family, in any case.

He just had no experience with non-sexual kissing. At all. He realized he was doing it, just a second too late. And was, of course, mortified.

He just had no experience with non-sexual kissing. At all. He realized he was doing it, just a second too late. And was, of course, mortified.

Did he never hang out with a pet? Or play with a baby?

This just seems so incredibly sad and weird.

I swear it's less sad and weird than it seems. It's just a little weird.

So, I just realized I should maybe be nervous, or at least prepared, for this interview I have in the morning. But maybe going to sleep ASAP is more important.

I saw my father in law go apeshit over the fact that my sister in law (who was 10 years old at the time) was wearing a long t-shirt to sleep in. He freaked out and demanded she go put on a pair of short. Dude, the t-shirt was down to her freakin' knees!

Until I was about 11, I usually wore one of my dad's old t-shirts as a night shirt during the summer. I was really sensitive to fabric textures (still am, really), and most pajamas that I tried were too itchy and I couldn't sleep in them. His t-shirts had all been run through the washing machine a zillion times and were much softer, and I was small enough that an adult-sized t-shirt would come down to my knees.