kissing kids

[gweanbean]

I need some help.  I have recently caught my child kissing some of her neighborhood friends, both male and female.  My husband and I have had several conversations with her about this issue.  We have told her that we dont kiss anyone but mommy, daddy and her brother.  I feel like if I am not standing over her every second someone is coming to tell me that she has kissed them.  I dont know what else to do.  I almost feel as though the rest of the neighborhood is looking at me as if I am a bad parent or that there is something wrong with her.  I was wondering if you could tell me how to handle the kissing and the dealing with the adults.  I have tried everything.  Please help.

[Trialanderror]

How old is your daughter? I assume she is kissing on the mouth?
It is not totally uncommon at a certain age, let`s say between 3 and 6. We have one almost 7 year old neighbor boy who "goes around kissing", partially because he thinks it is funny when his buddies turn away saying eeeewww but sometimes he seems to want to show his affection that way. I tell my son to turn away and say "cheek only" - and maybe that`s what you can tell your daughter too. After a few weeks she may have lost interest. And as for the other parents - just tell them you are working on the issue.
The boy`s parents kiss him on the mouth which seems to be custom in some cultures. They all share the same cold sores....My former in-laws used to kiss my son on the mouth which used to "eek" me out, so for a short while when he was about 3, he tried to kiss everyone on the mouth. I felt he would not understand the difference between family kiss and other - so I pointed out instead that he can catch or pass on a cold that way.. The cheek only reminder worked. In addition, my son somehow got the convenient idea that kissing is only permitted when you`re married. Maybe some of this works for you :)

[gweanbean]

Thank you so much for the response.  My daughter is 4 and after talking with a few of my neighbors, they seem to be having the same problem.  The main issue is with one boy in perticular.  He is almost 7.  They have had issues with him doing the same thing to their daughter.  He has also hit their daughter on the bottom and pulled her bathing suit bottoms out in the back.  I do not view my daughter as being totally innocent in this scenario but I think this boy is teaching her these things.  We have also tried to explain to my daughter that she should wait until she is married to kiss boys as well but she sees her aunts and uncles who are not married kiss their boyfriend and girlfriend so I think that might just be confusing her.  I do remind her everytime we go outside to play that we do not kiss anyone and by doing this every day for the past few days she hasnt done it again.  I just dont want her to think that she is naughty or doing something wrong all the time because we dont take our eyes off of her for even one second where as before we would allow her and a friend to play on the swingset in the backyard while we were on the deck reading or chatting and now we are standing right over their shoulders.  Thank you again for the advice.

[treazzure007]

teach her to blow kisses instead or give "high fives"

[gweanbean]

Oh that sounds good too!  Thanks!!