It’s wonderful if your baby is a source of joy for your entire family. However, sometimes, family members can over reach the boundaries when it comes to the baby, for example when they are over-kissing your baby. If this is happening to you, you’ve probably wondered how to tell family not to kiss your baby so much. We have a solution for you.
Check out the tips and ideas below for how to tell family not to kiss your baby without hurting anyone’s feelings.
Things to consider before you tell them to stop:
Before you can determine how to tell family to stop kissing your baby, you must consider a few things. It is not a basic request, and these are not just random people; they are your family members. To make it work, we recommend you consider the following items described below:
01The words to use
When planning how to tell family not to kiss your baby, it’s important to prepare your speech and choose all of the right words to use. It might appear simple to say it out loud, but the wrong words can send the wrong message.
You need to choose words that emphasize the gravity of the situation while suggesting politeness, understanding, and respect.
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02The sensitivity level of each family member
In almost every family, there are some members who are more sensitive than others. While less sensitive members may take your request with stride, more sensitive members of your family may become easily hurt. Unfortunately, your request may be taken in the wrong way by these individuals.
Before you make your request, you’ll want to identify the most sensitive members of your family and deliver the request to them in person. You’ll want to have a solid, direct reason to support your request. It’s also important to acknowledge that they have love for your child.
03Your current location
You can try to choose the ideal place to make your request, but it should never be in public.
Regardless of the words you choose or the tone you use when making your request, it might still embarrass your family members if you were to do it in public. You’ll want to wait for everyone to be together and indoors.
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04Have you prepared a good reason?
You need a good reason for blocking your family members from showing your baby affection through kissing. A good reason will make your request more palatable, and it’ll strengthen your argument if someone disagrees.
You’ll want to make sure to have a solid reason that you can use to counter any immediate doubts or questions. If you have no immediate reason to give, you can either be vague or make up a reason. It’s better than offering no explanation for this type of request.
05The appropriate and most effective timing
What is a good strategy without smart timing? Even when you want to ask your family members to stop kissing your baby, you will need to choose the right moment.
The right time varies and depends on the family. The right moment would be when most of the family members are together.
The message gets picked up faster by everyone because they are all present. These types of requests are also best made in happy moments with your family members. If you make the request during sad times, it may come off as highly insensitive.
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How to tell family not to kiss your baby:
01“Guys, I’d really love it if you stopped kissing the baby all the time. I know how much you love her, but this means a lot to me that you avoid so much kissing.”
If you prefer to be straightforward about your request, without cooking up a random excuse, then this is the method to use. It is effective because it is direct and honest. Not to mention, you make it seem like it means a great deal to you.
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02“Everyone, maybe we shouldn’t kiss the baby so much. I’ve read that it is quite unhealthy for the baby. It can negatively affect us as well.”
This method is effective if your family is prickly and a bit sensitive, and you want to tread softly. It can be effective because it delivers your request in a suggestive, non-forceful way. Your health reason works by giving people a strong reason to support.
03“Guys, could you all please stop kissing the baby so much? I feel uncomfortable about it, and I want everyone to stop doing it.”
It is straightforward and doesn’t beat around the bush. It uses no words that project fear, anger, or aggression. It provides the family with some softness, which is good for everyone.
Your family members are less likely to put up an argument if you make it clear that you are uncomfortable about all of the kissing.
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04“Guys, please don’t hate me, but I really want you to stop kissing the baby. Jim and I have stopped kissing her too, so I get how hard this might be. Regardless, we’ll all need to do less of it.”
This excuse is effective because it lands the blow while protecting both you and your partner. Not to mention, imploring the family to continue loving you will make you sound adorable enough for your request to land well.
If there is anyone who has some questions, your solid excuse involving your husband should shut them up permanently.
05“Auntie Lou, I have a small favor to ask. I know you and Uncle Jim adore Lizzy, but could you pleasestop kissing her so much? I see the baby getting uncomfortable, and that worries me a lot.”
If you want to make this big request and still appear respectful and understanding, this is how to go about it.
This method is effective because it’s straightforward about the result you want. You also get to acknowledge that your family loves your child, which is always a powerful move.
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06“Grannie, I am so sorry, but you can’t kiss the baby today. She’s got a rash, and I don’t want you to get it. So, you might have to stop kissing her for a while.”
A polite request can work wonders, especially when dealing with more sensitive members of the family. Accompanying the request with a solid excuse about a rash will make your request bulletproof.
07“Mom, Dad, I love you both, but I need you guys to stop kissing the baby. Unfortunately, I read about it on a parenting blog that it makes the baby uncomfortable, and he might be a bit withdrawn due to this feeling. So, it’s really important that you stop immediately.”
If you don’t feel like lying or coming up with a fake reason, this is the best method to use. You can express it in a serious way, and you can also back it up with some solid reasoning.
Reminding your parents how much you love them is always a good way to prepare them for a message they might not be happy to hear.
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08“Please don’t think less of me, but I’d really like it if you stopped kissing my baby. You can hold her, but I’m asking that you please avoid kissing her. Thank you.”
There’s no easy method on how to tell family not to kiss your baby. If you can approach the request directly, with the necessary politeness, you will likely get what you want.
This method captures both the directness and the politeness that you need, and it can be very effective.
09“Guys, you are going to have to stop kissing the baby. We had a recent issue regarding her skin and a nasty skin infection, so we’re trying to play it safe for a while. Please try to understand.”
This is another method that works wonderfully. It has both a bulletproof reason and the politeness required to balance out the severity of the blow.
The reason alone might trigger more questions, but it works well enough for non-inquisitive family members.
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10“Hey Mom, you’re going to have to stop kissing the baby. The doctor told me that I should limit any bodily contact with her face because she’s quite prone to bacterial infections, especially in this hot weather.”
This method can be effective because it helps you remain direct about what you want.
The excuse about infections can help erase whatever hurt your Mom might feel from the request because it sounds serious. Invoking a doctor in your request can help calm any additional issues that may come up.
Conclusion
It’s not as hard as you might think to stop your family from kissing your baby so much. You just have to find out how to tell family not to kiss your baby so much in the right way by using this article.
If you’re struggling with finding good reasons as well as phrases to use in your request, you can use our tips to determine how to tell family not to kiss your baby in the best way.