Foot Kissing

A friend once told me she always kisses a baby's feet instead of his hands or face as a way to keep him from getting her germs. It's a great idea since baby's hands end up in his mouth frequently. I get that.

Recently, I've given up on the foot-kissing theory and instead prefer to kiss a baby on the top of his head. Why? Well, there are a few reasons.

• I don't find feet all that kissable.
• Older babies are so flexible their feet end up in their mouths anyway, thereby defeating the purpose.
• Sometimes he will be wearing socks or shoes which won't taste all that great.
• His feet could be cold or clammy and that's no fun to kiss.
• And most importantly, if you have changed many newborn diapers, you know that a baby loves to stick his feet on his newly soiled diaper. Now if the person who changed him last wiped down his feet, you might be okay. But if they didn't, you might be the one getting his cooties. Do you want to take that risk?

I will also admit to liking the fuzzy softness of baby hair and that clean baby smell -- both benefits of kissing him on top of the head.

Moral of the story: If you kiss a baby, consider kissing his head, elbow or knee to keep both of your cooties with their proper owners.