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You father hugs and cuddles your friends children?? Hon, you should be losing friends soon. If any friend of mine had a father who hugged and kissed and cuddled my children, well, I would at least end the friendship. Kissing and hugging your own seems fine to me. But grown men don't hug and cuddle and kiss other people's children unless they are either pedophiles or stupid. And I taught my children not to let grownups do such things. Why set up your kids for the poor boundaries that allow pedophiles to take advantage.

If any friend of mine had a father who hugged and kissed and cuddled my children, well, I would at least end the friendship. Kissing and hugging your own seems fine to me. But grown men don't hug and cuddle and kiss other people's children unless they are either pedophiles or stupid.

I hug, cuddle and kiss my nieces when I see them and they are 15 and 19 now. In fact, they inititiate it usually. I am the father and protector they never had because their own father was an abuser and molester. Only at my house were they ever really safe. I didn't know what was going on for 17 years until my sister-in-law finally tried to commit suicide and we got the truth out of her. I am not sick, perverted or stupid and those girls did need to be hugged and shown that they were loved.

Grown men do hug and kiss other peoples children and it does not mean they are pedophiles. As a matter of fact, most child molestation is done BY fathers and step fathers so that 'other peoples kids' argument is spurious at best.

My cousin was molested when a young girl, by her father, and as an adult she said how much it meant to her that my father acted normal around her, giving her the same hugs and kisses that all the kids got.

I volunteer at a local hospital in the childrens ward. I cuddle babies. I play with the older kids, whether they want to read, play games or just be held for a half hour with someone stroking their forehead and humming to them. You are saying that ONLY parents can touch their children? No foster parents? No adopted parents?

It is sad to me that normal love is suspect because of a few sick people. And you can teach your kids about appropriate behaviour, and they know what makes them uncomfortable. Most importantly, you never leave your children from your care or someone you trust implicitly. Most kids that are abused are done so at the either the hands of a parent or left by the parent with someone they know (or should know) is unsuitable. You dont' leave your kids alone with neighbors, or relatives that you don't know or trust.

I don't care who has a problem with me cuddling with kids. Mine are older now, 13, 15, 22 and they are all healthy loving darlings. They don't hug and kiss people they are not comfortable with.

As a matter of fact, not loving kids enough probably makes them more vulnerable to abuse by an adult who is manipulating them, because they need the love and affection so badly. Boundaries come from confidence, not fear. Or maybe a little fear, lol, but mostly from knowledge and trust of their feelings.

I haven't read the Jackson charges, I haven't been following the story, I really could care less and don't consider it news. The parents who are leaving their children there are responsible for their safety, not me, but it pains me greatly to see cuddling cast in the same boat as pedophilia.