Yes, we hugged and kissed and indulged each other so much it's sick. It's very bad for me in relationships, I always want a lot of affection and date unaffectionate guys...

We're definitely an affectionate family. Every night when I was little I'd tell my parents I loved them as I said goodnight (and they responded, of course) because I was afraid if I didn't something bad would happen...I've carried on that tradition into adulthood. We always greet with a hug and a kiss on the cheek when I come home.

My mother was and is very affectionate to us (kids), but my father has always been rather distant. He grew up in a household where any kind of expressed affection was seen as silly. Also, it has always been my opinion that he was the least favorite child there (hate my grandparents for that). As a result, my father behaved the same way to us most of the time. He has mellowed down now, but I am still much more free with my mom and unfortunately, closer to her than to him. I feel sorry for my dad that he had to grow up in such a household, because he is good at heart, but his upbringing has definitely affected both his emotional development, and his relationship with his daughters.

Yes we were/are an affectionate family. I always hug/kiss/say I love you to every family member when I arrive and leave.
I am very close and loving with all of my family.

"but I do think the level of affection in the household you grew up in will have an effect on the adult home you make for yourself."

I agree to an extent Dear, but I have to disagree at the same time. My SO grew up in a divorced family and his dad isn't 'distant' per se but they never hug/say I love you/etc. I mean they know each other loves the other one, but it's not really said. His mom says it more and gives hugs, but my SO grew up in his teenage years (7th grade upward) with his dad.
However, my SO is very very affectionate with me. We are always hugging/kissing/saying I love you/etc. And I believe that he will be very affectionate with our kids when we have them.

Kikidawn- My husband is the same way. His parents weren't affectionate at all and now he's starved for it. He's really affectionate with me and our kitty.

My family always says I love you and we hug now and used to kiss when I was younger. I much prefer that and think that it's normal and healthy and helps keep you closer. I couldn't raise children without telling them that I love them, I tell my cat that I love him.

I really didn't and I really wish I did.

sorta.....but hubs and i make it a point to kiss and hug in front of the kids...

my dad was always affectionate.. lots of hugs and kisses.. my mum not so much..

My family wasn't affectionate, and I'm not overly affectionate either (though I don't have kids). I don't see it as a positive or a negative, really; it's just part of my personality. I certainly don't think my lack of childhood hugs has really done much damage. There are plenty of ways to show you love someone. I have never doubted that my parents care about and love me.

My family is great and I think we all feel loved and appreciated, but we are not verbally affectionate at all, and physically not much each either. We hug when we meet, but we live scattered across Europe, so that's kind of expected. And I used to give my Mom kiss goodnight till I was 16-ish.

It had no effect on my relationship with my bf, we are very affectionate with each other.

But with anyone else, I just can't be affectionate even if I want to be. It sucks, because I would really like to tell people how much I like them and how much they mean to me. I hope I can eventually get over this mental block.

No, I didn't grow up in an affectionate household. My parents didn't behave that way towards each other, or to their kids.

However, my husband and I are very affectionate to each other. We hug and kiss every day, and we're very generous in saying "I love you." After being together for over ten years, we still walk hand-in-hand when we go out. My husband thinks I'm very affectionate towards him, and he loves that.

They hugged me alot and kissed me alot..But things like playing with me or listening.. nu uh. Balkan families can verge on icy when it comes to deep emotions.

Also balkan mothers are possibly the least likely women to EVER actually get on their hands and knees and play. I think i played one or 2 chess games in 22 years with my mum... and barbies?? FORGET IT!

However her brother was different. The men were more emotional women more cold

I didn't really grow up in an affectionate household.
I crave for affection when in a relationship. But my boyfriend gives me lots of affection and I do the same

it was a mixed bag basically. Most of the time...no real hugging or kissing from my mom or dad, but from my grandparents...whom I was practically raised by...yes. So, it was just different. I have made sure that I treat my kids differenntly though. Lots of hugging and kisses and encouragement and attention.

Yes very much so.....both verbally and physically.My husband and I are also the same way with each other and our kids.....

My mom was very affectionate with me and my brother but my dad wasn't so much. Although now that we're all older, my dad is more affectionate with me and my mom is even more so (cause I don't live in the house anymore)

My mom was semi-affectionate. I only gave my dad a hug once, when I was about 12. FIRST time. Never did it again -- he was so unresponsive. Didn't even hug me back! I get creeped out by my bf's dad trying to hug me, since now I think that father figures aren't "supposed" to do that.

i never grew up in an affectionate household. there was a lot of fighting and screaming and calling the cops instead. i wish i had an affectionate family. i've never heard my parents ever say they loved me or anything nice to me. it hurts a lot.

my mom is very affectionate, but me...not so much.
it bugs her that i pull away when ever she tries to hug and kiss me.

my fam is full of love but we lack in affection. My dad's side of the family is more affectionate than my mothers side but even they aren't full on affection!

Oh skinnyjeans87, I'm so sorry you had to have a tough childhood like that. That must have really sucked. Hope you and you family are doing okay.

Personally, my family was pretty affectionate with me (especially my mom). I think I got more of it, though, being the baby of the family We're still that way, pretty much.

My family is extremely affectionate my mom is a hug addict! My husband's family is more cold and distant however he adapted quickly to our hug fests LOL!

Ha, no. My parents don't make a good couple and they're not even fit to be parents. I know unhappy married couples who are still great to their children but they're just not. Mom did wonders to me and my sisters' self-esteem and dad just doesn't know how to express his love. It was all discipline and intimidation.

It's alright though I'm just glad it didn't ruin me; if anything it's made me stronger. Plus I know what to avoid in my future family, haha.

That family in the pic look so perfect.

Yeah, I would say my family is very loving and somewhat affectionate. My mom was very insistent on giving us hugs and saying I love you all the time, which is how I am too. My dad usually isn't the first one to give affection to us, but he will do it sporadically and he will definitely reciprocate if you say "I love you" or whatever. My sisters aren't usually affectionate because they think it's cheesy, but I know they love me anyway.

No. No hugging or any of that sort. I'm most like my dad and we have some trouble expressing our love for people, though we definitely feel it. My family didn't really start hugging or saying I Love You all the time until a series of bad things happened...

Mum grew up in a very affectionless household. So everyone makes a point of making her feel loved and included, especially as she now has family relatioships that she didn't have before (such as strong mother daughter ties).

I wouldn't say we shower eachother with hugs and kisses all the time, but we are affectionate in our own way.

Mum grew up in a very affectionless household. So everyone makes a point of making her feel loved and included, especially as she now has family relatioships that she didn't have before (such as strong mother daughter ties).

I wouldn't say we shower eachother with hugs and kisses all the time, but we are affectionate in our own way.

I come from one of those "creepy" families, who say "I love you" when we depart whether physically or over the phone. I guess we're all semi-superstitious, and always need consoling to counteract that.

Yes and No. My mother would tell me many times during a day how much she loved me and gave me a hug all the time. My father used to give hugs however as I got older he sort-of stopped and it became a random thing; I don't think he ajusted to having his daughter grow up. However I know he loves me, he just doesn't say it/show it all the time. So my parents were affectionate towards me; however not to one another, no real love there they just dealt with one another.

no, my family is and was not physically or verbally affectionate.

never having that affirmation or self assurance that i was loved still cuts deep even now.

it's one of the reasons i don't want children. and this is so after school special, but it's the truth.

My family is super-affectionate, but we also bicker sometimes, and when we do my mom is not above calling me names such as "cow" or "b*tch". I know it's not malicious so it doesn't bother me, but people who don't understand our family dynamic are usually appalled when they see us fight. I guess the best way to explain it is that we don't hold back - neither with positive nor with negative emotions.

My Mom was always very affectionate toward my sister and I, my Dad not so much, and I never saw my parents being affectionate toward one another. I always wished that they would be though! Hmph.

sw33tlovin, I totally know how you feel. I wish I didn't. I have an awesome, awesome boyfriend now, and though I want to have kids with him, my upbringing with no physical or verbal affection leaves me scared that I'll repeat that with my kids. That and the fear that I'll end up beind disappointed and disillusioned by them like my parents are with me.

I definatly grew up in an affectionate family! We hug and kiss and always say 'i love you' to each other! My boyfriend's fam is waaaaay different but he's super affectionate towards me

My SO's family gives hugs and kisses on the cheek and all that stuff, and even though I have been around it for 4 years now, sometimes I still can't get used to it. My family never hugged each other, would never ever even think about a kiss on the cheek, and we never even ate dinner together!

BUT, I want my kids to know they are loved, so I will make sure we have a very affectionate household.

No. My father has never told me he loves me, though my mother does /now/.
I grew up in a cold and abusive household. Explains a lot really.

My mom was and my dad was not..

My mom has always been pretty affectionate towards my sisters and I. Im almost 25 years old and I still kiss her on the lips when we go our seperate ways.

Nope! None of that in this household. At my age however, i no longer mind it. I've no issue being affectionate with people that i care for.

Wow what a mixed response.. it really just shows how many people have the same lives and how many people understand each other

But i did get sad reading some comments

My family rarely showed affection. It was clear that the affection was only shown in public to prove a point. It's made me look at life differently - it has helped with the guard that I front and the reasons I don't let people close.

It's a shame.

We might not tell each other how we feel all the time, but in my family there's never any doubt about how we feel about each other, it's all love. Thankfully

my family definitely was not the hugs and kisses type of house - but that's partly because my mom was a single parent raising 4 kids and working a million jobs that she didn't have time to do all that. we definitely knew that we were loved and cared for but we were the touch-feely type.

i think that's partly why i am the same way now - i don't like to be touched and i don't like the hugs and all that...even from my fiance. i know that it bothers him, but it's hard for me.

we arent all that close. yeah, mom and i talk and share. but she loves my brother more and she favours him a lot. it sucks. dad rarely talks and i see him like once a day or once in two days. all of it bothered me before. but i try not to let stuff get me now.