Do you tickle?

[dot2dot]

As ds gets older more and more people try to tickle him to get him to laugh. I never tickle him. Mostly because I hate getting tickled myself. My grandpa's philosophy is not to tickle babies because they can't tell you to stop. Dh doesn't mind and tickles ds sometimes, but I figure if it is so easy to get him to laugh in other ways why tickle? Do you like to tickle? What are your reasons?

(btw, I have never written the word tickle so much in my life! It is really kind of a funny word :LOL )

eta: Hmmm, I don't know how to change the poll to just say yes instead of making it seem like you are a fanatical tickler :) Sorry about that!

[manitoba_mommy]

I will tickle in a very limited sorta way. I remember hating it when I said stop and people did not so I am very careful to not do it as soon as one of the kids looks distressed. I am also far more likely to tickle a kid who can tell me they don't want to be tickled then a baby. I am also not shy about yelling at people who do not respect their wishes and stop when they say so.

MM

[beccaboo]

Sorry to be difficult, but I chose "other." I do occasionally tickle, but "I love to tickle!" seemed too strong for me. When I do, it's only when it seems welcome; I'm gentle; and it's just for a moment (I also hated those drawn out, "can't breathe" sorts of episodes as a child). I always stop if requested. I sometimes tickle the baby (well, he's 21 months now!) with my hair while he's nursing, but he loves that. My big challenge now is to make sure that my almost 5-year old is respectful of his little brother and doesn't tickle aggressively.

[nikirj]

I chose "love to tickle" even though it sounds kind of strong - we do tickle a lot but try to do it respectfully (mindful of the childrens' limits and paying close attention so we know when it stops being fun). The kids really like it and will request tickles sometimes, and I like playing with them like this, so as long as we don't push things too far I think tickling is fine, for us anyway.

[CK'sMama]

DP and I tickle DS all the time, he loves it. And he can certainly tell me when he has had enough, and that is that. But usually he will whine and ask for more when I get tired and stop :)

DS also loves to tickle people now as well. He’ll squeeze us and say “tickum, tickum, tickum” :D

[wwhippetcrazy]

Yanic loves to be ticked...and will laugh if you just gentle touch his tummy while changing his diaper....I'm not trying to tickle, it just does. It's so cute to hear him laugh like that.

I agree that it sucked being tickled and telling someone to stop and they don't. I have to remind my brothers of that when they are tickling Dd.

Jen

[mamawanabe]

I absolutely HATE being tickled. Such a yucky feeling for me. Not even a a sweet, short, or even unintentional tickle from DH is OK.

Guess people experience things differently . . . Definately follow child's cues on this one.

[the sunshine]

If you try to tickle me, you will be injured. I hate being tickled. My ex used to tickle me until I couldn't breathe anymore, he refused to stop when I was screaming at him. Needless to say, he has problems with boundaries and abusive behavior.

So......I tickle my kids a VERY little bit and stop immediately when they say so.

I will not allow anyone to tickle me. It is so not fun. I will hate you if you try to after I say don't.

[mamalisa]

Ds and I are big ticklers. Dh hates being tickled so he doesn't play along. I think as long as you are respectful of stopping when it's not fun anymore it's no different than any other type of physical play. For us it's a great mood changer, you cant' stay grumpy when you're being tickled. Works on me too.

[Lucky Charm]

I absolutely HATE being tickled. Such a yucky feeling for me. Not even a a sweet, short, or even unintentional tickle from DH is OK.
Thats me. and because of that, i do not tickle my kids, and my husband rarely does it because i am such a freak about it. I should say though, that the few times my kids were tickled, they seem to love it. :shrug

[polka hop]

*

[mamapup]

If I tickle DS, it is usually by accident (tummy tickle during diaper change, hair brushing across his skin). DH tickles him a lot, but not for very long. He gets encouraged by the giggles, but I warn him to take it easy.
I don't mind being tickled if one is gentle. The rough tickling just hurts.

[manitoba_mommy]

Originally posted by riotkrrn
I don't. I also have issues with an ex who used it as an "acceptable" method of abuse.

Oh my goodness, my stomache turned when I read that! There is nothing acceptable about it at all :angry

MM

[journeymom]

I chose "other".

I tickle the kids a little bit. I'm verrry careful to moniter whether they're breathing comfortably and don't even approach making them laugh so long they can't breath. They laugh and I'm pretty sure they enjoy it, because they keep coming back!

Dh doesn't have a clue and usually tickles too hard, so it hurts. I keep an eye on him when he tickles either of them, because he either doesn't notice when it's getting out of hand, or thinks it's ok. In no way can I say dh is abusive, but I do think this is his small way of being sadistic.

That's what people are when they tickle beyond what's comfortable. Sadistic.

I don't like being tickled. My own dear brother tickled me to the gasping-for-breath point when I was little. Really, I've trained myself not to react if dh tries, so that after 17 years of being together he's given up trying.

We talked about tickling somewhere here a few months ago, and I'll say the same thing here I said then: it is comparable to sexual abuse. We're sexual creatures. Say a boy is sexually abused. Well, sometimes it is pleasurable to him, regardless of the circumstances. Those pleasurable feelings that were forced upon him in such a disturbing enviroment can just double his feelings of disgust, sadness, helplessness and rage.

Tickling is just another sensation on the continuum of sensations including pain and pleasure. It's pleasurable in small doses, as long as the tickled person is in control for the most part. It is fun to be out of control sometimes (like on a rollercoster), as long as we know it's going to end soon.

Sunshine, I can just feel the rage and pain in your words. :( I'm so sorry!

[Alstrameria]

Yes, I tickle dd, very gently. She will tickle me under my chin too. It's totally led by her, as is any horseplay.

Jen

[wemberly]

I chose 'other.' I tickle by request only. Elliott loves to be tickled, so it is something he asks for fairly often, but I always keep tickle sessions short and sweet.

[Elphaba]

yep, we tickle! My 2-year-old LOVES to be tickled. She will throw herself down in front of me and call out "tickle ME mama! tickle ME!" It is so cute! I would stop immediately if she said stop or was getting upset. But she loves it. :love

[mama_kass]

I tickle my kids because they love it. I always stop when they have had enough. However as a child I hated to be tickled. My father would tickle me and I would start by laughing and then it would start to hurt. I would beg him to stop and he wouldn't. Next I would start to cry and kick him. He would beat me for kicking him because he thought I was being mean and disobediant.

Childen should be tickled if they like it, but it is important to remember that not all children like to be tickled.

[Justice2]

My ds LOVES to be tickeled. He is tickilish everywhere and will laugh great big belly laughs. So yes, we are advid ticklers...and ds is actually learning to tickle back...very cute.

[dot2dot]

That is so so cute Elphaba. I don't like being tickled but I don't think I could resist that!

[petit_bleuet]

Just within the past week my son has stuck his foot in my face a couple time and said "Tuckle, tuckle, tuckle!" :LOL So yes, I tickle. Not too much, I'm another one with a scary tickling ex ('til I'd pee my pants, how mortifying is that?!!) but if I've got a foot in my face and am being told, "Tuckle!" how can I resist? :)

[MamaSoleil]

I tickle, but am respectful, if the kids want me to stop, then i stop immediatly. DS is 5 mts old, but he's very obvious about his likes/dislikes!!!
:D

[lilyka]

I tickle my kids all the time but usually just for 2-3 seconds at a time. A quick tickle tickle and I am out of there. We are more likely to blow rasberries when someone least expects it.

Also I must say there was a time when I definitely grew out of it. If someone were to try to rally tickle me I kick them. Plain and simple.

[Snowy Owl]

I don't think I've ever actually met an adult who likes being tickled....I personally hate it and like others have said, will kick you if you try. But I do give dd little tickles sometimes...and she seems to like it. I wonder if people learn to hate tickling from being over-tickled....I remember a friend doing it when I was ten or so until I was screaming at her. I don't think I ever liked it in any form after that.

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Oh, I like to be tickled...Won't say more...

[Snowy Owl]

Originally posted by IdentityCrisisMama
Oh, I like to be tickled...Won't say more...

Well, there's tickling and there's tickling I guess we can say.

[IdentityCrisisMama]

Yea...:p

[isleta]

We LOVE our tickles over here:D I am from a very tickle friendly family!!! Ds will ask me to tickle also, but I sometimes surprise him!! He likes to get me too!!!:love :LOL

[EFmom]

I loved to be tickled as a child. My great aunt, who was the most wonderful woman I know, used to tickle me a lot and I adored it. I have a big brother who also used to tickle me--I was so ticklish, he could actually just look at me a certain way and I'd dissolve into giggles.

Dd loves to be tickled, too. She begs for it. She is in control when we tickle her--"No the right foot now, slower, now the left foot on the heel." If she ever wanted it stopped, we would stop immediately.

[lilyka]

Originally posted by Snowy Owl
I wonder if people learn to hate tickling from being over-tickled....I remember a friend doing it when I was ten or so until I was screaming at her. I don't think I ever liked it in any form after that.

I am sure this has something to do with it. I mean it is such a violation for someone to be touching you like that when your screaming stop. Who would want to go back there.

I just remember at some point it just seemed really personal and weird for someone to be touching me that way.

[gossamer]

I do not tickle and I hate being tickled. I read somewhere that tickling is a form of torture.
Gossamer

[VikingKvinna]

Yup, I'm another one who hates being tickled. It absolutely enrages me. But DS seems to like it -- he giggles like crazy. DP does something that's similar to tickling but not quite -- he puts his hands on DS's tummy/chest and rubs up and down briskly but not hard. I guess it's similar to a very fast massage! and DS looooves that. I also try to use a firmer touch when I tickle, but if he likes it, hey...who'm I to argue? naturally, I would and will stop if/when it becomes unwelcome.

[mountain mom]

There are days where dd loves the tickling and days she really doesn't. We just try to gauge her feelings and be appropriate. I am kinda the sameway too though, some days love the attention via tickling from dh and some days, get outta my face :splat

[captain optimism]

I wrote "other." I don't believe in tickling, but I do like to do things that make my baby laugh? So I sometimes kiss him on the belly. That might tickle him. I have mixed feelings about it, because I don't want to violate his space when he can't do anything about it, but I adore his laugh. :guilty

[zealsmom]

only when asked.