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11 simple mistakes that are ruining your kisses
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Who wants to be a bad kisser? Not you. - photo by Emily Cummings
Its a secret fear we all have: what if Im a bad kisser? Maybe its you or maybe its himor maybe its just the fact that both of you are making a few of these 11 simple mistakes.

Dont let these bad habits ruin your smooches:

1. Rushing the kiss

A good kiss is never rushed. The sort of puckers we all see in the movies are never right before she leaves for work; all the really good kisses are slow, deliberate and romantic. Obviously, you just dont have time to be slow, deliberate and romantic if you are just squeezing in a smooch before the red light turns green.

2. Kissing out of habit

In its own way, kissing out of habit is incredibly sweet. Doing so says you two are so used to locking lips, it's as natural as blinking. Cute, right? But that force of habit is also ruining your kisses they are routine and predictable. Switch up your smooching to be surprising.

3. Having bad breath

Its obvious, I know, but its a real kiss killer. You could be an amazing kisser, but if your breath smells like your lunch it doesnt matter. Keeping things minty and fresh (and adding a little lip balm for smooth lips) will amp up your lip-locking game.

4. Only kissing for you

Surprise, surprise a kiss requires two people and if you are only kissing for yourself, your partner is not going to be happy with the smooch. Kissing is a dance; let him take the lead for a minute, before you playfully steal it back. Keep your thoughts focused on the kiss, but also keep in mind that he wants to be kissed back, too.

5. Kissing the same old way

Really shock your partner by adding a surprise into your kiss. Dont get too crazy, but kissing with some tingly chapstick or with a cinnamon flavored candy will keep him on his toes.

6. Keeping your hands to yourself

This may have been a rule in school, but it does not apply to kissing. Keeping your hands to your side is a quick way to ruin a kiss run your fingers through his hair, or place your hand on his chest and kiss away.

7. Not meaning your kiss

The best kisses are the ones where both people are wanting the kiss. Kissing when you dont want to will make your mind wander and your partner will think you are just smooching to get it over with. Its fine every once in a while, but not meaning your kiss will ruin any smooch.

8. Opening your eyes

This is a classic dont do in any kiss situation. Keep your eyes closed to heighten your other senses, giving you a better kissing experience. Its also sorta creepy to keep your eyes open, so do your parter a favor and keep em closed.

9. Kissing only on the lips

A really good kiss can mean kissing your darling on their jaw line, their collarbone and their forehead, along with their lips. Sneak a kiss on the inside of her wrist, or on the tip of his nose before actually locking lips.

10. Only having one type of kiss

Theres a big difference between the peck on the lips you give your mister when he leaves for work and the romance in your first kiss that happened on your third date. Only having one type of kiss is a bad habit to get into. Vary your kisses and dont be predictable; let him know whats on your mind by the way you kiss him.

11. Lacking anticipation

So much of the kiss happens before the two of you actually touch lips. The way you look up into his eyes before stealing a quick glance at his lips, or the way you step closer and how he puts his hand carefully on your waist, ever so slightly pulling you closer. That anticipation leads up to a stellar smooch; dont skip this step.

And there you go 11 mistakes to avoid to keep your kisses memorable and sweet.
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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