Hi. I’m not sure if this is the right place to post, but I’m a stay at home father to the most adorable and happy 7-month-old girl. I love her to bits and every day with her is an absolute treat. I have no complaints at all and by every metric, she’s developing perfectly.
But she doesn’t cuddle. She cannot stand snuggling or being held under most circumstances. I know she is her own person and not a doll for me to hug and squeeze, but I was curious if anyone else had children like this but eventually came to love to be held? My mother said that I was similar as a baby, and I would get fussy any time someone tried to hold me or rock me. She said I eventually grew out of it, but she’s also the type to just tell me what I want to hear.
I guess I just want to know if anyone else has a similar experience. I’m perfectly able to accept it if this is just how she will be going forward, but I do have this selfish part of me that hopes she will come to me for hugs or want to sit in my lap for comfort.
Thank you!
Our baby had no interest in being hugged or in cuddling until she was about 11mo. And then she started giving us quick hugs. She still hates being held for more than 10s, but those quick hugs mean the world to us. She also started giving us kisses and that is all I need in life. So, yours, too, might come around to it when she better understands the concept of affection.
@Jennifer
I’m really really looking forward to kisses!
Payton said:
@Jennifer
I’m really really looking forward to kisses!
She took us by surprise big time. I thought that was a milestone closer to 18m so I wasn’t even thinking about it but a few days before turning one she crawled to me, leaned in as she does for a hug but instead gave me a quick kiss on the cheek and left. She left me there, in awe, for like a minute.
Payton said:
@Jennifer
I’m really really looking forward to kisses!
The kisses are so slobbery but also so adorable. Its my favourite!
Mine is 10 months old and we still haven’t reached the cuddly phase. She does come in for a quick hug but squirms away after about 2 seconds haha! She does love to be held and played with so that’s all good. The cuddly phase will come, hang in there 
@Charlie
She will let me hold her but only when she’s dead tired on the verge of sleep. I seize the opportunity whenever I can get it haha
I was literally planning on posting this today. Mine is 7 months and doesn’t want to be held unless we’re putting him down for sleep or walking around. I just want those baby snuggles!!
Ozzie said:
I was literally planning on posting this today. Mine is 7 months and doesn’t want to be held unless we’re putting him down for sleep or walking around. I just want those baby snuggles!!
I held my friend’s 6month old this weekend and he was just so content to be held and squeezed. I wouldn’t trade my daughter for anything in the world, but I also wouldn’t be upset if she wanted to just sit with me for 5 minutes lol
@Payton
Hahaha seriously 
my friends babies are all so chill, mine just wants to roll and crawl around. If we are holding him he needs to be bounced or he tries to wiggle away!! Glad I’m not alone lol
11 months old and there is no sitting still.
My little girl is 16 months now and she likes to snuggle up to me or her dad on the couch to watch TV. She will also come over to me unprompted now and lean in for a cuddle with her head on my shoulder. She only started doing this around 12-13 months, prior to that she was far too independent and curious about the world to want to stay still for even a second!
My 9m old has been the same way buuut if I’m playing with him and making him laugh sometimes he’ll stare at me for a second then give me a little baby kiss. Which of course is just him opening his mouth and holding it on my face.
Sometimes he will do it a few times back to back and it makes me wanna cry because I just want to love him all the time but he always pushes away.
When he gives his little kisses or lays his head on me I always say AWWWW and rub his back so he knows I love it. Doing that makes him keep doing it until he decides he wants to go explore more things again.
@Marlow
I also very much try to show appreciation for when she plants her wide open mouth on my face! Sometimes I miss those early days when she was still rooting around trying to nurse on any bare skin she could reach.
@Payton
My 9 month old does the open mouth kisses and occasionally licks my face (I think she is imitating the dog’s kisses). I love those moments so much.
@Marlow
This is the same as my child. We usually chill in bed 15 minutes before her nap and sometimes 1-2x a week she‘ll randomly lean towards me with her mouth open for a kiss and it melts my heart because she’s not affectionate at all in any other way.
My sister was apparently this baby for my mum. She never grew into what you’d call a cuddly baby, child or person, though the hugs did increase. My mum always said that when I came along she “finally got her cuddly baby”. My friend’s baby is super not-cuddly, whilst my LO is total velcro. I think it’s just “luck of the draw” (not to say anyone is luckier than anyone else, cuddly or not cuddly!) with each baby.
I’d say assume she won’t become a super snuggler (though hug frequency will increase from the 0 it currently is, but maybe only to 10 instead of 100) and make your peace with that and then if she does get uber snuggly, then that’s a pleasant surprise!
Our little boy was exactly the same, and I was also wondering when I would get cuddles! He turns 1 on Monday and from about 10 months, he started to be a bit more cuddly, once he was mobile and a bit happier and independent. He’ll come marching over if i say “cuddles?” And hold my arms out, still only for a quick cuddle and slobbery kiss, but I’ll take it! We’re not quite at sitting down and having a cuddle yet, but I’m hopeful we’ll get there! He’s just an active boy, and doesn’t like to sit still.
I feel like these babies are super active and curious about their world. Imagine you were experiencing something amazing for the first time, would you want someone to hug you right then and there while you’re still taking it all in lol my 4 month old is super distracted by everything, I can’t really hold him down either, it’s just part of their personality and I wouldn’t change anything about it!
@Noah
Yeah once my baby started working on rolling he became a lot squirmier. Then it was crawling and now he’s standing so why waste time being snuggled when you can practice standing or launching yourself backwards while mommy is trying to hold you?