Hugging and kissing grandchildren after they come back from school may not be the “most sensible thing to do”, a leading expert has warned.
Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and a member of Sage, has urged caution against the scale of physical contact between older adults and children who are back at school.
His comments came as thousands of pupils in England and Wales have begun returning to classrooms in England and Wales this week, with the remainder due to open their doors next week.
We don’t believe in cutting off all physical contact between children and grandparents, but actually a lot of kissing and that kind of thing might not be the most sensible thing to do
Professor Russell Viner
Addressing a Royal Society of Medicine webinar, Professor Viner said: “I think if there are highly vulnerable clinically shielding grandparents and others, that actually full-on hugging and kissing your grandchildren after they come back from school may not be the most sensible way to behave.
“We don’t believe in cutting off all physical contact between children and grandparents, but actually a lot of kissing and that kind of thing might not be the most sensible thing to do.”
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