As I was reading through my Facebook newsfeed (well, actually, reading notifications from my sisters-in-law), I realized an interesting phenomenon:
My sisters-in-law post ooey-gooey, lovey-dovey stuff about their children ALL the time.
And people LIKE it.
*I* like it.
An adorable picture of Little Sis, accompanied by the text “Nothing is sweeter than ending the day with baby snuggles” gets 5 likes (as of now).
I can imagine the kind of reactions I’d get if I posted a picture of my (adorable) husband, accompanied by the text “Nothing is sweeter than ending the day with hubby snuggles.”
If I got likes, they’d be in the “you’re so silly” category. I’d probably be more likely to get “Eeww” or “Get a room” in response.
Why is it that we can say all sorts of ooey-gooey, lovey-dovey stuff about babies and no one blinks an eye, but if we were to act as obsessed with our husbands as we are with our children we’d be weirdos?
I don’t really have any answer to that question, nor do I really need an answer to that question (although you’re more than welcome to give your own theories)–but it was a thought I had.
LOL! This post made me laugh! Maybe it has to do with it being a biological programmed thing for us to think small humans are cute? Then when we grow up, only certain people are attracted to one another and marry. So while the spouses may think their partners are cute, not everyone shares this sentiment? And would therefore not want to see pictures or read captions about them cuddling? :P Also, I think a lot of people (well, at least Dan and I…) realize that “hubby snuggles” are even more special because it is something enjoyed just between the two of us; something no one else would want to read in a caption on facebook! Until you have kids and suddenly “hubby snuggles” is replaced with scenes like the pic I posted last night :) Soooo you should have small humans so that you can post similar pics and have them liked instead of “go-get-a-room”-ed :)
I think it probably has to do with intimacy between married people being more romantic and/or sexual in nature, whereas snuggly babies are just cute. :-) I don’t mind some PDAs (public displays of affection) between couples, but there is a point when you think it should be private. I don’t even want to do much of that kind of thing with my own husband in front of others, although of course a certain amount of touching is natural. But touch is not my love language, either, so I may be less into touching, especially in public, than others.
I think you’re probably both right: babies are universally cute, while adults tend to be cute only to certain people; and the intimacy between a married couple is a more romantic, private thing than baby-snuggling.
As for myself, touch definitely is one of my love languages and I’m probably more affectionate with my husband (physically and verbally) in public than many people are comfortable with (not that I intentionally try to make others uncomfortable-I honestly try to cut back on PDA when I learn that it is making others uncomfortable.) But even with all that and even if people actually liked seeing hubbie-posts the same way they like baby-posts, I don’t really have any desire to post the sorts of things about my husband that my sisters-in-law post about their children. I don’t particularly want the rest of the world drooling over my husband, however much I drool myself :-P