How Do You Handle People Touching Your Baby?

I need some advice on how to handle unwanted touching of my baby. My LO is 8 months old, and I feel like I struggle with setting boundaries in the moment. I’d love to hear how others navigate these situations.

There are three types of encounters I want to prepare myself for:

  1. In-Laws Who Won’t Listen – We’ve told them we don’t want them kissing the baby, but they keep pushing it—either kissing him themselves or encouraging him to give them an open-mouthed kiss (which he does now). We are in France, where it’s culturally normal to greet with cheek kisses, but I still don’t think it’s necessary for a baby. How do we reinforce this boundary without constant awkwardness?

  2. Acquaintances Getting Too Close – Some people don’t kiss his face but will get right up in it, touch his hands or cheeks with unwashed hands, or even kiss his hands. How do you politely stop this?

  3. Strangers (Especially Older Folks) Touching Him in Public – This happens a lot, and I never know how to react fast enough. Any tips for shutting it down without feeling rude?

I want to get better at handling these situations so I can protect my baby without feeling like I’m making things unnecessarily tense. Any advice or scripts that have worked for you?

Thanks in advance!