Tips to Becoming a Better Kisser

With Valentine's Day and my daughter's first kiss rapidly approaching, the subject of kissing has been weighing on my mind.

I remember my first kiss. I was 11 years old at a party hosted by a friend. I was merely watching a game of spin the bottle. His bottle kept pointing to me, so my friends pressured me to go behind the house and kiss him. It wasn't all bad, pretty good in fact. I just wish someone had given me a few pointers first. Every first kiss should be special, and every kiss should feel like the first.

I've had quite a few kisses since then. Some were amazing. Some, not so much. So I thought I would give a few tips to add a little spark to your Valentine's Day.

1. Always check your breath. Bad breath can ruin a good kiss. Carry mints or gum. If those aren't available, eat a wedge of lemon (peel and all). You'll be guaranteed to have fresh breath.

2. Relax. No one wants to kiss a corpse. Stiff kisses are the worst.

3. Keep it soft. Soft lips, soft tongues, and soft embraces are romantic. Do not try to shove your tongue down your partner's throat.

4. Kisses should be lip on lip. If you find your mouth covering half of his/her face, reign it in a bit.

5. Don't bite. Gentle nibbles are OK, but don't draw blood. In the same respect, gently sucking the lower lip is fine, but don't sucker the entire lip into your mouth.

6. This one is mainly for the guys. Don't think that we have lost control or the feeling in the rest of our body just because we are involved in a passionate kiss. We can still feel your hands on our breasts and thighs, and for that most part, that's a major turn off. Save the foreplay for the bedroom.

That is it for the kissing tips. I do, however, have one more piece of advice. Women do not really want their brains flossed by a guy's tongue. The tongue should never actually enter the ear canal. Keep kisses and nibbles to the outer ear and lobes.

I hope this helps spice up your special night. Be careful though, if you follow these rules, you may find things heating up so much that your partner's heart melts in your hand. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!