It’s the internet rule of thumb: if you say something controversial once and it’s published online, you’ll be reminded of it again and again. So it’s no surprise that the contentious comments made by Dr. Charlotte Reznick back in 2010 have resurfaced… and they’re going viral once again.
Dr. Reznick, a child and educational psychologist, says parents shouldn’t kiss their children on the lips because it’s too sexual.
“If you start kissing your kids on the lips, when do you stop? It gets very confusing,” she said during an interview.
“As a child gets to 4, or 5, or 6 and their sexual awareness comes about, the kiss on the lips can be stimulating to them.”
She adds: “Even if that never occurs to a child, it’s just too confusing! If Mummy kisses Daddy on the mouth and vice versa, what does that mean when I, a little girl or boy, kiss my parent on the mouth?”
Dr Reznick finished the interview by telling parents: “If I had to answer when to stop kissing your kids on the lips, it would be now.”
Her comments have split opinion online and caused outrage among some.
“I just saw a news headline, ‘Don’t kiss your kids on the lips — too sexual’; I don’t want to live on this earth anymore,” one individual tweeted. Another wrote: “My kids all kiss me on the lips and I still kiss my parents that way too. Expert my arse.”
Recently many celebrities have come under fire for sharing photos of themselves kissing their children on the lips. Remember the bizarre battle David Beckham found himself in when he shared the photo (above) of himself and his 5-year-old daughter Harper? Becks was prompted to defend himself on a Facebook Live chat saying, “I got actually criticised for kissing my daughter on the lips the other day. I kiss all my kids on the lips.”
The dad-of-four did however say that 18-year-old Brooklyn is excused from smooches on the lips. “Brooklyn maybe not… he might find that a little strange, but I’m very affectionate with the kids.”
The former Manchester United star’s wife, Victoria Beckham , has also received backlash from Instagram followers for sharing similar pictures of tender moments with her children.
While we’re at it, add Hilary Duff, Sarah Jessica Parker and Jennifer Garner to the list of stars who have be shamed for kissing their kids on the lips by people who hold similar opinions to Dr. Reznick.
But is there agreement with Dr. Reznick’s logic in the professional world? It seems, there’s not.
Dr. Paul Hokemeyer, a family therapist, says there should naturally be boundaries within the relationship, but that there is nothing wrong with kissing your child on the lips.
“It’s important that parents keep and maintain boundaries with their children,” he told Yahoo Parenting. “But in terms of expressing affection, this feels within the realm of normal.”
Clinical psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack agrees. “There’s absolutely no way that kissing a young child on the lips is confusing for them in any way,” she told The Sun.
“That’s like saying breastfeeding is confusing. Some people might have issues with it, but it isn’t any more sexual than giving a baby a back rub.”
We’re with you, Dr McCormack.
This article first appeared on our sister site, Woman’s World.
