I’m a dad and kiss my kids on the lips – what’s wrong with that?

Like David Beckham, who once said he kisses all his kids on the lips, I’m proud to do the same. And I won’t stop doing it until they ask me to

In the odd, dystopian world that we live in, a doting father kissing his loving son is something that is deemed “unacceptable”.

Want to show your child some affection? Don’t – instead, make like Miss Trunchbull and chuck ‘em in the chokey!

That’s precisely the reaction experienced by dad Tom Leeds, who kissed his five-year-old son on the lips in a TikTok video. Trolls crawled out of their caves, donned their warrior capes and climbed upon their keyboards – telling him that he shouldn’t be doing it.

According to the anti-affection crusaders, it is wrong for a dad (it wasn’t clear where they stand on mums) to give their offspring a smacker on the lips.

Well, mea culpa: I am a father of three and I kiss my kids on the lips... whenever they want me to. Equally, if my seven, five or three-year-olds want to plant a kiss on my lips, I am going to accept every time. That will remain the case forever. The same stance applies for my mum and dad – and I am 40.

I’m not alone, either: just look at David Beckham, who has no qualms about proudly kissing his daughter Harper on the lips and posting it on Instagram. He has spoken before about his stance on affection, saying in 2017: “I kiss all my kids on the lips.” Good for him.

I wonder if the Tiktok titans who consider this behaviour “wrong” or “inappropriate” consider that our time on Earth is fleeting and that it’s worth grabbing every opportunity to show our loved ones how much we adore them?

I won’t stop kissing my kids until they ask me to (Joe Clapson)

I’m sure I can remember a time when a lack of affection or emotion from a dad would have prompted negative reaction. How times have changed.

Research and studies over hundreds of years have shown that parents building strong, secure bonds with their offspring; that demonstrating love is a good thing.

And whether it’s the love hormone, Oxytocin, at work or not, there is nothing much better than the moment one of my little ones gives me a kiss – or vice versa. Is this wrong? Should I be sticking to a stiff upper lip and a knowing nod from behind my newspaper? Should I say goodnight with a handshake, rather than a hug?

One particularly bizarre reaction to Tom Leeds’s display of love for his child came from a commenter who said: “Don’t kiss your children on the lips fact !! Because not all humans have the right intentions do you see what I’m saying ? Don’t make it acceptable !”.

No. The distance is huge between what is beautiful and mutally acceptable between loving parents and their kids, and the concept of the disgusting, illegal intentions of a minority of adults towards minors.

Of course, some spurious “science” was wheeled out to bolster the position, with one commenter asserting that the father “shouldn’t kiss him BECAUSE of the bacteria in your mouth. did [sic] you know you can make your child more susptable [sic] to cavities if you have them & kiss them”. There were no sources listed for this information or links to medical research journals. What a surprise.

To take it at face value: I think it’s fair to say that if I, or you, have got a medical condition going on with your mouth, perhaps don’t kiss your kids – or anyone – until it clears up. Also, if you’ve got open sores on your hands, don’t give firm handshakes to people, young or old. That’s basic common sense. Saying that people shouldn’t kiss their kids... isn’t.