I Kiss My Son on the Lips, Now Get Over it!

When my son was born, I couldn’t help but kiss his sweet red lips, and I haven’t stopped since.

Moms love their children, this is nothing new. We hug our kids, we snuggle them, and we wipe stinky crap off their butts. After carrying them around in our bellies for nine months, without a single bite of sushi, or a single drop of caffeine, we push their 8 to10-pound bodies out of us while experiencing the worst pain imaginable. Just kidding, we have epidurals now. Childbirth is a piece of cake. Okay, if you think I was kidding about the pain level, you can go jump off a cliff. Even with an epidural, it freaking hurts!

Now back to our labor of love. We childproof our homes and add extra locks on our doors. We buy ridiculously expensive baby monitors so we can watch them breathe while they sleep. Yes, we spy on our babies while they sleep because we don’t want them to suffocate in their cribs. A little overprotective maybe? I think not, just precautionary.

My point is this: We love the hell out of our kids. It’s not completely irrational to express that love with a kiss, is it?

So, here we are in the 21st century when almost anything goes. It’s now okay to marry a person of the same sex, to change your sexual identity, to take your dog into restaurants, and to drink 5-day-old coffee from a bottle in your fridge. Yes, cold brew is now a “thing.” Whether you still consider these “things” controversial (or not), they all had their day in the sun. But, for some strange reason, a subject that keeps popping up online is parents kissing their little ones on the lips. Apparently it’s considered creepy? People can be so freaking judgy.

I spotted a recent article that showed a picture of soccer superstar David Beckham kissing his 7-year-old daughter on the lips. The headline read, “David Beckham Ignores Criticism and Kisses Daughter Harper on the Lips at England World Cup Game.” The article went on to say, “Piers Morgan described the Beckhams as ‘creepy’ and ‘weird’ for kissing their daughter on the lips following a video Victoria posted on Instagram Stories.”

Is it okay for a journalist to publicly condemn a father for showing affection to his daughter? It isn’t like he was tongue kissing her (now that would be icky). So, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Piers Morgan would never kiss his children on the lips — to each their own. Would he ever make out with a man? Or get a sex change? Probably not because he’s married to a woman, and has fathered four children. Although I could be wrong because that didn’t stop Bruce Jenner and in today’s world we all accept change.

Just because you wouldn’t do something yourself, or you don’t like something, doesn’t make it wrong; or gross for that matter. I do solemnly swear that I have never once discriminated against people who listen to the Dave Matthews Band (that could be a fib). We all have personal preferences, opinions, and quirks that make us who we are. Some people like cats, some people like dogs. Some people like beer, while others prefer wine. Some parents spank their kids, while others consider it child abuse.

The David Beckham article isn’t the first of its kind. This argument comes up a lot, and I just wonder, “Why?” Moral discrimination maybe? Wouldn’t our energy be better served elsewhere? Of all the things to argue about, why argue about this? I love my son more than life itself. We exchange a quick peck on the lips at bedtime, or before heading off to school. It’s how we show our affection, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Kiss on David!