A hot parenting topic that’s been stirring up debate over the past few years is whether parents should kiss their kids on the lips. At the center of this week’s firestorm is none other than NFL football star Tom Brady.

First, let’s preface this by saying he probably doesn’t care what the public thinks. The guy is a great athlete and is used to being in the public eye. But man has this thing taken OVER the internet. What’s the situation? Tom Brady’s new Facebook docuseries Tom vs Time hit the web a few days before the Super Bowl.

Viewed over 5 million times, it’s a peek into his life at home and on the field. The clip below is dividing people of the web into two camps: overreacting vs. not reacting. In the scene, Tom’s son Jack is seen entering the room as Tom’s getting a massage.

The 11-year-old pops in to ask him if he could check his fantasy football team and Tom replies, “What do I get?” The boy walks over and gives him a kiss on the lips. “That was like a peck,” he then says, prompting his son to return for a second, longer kiss. Afterward, Jack wipes his mouth and walks away.

Folks on social media were quick to chime in with opinions of the father-son moment, commenting with phrases like “very very disturbing”, “uncomfortable”, “too, too long”. Defenders of the dad labeled him as being an affectionate father, and suggest detractors should back off.

One thing that parenting experts have brought up is not the kiss itself, but the message he’s sending by getting his son to barter affection for something he asked for. Some say pressing a child to share their body in return for something isn’t the wisest idea.

As for the kiss, people are divided. Some call it cultural, citing how this is the norm for families in many other countries. Others encourage people to lighten up and stop sexualizing the behavior between father and son.

Then there’s the group who disapproves, or are confused about why some parents do it and when it should stop. Some people cite germs, some cite an “ick factor” of the behavior itself, and some have multiple reasons for being against it.

Ask a parenting therapist and most will say that it is harmless. But the question does arise among them as to what age parents should stop. Most find that by the time a child hits the teenage years, they end it on their own.

In Tom Brady’s family, this is one of the ways they show love to each other. Remember back in 2017 when he kissed his own father on the lips after winning the Super Bowl? Watch the video below for yourself and form your own opinion.

Each family has their own way when it comes expressing affection, and there are many who don’t show any at all. This is one of those things that is unique to your family.

Which side are you on with this debate? Do you kiss your children on the mouth? What are your thoughts on this video?

Source:
E! Online