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Doctor Claims Kissing Your Children on the Lips Is ‘Too Sexual’

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The controversial comments made by Dr. Charlotte Reznick back in 2010 have come backโ€ฆ and theyโ€™ve gone viral again.

Dr. Reznick, a child and educational psychologist, says parents shouldnโ€™t kiss their children on the lips because itโ€™s too sexual.

โ€œIf you start kissing your kids on the lips, when do you stop? It gets very confusing,โ€ she said during an interview.

โ€œAs 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.โ€

She adds: โ€œEven if that never occurs to a child, it’s just too confusing! If mommy 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?โ€

Dr Reznick finished the interview by telling parents: โ€œIf I had to answer when to stop kissing your kids on the lips, it would be now.โ€

โ€จHer comments have split opinion online and caused outrage among some.

โ€œI just saw a news headline, ‘Don’t kiss your kids on the lips โ€” too sexual’; I don’t want to live on this earth anymore,โ€ one individual tweeted. Another wrote: โ€œMy kids all kiss me on the lips and I still kiss my parents that way too. Expert my arse.โ€

But is there agreement with Dr. Reznickโ€™s logic? It seems, thereโ€™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.

โ€œItโ€™s important that parents keep and maintain boundaries with their children,โ€ he told Yahoo Parenting. โ€œBut in terms of expressing affection, this feels within the realm of normal.โ€

Clinical psychologist Sally-Anne McCormack agrees. โ€œThereโ€™s absolutely no way that kissing a young child on the lips is confusing for them in any way,โ€ she told The Sun.

โ€œThatโ€™s like saying breastfeeding is confusing. Some people might have issues with it, but it isnโ€™t any more sexual than giving a baby a back rub.โ€

Let us know what you think! Should parents stop kissing their children on the lips?

This post was written by the staff at Closer. For more, check out our sister site, Closer.

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