About 10 years ago, former British football star David Beckham became the subject of gossip on the internet because he had a habit of kissing his children on the lips, including his youngest daughter Harper Beckham.

David Beckham’s controversial kiss on the lips

Many times David Beckham publicly kissed his youngest daughter in front of a crowd or recorded these moments and shared them on social media.

Although Western cultural life has many differences compared to Eastern culture, the fact that the former football star kissed his daughter on the lips, even when she was gradually entering adulthood, made many people feel uncomfortable and think that he should change his behavior.

Regarding this, David once spoke frankly: “I kiss all my children on the lips, except my eldest son Brooklyn. When Brooklyn turned 18, he found this a bit strange, so I stopped.

I have always expressed my love for my children. This is how my wife and I were raised by our parents. We continue to express our love for our children.”

However, when attending a recent event with her father, the youngest daughter of the former football star – Harper Beckham (13 years old) – refused to receive a kiss from her father. She stepped back and showed her disapproval of her father’s intimate gesture. The father and daughter laughed together, when seeing that David still wanted to continue showing his love for his daughter, Harper proactively brought her cheek back for her father to “kiss”.

David Beckham has a habit of kissing his children on the lips (photo below), however, recently, his youngest daughter Harper has begun to show discomfort (photo above) (Photo: Daily Mail).

In fact, many netizens have left comments on David Beckham’s social media account to advise him to behave differently towards his children, because now, David Beckham’s children are all grown up, Harper has entered her teenage years.

“Harper is gradually becoming a young woman, it’s time for David Beckham to stop kissing his daughter on the lips. There are many ways for parents to express their love for their children,” a netizen once gave advice to David Beckham.

However, there are also many fans defending the former player. “There is a big difference between a light kiss on the lips between relatives and a passionate kiss between a couple in love.

David Beckham’s kiss for his son was just a quick, fun, and friendly kiss between family members. People should not overthink and make such innocent and fun actions too serious,” a netizen spoke up to defend the former football star.

“Each person has different views and behaviors. Lifestyles and behaviors in each family are also different. Many times the problem lies in each person’s perspective. Each family is different, each person has a different way of parenting,” added another opinion defending David Beckham.

Youngest daughter refuses David Beckham’s kiss on the lips (Video: Paris Match/Tiktok).

How should a father express his feelings to his teenage daughter?

When a daughter is young, a father can freely express his feelings for her. However, when the daughter begins to enter puberty, father and daughter gradually become distant because gender differences become more obvious.

According to Australian psychologist Tanya Curtis, when daughters enter their teenage years, both father and daughter often feel confused, distant, and embarrassed to some extent.

Uncomfortable or even confused about how to act is a common feeling for many fathers as they watch their daughters enter puberty for the first time. Curtis has counseled many fathers who feel confused about expressing their feelings for their growing daughters.

These confusions and dilemmas can cause many fathers to gradually reduce their interactions with their daughters, leaving a big gap in the feelings of both father and daughter. The father still loves his daughter very much, but it is the confusion that makes them choose to “step back”.

David Beckham’s youngest daughter has entered her teenage years (Photo: Daily Mail).

The time when a daughter enters puberty opens up a challenging period in the relationship between father and daughter. However, according to expert Curtis, when a daughter enters her teenage years, the father should not increase the distance between them but should be more sensitive, subtle, grasp the signals and expressions of the child to respond appropriately.

At this time, your child is going through an important stage with many changes. Sometimes, he finds it difficult to express his inner feelings. It is the subtlety, sensitivity and close companionship of parents that will help your child go through this stage well.

When parents show their love and respect for their children, there will be no unfortunate misunderstandings. Moreover, when children go through puberty, they need more care and support.

According to expert Curtis, the role of the father is very important for the daughter. The relationship between father and daughter is the first relationship in the child’s life with a person of the opposite sex. It is the father’s behavior that will establish the first standards in the child about how to behave and interact with men.

In fact, the relationship between father and daughter will have a huge impact on the child’s future emotional relationships. Therefore, it is important that at all times, the father shows his daughter that she is loved unconditionally by her parents.

As a daughter enters puberty, a father should not “step back” in his interactions with her. Instead, he should show more respect, greater sensitivity, and delicacy.