Kissing your child on the lips: Yay OR Nay?

Picture for illustration

A writer seems to have gotten much more than she bargained for when she stated that parents should stop kissing their children on the mouth as it is too confusing for kids to understand. Dr. Charlotte Reznick, author of The power of your child’s imagination: How to transform stress and anxiety into joy and success said that “The kiss on the lips can be stimulating... 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 parents on the mouth? If I had to answer when to stop kissing your kids on the lips, it would be now", thestir reports.
Various opinions have been pouring in and quoting the words of writer and mum Sabrina Rogers-Anderson, she said: ,"Let me get this straight: when my two year old leans in for a slobbery kiss I'm supposed to push her angelic little face away and explain to her that's she's being inappropriate? Should I follow this up with telling her that her skirt is too short and I don't want her listening to that slutty Rihanna's music anymore?"
Dr. Psych Mom, Samantha Rodman says, "I bet that having a positive physical experience with a parent actually sets a child up to be comfortable giving and receiving physical affection, and is stored as a positive subconscious feeling about physical love in relationships", YourTango reports.
In some cultures, parents not only kiss their children but people kiss their friends on the lips. How farfetched can that be?
According to clinical psychologist and mother of four,Sally-Anne McCormack, "There's absolutely no way that kissing a young child on the lips is confusing for them in any way. That's like saying breastfeeding is confusing. Some people might have issues with it, but it isn't any more sexual than giving a baby a back rub."
The argument goes that if for some people, kissing kids on the lips is horrible, how much more is giving them a back rub, hugging them, bathing them, sleeping with them in a bed, hugging them and just general cuddling with them different?
Affection is very important for children, and some actions like kissing a baby on their lips, are simply sweet and innocent.
Too often in modern society, things are sexualized and demonized. Affection can just be a way of physically showing someone that you love them — not some kind of creepy, inappropriate action.