David Beckham had perfect defence for why he kissed his children on the lips

David Beckham once had the perfect defence as to why he kissed his children on the lips.

The footballing icon has long since faced criticism for the way he shows affection with his four children, with some finding the lip-on-lip kissing between parents and children to be slightly odd.

Beckham has since addressed the backlash and explained exactly why he chooses to kiss his kids on the mouth.

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Beckham has frequently shared photos of himself kissing his youngest child, 11-year-old Harper, who he and Victoria Beckham welcomed back in 2011.

The pair also share three sons; Brooklyn, 24, Romeo, 20, and Cruz, 18.

While many found the posts slightly unconventional, Beckham defended his parenting style and explained the gesture was nothing more than an innocent way to express love for your child.

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Speaking during a Facebook Live interview, he said: "We want to show our kids love.

"I got criticised for kissing my daughter on the lips the other day.

"I kiss all my kids on the lips."

The former Manchester United player continued: "Brooklyn, maybe not. Brooklyn's 18, he might find that a little bit strange.

"But I'm very affectionate with the kids. It's how I was brought up and Victoria, and it's how we are with our children."

The father-of-four resolved: "We want to show our kids love and we protect them, look after them, and support them, and you know, we're very affectionate with them."

While, for Becks and Posh, the gesture is nothing more than a loving form of affection - it's clear some experts don't see it as such.

One psychologist has urged parents to stop kissing their children on the lips, warning it could have harmful effects on their development.

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Charlotte Reznick, a licensed child educational psychologist and former UCLA associate clinical professor of psychology, commented on the longstanding trend of celebrity parents posting photos of themselves kissing their children on the lips.

The trend, taken up by other fellow celebrity parents like Jamie Oliver, Gino D'Acampo and Hilary Duff, has sparked an emotional debate about the implications this gesture could have - even with innocent intentions.

Reznick told the Sun in 2015: "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."

Not all psychologists agree with Reznick, however, with Australian clinical psychologist Heather Irvine-Rundle describing her comments as 'an outrageous thing to say to parents'.

What do you make of it?