Dummygate? Parents are in best place to make decision

David Beckham – footballing great, fashion icon, and oh so easy on the eye.
Retired soccer player David Beckham holds his daughter Harper as they watch the Los Angeles Dodgers a couple of years ago.  (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Retired soccer player David Beckham holds his daughter Harper as they watch the Los Angeles Dodgers a couple of years ago.  (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Retired soccer player David Beckham holds his daughter Harper as they watch the Los Angeles Dodgers a couple of years ago. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Becks has got it all (they don’t call him Golden Balls for nothing you know), but he still comes across as a genuinely nice, down to earth guy.

He’s the type of man women want to be with, and the type of bloke men want to go for a beer with. But the best thing about him, apart from his underwear advert for H&M of course, is he seems to be a great dad.

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When Posh and Becks chose to name their first born Brooklyn, I did question what kind of parents the pair would be. But over the years, it’s fair to say the duo have shown themselves to be the cream of the crop when it comes to parenting.

Kate MasonKate Mason
Kate Mason

David Beckham is forever flooding his Instagram account with pictures of him and his children and seems like such a hands-on, proud dad. So I was shocked when I saw a Daily Mail article slagging him for his parenting skills.

Becks came under fire after his four-year-old daughter Harper was pictured using a dummy – cue an all-out tabloid war and a day that will forever be etched in history as “dummygate”.

The mild-mannered celeb is not usually one for losing his temper – barring that red card incident in the 1998 World Cup game – but this time he has well and truly spat the dummy out, and I for one can’t blame him.

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Posting on Instagram in response to the critics, he wrote: “Why do people feel they have the right to criticise a parent about their own children without having any facts?

“Everybody who has children knows that when they aren’t feeling well or have a fever you do what comforts them best – and most of the time it’s a pacifier, so those who criticise should think twice about what you say about other people’s children, because actually you have no right to criticise me as a parent …”

There were claims that, to continue to use a dummy for so long, would cause Harper to have dental issues and speech impediments, and everyone seemed to have an opinion on the issue.

When it comes to parenting, the goalposts seem to change constantly. One minute we’re told babies should be placed on their front to sleep, a few years later, it’s the back.

I get the need to issue health warnings and advice, but every child is different and the person best placed to make a call is the parent.