Olivia Wilde Shamed For Posting Photo Kissing Her Own Child

Olivia Wilde shared a sweet moment on Instagram and trolls promptly took a dump on it

There are a lot of weird things out there — especially when it comes to parenting — but kissing your toddler on the lips isn’t one of ’em. Olivia Wilde recently shared an incredibly sweet photo of her giving her three-year-old son, Otis a smooch. And because said smooch was on the lips, commenters thought this was the perfect opportunity to tell her that kissing her son “like her husband” is wrong.

Sigh. We’re so tired.

You know what’s actually weird? Comparing an innocent, loving moment between a mom and her toddler to something romantic. That‘s fucking weird, OK? He is, for all intents and purposes, still very much her baby.

My own mother was so withholding and cold — do you know what I’d give to have a moment this warm and loving captured on camera? Sheesh, people. Do we have to shit on everything?

If you’re an Instagram user who trolls celebrity accounts with unsolicited negative opinions, then the answer is a resounding yes:

“Kissing your kid like your husband. It’s not good for him.”

“Ehhhhh gonna give the kid lip aids.”

That’s how I got lip herpes as a kid. Lip kissers.”

“Adorable. Would it be still appropriate if the genders were switched? Just curious.”

“Yeah but it’s gross. That’s how kids get lip herpes. From adult lip kisses.”

Hoo boy, there’s a lot to unpack here. First, no, let’s never insinuate moments like this are in any way sexual. Secondly, it’s unfortunate that most of the negative comments came from people whose childhoods were apparently tainted by an ongoing siege of cold sores. And if any adults out there have cold sores, as a general PSA: please don’t kiss anyone on the lips. That’s just irresponsible and gross.

But a loving mama capping off a particularly awful news week with a kiss and the caption, “Finding hope in this” is the exact opposite of that. And my goodness, do we need more of that kind of hope in this world right now.