Former NRL star Beau Ryan has been attacked after sharing a photo of his seven-year-old daughter Remi saying he is the only guy ‘allowed’ to kiss her.
The 34-year-old wished his little girl a happy birthday in a sweet Instagram post saying he was proud to be ‘her daddy’, before warning boys not to get any ideas.
‘And for those wondering I’m the only guy that’s allowed to kiss her. If any of the boys at your school try, I want to remind you I have lebo mates, a shovel and an alibi,’ he quipped.
In the photo, the doting dad is seen planting a smooch on Remi’s cheek as she appears to pull away unamused.
Beau Ryan shared a photo of him kissing his seven-year-old daughter Remi as he wished her a happy birthday
The 34-year-old wished his little girl a happy birthday in a sweet Instagram post saying he was proud to be ‘her daddy’, before warning any boys not to get any ideas
Critics were quick to comment on the little girl’s body language, accusing Ryan of failing to respect his daughter’s boundaries and of being ‘possessive.’
‘She’s very clearly embarrassed and uncomfortable, yet you think as her father you have the right to force unwarranted affection on her? Way to teach her that her boundaries don’t have to be respected,’ one person said on Facebook.
‘She doesn’t look like she loves that her face is being kissed. For the love of god, my husband and I ask my 6-year-old if she wants a hug or kiss before doing it,’ a mum wrote.
Another said Ryan’s comment banning other boys from kissing her was overbearing and problematic.
‘Yeah I’m sorry. You seem to have good intentions but this comes off as really possessive and gross. She doesn’t seem to like your energy either. If you couldn’t find a happy photo of her being kissed by you, maybe you should respect her boundaries.
Critics were quick to comment on the little girl’s body language, accusing Ryan of failing to respect his daughter’s boundaries and being ‘possessive’
‘And yes. Kids have boundaries. Even if they’re *your* kids. It’s not too late to learn and become better. Please take your daughter’s hints.’
‘I wouldn’t care if the kid didn’t look INSANELY uncomfortable,’ another added.
‘We’re supposed to teach our kids to have boundaries, which in turn means respecting their boundaries. Because when they grow up, if even we didn’t respect them, they won’t know how to have healthy boundaries.’
The post sparked a debate in the comments with others saying it was normal for children to be embarrassed by their parents’ affection.
‘I’m sure we all have a photo like this when we was kids with out dads or grandad giving us a kiss,’ one said.
The post sparked a debate in the comments with others saying it was normal for children to be embarrassed by their parents’ affection
‘It’s like, “ewww people will see you kissing me and your embarrassing me”, but really ya don’t care it’s just a pose. It’s her dad people get a bloody grip. I kiss my girls all the time so why’s it wrong for a father to?’
‘Pretty standard for a kid to be embarrassed when a parent is showing affection in public. The kid would probably have the same reaction if her mother did this. It’s a bit of humour!’ said another.
Others fired back at critics for turning the father’s post for his daughter into a controversy.
‘Takes a special kind of person to jump on a father’s post and be negative when he is pouring out his heart about the love for his daughter. Keep doing you Beau Ryan,’ one comment said.
Ryan, originally from Wollongong, married longterm partner Kara Orrell in 2012
‘Are people really on here having a go at a proud father wishing his daughter a happy birthday?
The former West Tigers player is yet to respond to the backlash.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ryan for comment.
Ryan, originally from Wollongong, married longterm partner Kara Orrell in 2012.
The couple welcomed their first born Remi in 2013 and have a two-year-old son named Jesse.
Earlier this year, Ryan had to leave his family for five weeks while shooting The Amazing Race Australia.
At the time, the former footy star said it was ‘so hard’ because he was ‘a needy guy’.
One person claimed it was ‘pretty standard’ for a child to react in such a way to her parents’ affection