Jessica Simpson defended by fans after being accused of ‘lazy parenting’

Jessica Simpson is facing criticism online after her three-year-old daughter was pictured using a pacifier during a family vacation. Now, fans are hitting back at the mom-shamers.

On 10 July, the 42-year-old mom shared a series of snaps from her family’s vacation in Lake Austin, Texas, where she spent time with her husband Eric Johnson and their three children – Maxwell, 10, Ace, nine, and Birdie, three.

In the Instagram post, Simpson is seen lounging on a boat with her children as they celebrated the July Fourth weekend. “The lake life,” she captioned the post.

However, in one image that seemed to draw attention from fans and critics alike, Simpson’s three-year-old daughter Birdie is seen using a pacifier while sitting with her father on the boat. The image sparked much criticism from users who believed Birdie was too old to be using a pacifier, with many claiming it could cause major dental issues in the future.

“Birdie’s a little old for a binkie don’t you think,” one person commented.

“Passy needs to be gone. It messes up their teeth so bad,” another user wrote. “My friend is finding that out, his kid has major dental issues.”

“That is just lazy parenting,” said a third critic. “Isn’t Birdie like 4? And she still has a pacifier? Not good.”

For many children, pacifiers are used as soothing tools for babies. They can help relieve stress, assist in bedtime, and even reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). But if a child  continues to use a pacifier past a certain age, it can lead to a few issues down the line – including increased dependency. However, it is unlikely that a pacifier will cause permanent damage while a child still has their baby teeth, according to the Mayo Clinic.

It didn’t take long for fans to rush to the comments and defend Jessica Simpson from all the mom-shamers.

“So many snarky comments. You and your family seem so sweet and amazing,” said one defender. “Please don’t let these comments get to you. Love seeing you live your beautiful life with your family.”

“Your kids are so cute,” another person wrote. “So many judgy comments about Birdie’s paci, I know the struggle. My youngest was so hard to break from hers & then she switched to her thumb”.

“Please stop mom shaming,” a third user said. “Jessica has gone through so much in her personal life. Read her book. She is in a better place than where she was. Jessica, God love you and keep shining your bright light in the world. You are loved.”

Simpson isn’t the only celebrity to have faced criticism for their child’s use of a pacifier. Back in 2015, David Beckham hit back at The Daily Mail after an article claimed his then four-year-old daughter Harper was “well beyond the age” that health experts would recommend the use of a pacifier.

The soccer star issued a rare response to the article with an Instagram screenshot accompanied by the caption: “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,” he wrote. “So those who criticise think twice about what you say about other people’s children because actually you have no right to criticise me as a parent.”