Soccer legend David Beckham defended his daughter Harper on social media Monday after a Daily Mail article published photos of the four-year-old wearing a pacifier. The Mail‘s accompanying article argued experts thought the youngster was too old to be using a pacifier and thus at risk for developing “speech” or “dental issues.”
“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 in an Instagram post, “so those who criticize think twice about what you say about other people’s children because actually you have no right to criticize me as a parent.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com