Tamara Ecclestone accused of spoiling her daughter Sophia on her fourth birthday

Tamara Ecclestone has raised eyebrows over the way she celebrated her daughter Sophia's fourth birthday.

The 33-year-old treated her daughter to a lavish party and shared pictures and videos from her child's big day on social media.

One shot shows the youngster smiling while sitting on a large pile of neatly wrapped presents. In the picture, Sophia is dressed in pyjamas that have been made especially for the occasion.

While a number of Tamara's followers sweetly sent their regards to Sophia, others criticised the mum-of-one for spoiling the tot.

'I hate social media present piles ☹️ making other parents feel inadequate if they aren't going to same extreme for their child,' said one.

'I know it has no baring on if you are a good parent or not but I just don't see the need to share.'

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[/instagram] Another added: 'Sorry but that's just obscene. No child needs that amount of presents. It' so déclassé flaunting wealth like this, especially when so many struggle.'

'I just hope in the future this little girl isn’t ruined by being spoilt' someone else commented on Tamara's photo.

While many of the heiress' fans were quick to defend her, with many saying 'Ignore the negativity it’s your prerogative to spoil your daughter on her birthday', research published in the Infant Behaviour and Development journal earlier this year discovered that kids who are given less toys during playtime actually express themselves more 'creatively'.

The team behind the study reached their conclusion after analysing 36 toddlers who engaged in 'supervised, individual free play sessions' under two conditions: the Four Toy session followed by the Sixteen Toy session.

Observation of the sessions found that children who had fewer objects to amuse themselves with were far more engaged with their toys in a variety of ways and also played with them for longer.

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[/instagram] But does this mean spoiling our children on their birthdays is a bad thing?

For child therapist Tammy Fioravanti, putting a focus on 'free' ways to 'spoil' a child is something mums and dads should think about - but that doesn't mean you can't splash out on presents to make your child smile when it's their special day.

Tammy believes a greater emphasis is sometimes put on material items day-to-day, when processes parents go through on a daily basis (such as bath time and bed time routines) are what's really important.

Fifi is surrounded by love thanks to her doting parents Tamara and Jay

'Parents often worry too much about how much their child has and whether they're spending too much or too little on them,' Tammy told Good To Know.

'In doing this, they risk failing to see the importance of free ways of expressing love. For example, physical contact - such as a cuddle before bedtime - can have a hugely beneficial impact on a child's development.

'While a child might feel happy if they're given a new toy, a hug with a loved one releases oxytocin - often referred to as the 'feel good hormone'. This suggests parents don't always need to spend money to spoil their kids.'