Sorry if I am being an old grump about this but twice in the last few weeks I have seen parents, one with a toddler ( 2/3) in a pushchair and one with a four year old, I would guess, plugged into their i-pods whilst out with their kids.

Now I bow to no-one in my love of the i-pod, it makes dull paperwork afternoons at the office so much more bearable but surely this is where people should be drawing the line?

I remember with fondness the conversations we would have when the kids and I were out and about, a running commentary on what we saw and thought. I know there is clear evidence that these kinds of conversations aid language development, closer relationships and literacy but actually,just as importantly in my view, they were fun!

It makes me angry to see parents foregoing this crucial part of their child's development and I wonder what it says to the child? 'You are so uninteresting I would rather listen to music than talk to you?'

Sad, sad times IMO.

End of rant, sorry.