Top Tip

Back to the supermarket again this afternoon with ravenously hungry daughter. I was in such a state from this morning's visit (see below)I clean forgot to buy any food. To calm the daughter's constant moaning about hunger cramps I bought her some Littlest Pet Shop toys.

In the vegetable section I was trying to get the daughter to agree to eat more fruit and veg but she was protesing that she wanted pizza. She was sitting in the trolley trying to suck any nutrition from the plastic packaging when we passed a little girl and her mother. As kids do they stared unashamedly at each other. Within second of passing, the daughter announced in a loud voice that "that girl wanted my Littlest Pet Shop toys but she can't have them and she did not look very nice". Ssshhhh! I hissed, although I had to admit she was an ugly little spud with a face like an angry elf chewing on nettles.

Then it came to me in a blinding flash of pedagogical inspiration, I could turn this situation into a valuable object lesson for the daughter. "Well" I said " if you don't eat enough fruit and vegetables then you may end up looking like her".

We left the supermarket with a trolley groaning under the weight of fresh, healthy produce. The daughter is currently gnawing on sugar beet and anxiously checking in the mirror every few minutes. You can have that child rearing tip on the house.