And while we're on the subject of irresponsible parental giggling ...

Michael first started taking lunch to school when he was four years old. At this stage he was too short to see over the top of the kitchen counter.

I went into the kitchen one night to see him standing on his tip-toes with one hand stretched up and into his packed lunch for the next day. He was having a good feel around, trying to determine what was for lunch by touch.

He was obviously having some difficulty, because as I walked into the kitchen he looked over at me and, cool as a cucumber asked

'What the hell's that?'

I don't know what they're teaching them at school these days, but it's so difficult to tell them off when you can't keep your face straight!