Put down those phones and talk!
WHy are we surprised at the lack of young children’s vocabulary and then blame it on the lockdown (Mail)? If parents spent more time actually speaking to their little ones instead of continually holding their mobile phones up in front of their faces, the children would learn what having a conversation might mean. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen mothers walking along, stuck to their phone, while ignoring their child in its pushchair. I assume the same happens indoors. JenniFeR BoxaLL, huntingdon, Cambs. THere is an obvious reason why so many young children have limited vocabulary. In our local public gardens recently, every seat was taken, the sun was shining and the flowerbeds newly planted. But every person in charge of small children was constantly on their phone. My children and grandchildren had excellent chatter as they were talked to, shown things and read to. What on earth does this generation of mums find so much more interesting on their phones than their small children?
MuRieL TeiDeMan, Bromley, kent.