They sound like great people, thanks for sharing this story.

Maybe it's a UK vs US thing, but what I tend to see more over here, is the opposite problem. Not people who let their kids run wild, but people who won't let their kids be themselves at all. I collect Lego, so I'm in toy shops quite often, and it makes me so mad to near how many parents come in with a kid and say 'Right, you've got five minutes and then we've got to get back to the car' followed by a litany of 'Make your mind up, hurry up, get on with it'.

I want to smack their faces when I hear this. I want to scream, 'THEY'RE IN A TOY SHOP, YOU IDIOT. LET THEM ENJOY BEING KIDS'. Last week there was a guy with two children (I think one was his son and one his son's friend) and he was brilliant with them; just the right amount of patience but firm prodding when it was time to pick a toy and go. It's so sad this has become the exception rather than the rule.