The above is a stock photo

I have been reading with a growing sense of disbelief about the number of parents who actually thought it would be a good idea to take newborn babies in their prams, toddlers and very young children with them to the Isle of MTV last night.

According to people who were there, some parents were even drunk. Nice touch.

I know that an opportunity to go to a concert for free can be very tempting and that when you have small kids, the urge to party like you used to when you were childless can be overpowering, but the minute you become a parent you need to have a major shift in your mindset.

The fact is that these concerts are no place for kids, primarily because of the overcrowding which can be potentially dangerous for a small tot who can be easily trampled on (especially since these crowd situations tend to bring out the worst in people.). There are other issues of course: the extremely loud music, the drinking and the general uninhibited behaviour which is perfectly normal when you are adult, but should not be something children should be exposed to.

After all, if you are already going to an MTV concert at the age of three, what is there to look forward to when you are older?

I admit, I’m kind of old-fashioned when it comes to these things. There are places which are family friendly and then there are places for adults, or at the very least for those who are over 16 – and Isle of MTV clearly falls into the latter category. What is wrong with this generation of young parents who seem unable to grasp this concept? Or perhaps it is not because they are unable to; it is because they refuse to accept that their partying days have to be put on hold for now.

Sure, if they really but really have to go to these concerts they can always rope in a babysitter, but my instinct tells me that grandparents are doing more than their share of child-minding and are getting a bit fed up of being imposed on every single day, weekends included.

Next year, I think Isle of MTV organizers should clearly state that there is an age limit to prevent a repetition of what happened last night. And if young parents don’t like the fact that they are going to be deprived of joining in on the fun, well maybe they should have thought of that before they decided to become parents.