My 8-year-old daughter Eleanor, however, is inundated with gadgetry. She uses her mother Karen’s mobile phone to access games, and I find that I have to book time with her to use our Apple iMac. She is scarily computer literate and is teaching Gabriel, our 2-year-old son, how to master the mouse. Eleanor, who has just started in year three, uses the Children’s BBC website constantly, and the Game Boy we bought for her as a birthday present hardly leaves her side.

As parents, we are aware that every birthday and Christmas will probably be an exercise in gadget catch-up as technology keeps advancing, leaving us wishing that we had enjoyed as many opportunities all those years ago.

PAUL DAVIES

Click here to read Eleanor's verdict

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