Dole out the just-in-case lollies

If you are taking your children to a Christmas parade this year, a word of advice. Stash a few lollipops in your handbag.

Because there is never enough for everybody and if your little one misses out there will be no festive cheer.

In the politically correct world we live in, I suspect lolly scrambles have been banned for health and safety reasons. But, though their absence may prevent your wee ones from being crushed to death by the mob or run over by Santa's sleigh, it also seriously diminishes their chances of scoring.

There are only so many sweet treats Santa's helpers can hand out individually, whilst also keeping up with the parade. It is absolutely devastating for small children when the kids next to them get a fistful of lollies and they are passed over.

This is how it was for Miss Three when we attended the Santa Parade at Mount Maunganui.

Despite thrusting her little hand forward for almost the entire parade, she was entirely overlooked.

Whether she was too little to be seen or just not pushy enough, I don't know, but as she missed out time and time again she became more and more disillusioned.

"I want a lollipop," she said, chirpily at first and then with progressively more desperation in her voice.

Thanks to her dad's cricketing skills, we won a brief reprieve when he managed to pluck one out of the air.

The chewy toffee was soft enough to break in half, keeping Miss Three and Miss Five momentarily pacified. (To clarify, it was by no means a lolly scramble, just a few sweets thrown individually into the crowd.)

But when Miss Five finally managed to get her hands on a lollipop and Miss Three didn't, things took a turn for the worse.

"Where's my lollipop?" she wailed.

Each time a lolly-bearer came past all four of us thrust our hands forward (Miss Five being on a promise to hand over any winnings to her sister), but to no avail.

As the last float made its way past and Miss Three's little hand was still empty, her bottom lip started to tremble.

Because she'd done remarkably well to endure such a string of disappointments, we marched her down to the nearest dairy and bought her a little reward. A lollipop of course.