A father recently told me that he and his wife no longer went to art exhibitions as they had two kids aged two and four years who would not understand anything of what they saw and might even try to touch the precious works of art. Would we ever say that we should not speak with kids because what they say is often nonsense? Certainly not. We know that their haphazard way of speaking prepares for the magic that will soon come. Maybe we should not eat with kids, or visit Florence with kids, or go to Mass or ski with them. Maybe we should consign them immediately after birth to specialized centers that look after the hassle of bringing them up. Those who are against taking kids to museums, art galleries etc. also believe that they, as adults, are entitled to visit these places and use age as the criterion of selection. If the criterion were the ‘understanding’ of what is exhibited, of the city being visited, food being eaten or ability in the sport being practiced, these adults would probably all land up with the kids who are denied access rather than in the group with the artist, musician, architect, chef or athlete. To stop kids from placing their dirty hands on a Picasso all we have to do is follow those rules that at home stop children from falling from balconies, sleeping in the oven, eating from the rubbish bin and killing one another with knives.