It's that time of year again where we stand on the sidelines of our children's sports games and shout our encouragement to our kids and their fellow team members. Well, at least it should be encouragement.

I'm the first to admit I can be a ‘shouty' mum but it's always something positive. It makes me bristle when I hear parents bagging the behaviour of the other team, or even worse, bagging their own kids for not putting in enough effort or making a mistake.

Remember, it's not the World Cup, whatever the sporting code may be. Be nice to the kids and be nice to the referees, otherwise they might just hand you the whistle!

K Stewart, Welcome Bay.