Is childhood getting shorter? Two incidents happened in our household recently that made me think it is. If you don't have multi-channel TV you may not be aware of the plethora of American talks shows on a certain channel every afternoon. Geraldo, Ricki and Sally are glamorous hosts who encourage people to unburden and "resolve" their problems, while an enthusiastic audience voyeuristically listens and shouts advice. Topics cross all divides and taboos and on the particular afternoon I watched, three girls (who looked fine to me) told how, because they were fat, they couldn't get boyfriends. Another group told stories of their mothers "stealing" their boyfriends. It was terrible but compelling viewing. It was even more terrible when I discovered how enthralled 11-year-old Aoife was with it all and how well she knew the format of the show. I work outside the home and do my best to make sure she has company and that her spare time is constructively spent - but I obviously wasn't being vigilant enough.

And in the same week she hadn't been feeling too well and had spent the day in bed. She doesn't read as much as I think she should, so when she actually asked for something to read I was thrilled.

I rummaged through the book shelf and produced a selection bought with recent book-token presents. "God, not that crap - something I can really read."

I knew what was coming. She listed off the names of magazines that I had in the past refused to buy. When I had looked at them before, I had come away with the conclusion that the age of innocence was for toddlers only. But she was sick and I was glad to see that she was getting perky again. At the newsagents I sheepishly asked for Bliss, Sugar or Best. "They are on the top shelf so that the younger children can't reach them," I was told.

My instructions had been to buy anything that contained a free gift, so the one with the booklet Get the Boy You Want was bought. It was a staggering £2.50. "I had an affair with a married man" and "My drink was spiked with ecstasy" were the leading articles; the very fact that Aoife would be even remotely interested in such topics fairly bowled me over.

I know, I know, "teenage" behaviour is starting earlier and earlier - but at her age I really was reading the Bunty. The ecstasy story told how one teenage girl inadvertently took ecstasy and only because her friend organised an ambulance and got her to hospital was her life saved. The "married man" story was written in a weekly diary form and the conclusion was that if the husband was willing to cheat on his wife surely he would repeat this behaviour. So the strong message was: stay away from married men. There was a good information section on drugs. And the 32 diet tips were all pushing for a healthy, well balanced lifestyle. So there was nothing particularly objectionable - in fact I quite enjoyed reading it myself. It's as if the boundaries between adults and children have become blurred and there is no difference between them.

Is nobody reading the Bunty?