We bought hula hoops, my daughter and I. And every night last week, we’ve been up on the roof twirling and swirling.

Back in my days (says grandma Kristina), I used to casually spin the hoop around my waist for hours on end. This time round, let’s just say, I was managing it for micro-seconds on end. My daughter, on the other hand, was deftly spinning hers and mine together.

Ladies and gentlemen, drum roll for the mother-and-kid hula duo.

The inspiration for all this was Malta Arts Festival’s Darirari, the first ever ‘Maltese’ circus. We watched this open air show last week and douze point for the fantastic concept; albeit it still needs a good polishing before it can be feted as a masterpiece.

In any case, in one of the acts, a girl niftily twirled a thousand hula hoops from neck to toe. “Wow!” my daughter said, “I want to do that!”

The girl then went on to swirl the rings while pouring and sipping champagne. “Wow!” I said. “I want to do that!”

What better way to manage your calories than exercising while champagning?

The next day we got our retro hoops.

And just so I would never regret my buy, the Daily Mail ran a piece on how a daily 10-minute workout burns 70 calories; that Beyonce herself credits the hooping for her figure; and that apparently Michelle Obama can hula hoop while kneeling.

Why am I writing about this? Because I’m nice and want you all to get primary school flashbacks so you get a hoop too, and by next month, the whole of Malta will be brimming with bums like Beyonce’s.

But also, I want to highlight the power of watching live shows. Unlike television-couching, a live show can really inspire you and instil the urgency to do something: you want to sing; to start playing an instrument; to read a new author; to listen to opera, to take up rowing, and so on.

The only problem is that on this island there are not many professional shows, events or concerts that are family-friendly; where your children will have as much fun watching it as you.

There are not many professional shows, events or concerts that are family-friendly

Apart from Toi Toi – the brilliant educational branch of the Manoel Theatre – which breaks for summer, and Żigużajg, a frantic week of jam-packed events in November, there’s not much else.

Which means that children miss out on the opportunity to appreciate, tangibly, the beauty of the arts. Live acts also help children sharpen their critical minds, which is what we need to one day annihilate the mediocre kollox jgħaddi attitude we have.

We also went to last Sunday’s arts festival closing classical concert: children were specifically allowed in for free. There were exactly five kids in a hall mostly full of middle-aged to elderly people. On the continent, at a concert led by such a brilliant conductor – Wayne Marshall – you’d be surrounded by young teenagers.

Where were all of Malta’s children who on daily basis are ferried to music lessons? Maybe because it started at 9pm (8pm would have been more family-friendly), but even so, it’s holidays now.

I am generally very old-fashioned about the whole business.

During schooldays, I subscribe to the rule that children must be in bed by 8pm, at the latest. But during holidays I make exceptions.

Still, I do not much understand why of late, children are being taken to places which are clearly entertainment venues for adults.

There were kids at the Isle of MTV, where alcohol was served. And as blogger Ramona Depares wrote last week, parents take their children along to pubs, late at night, and again, where alcohol is served.

It baffles me because you can’t really let your hair down, can you, if you are still in parent mode, with the parent radar constantly on.

Maybe if as a parent you’ve been working all day, and the child is with the nanna all week, you feel bad about asking for baby sitting vouchers again, to go out and have fun. It’s the guilt factor. But what’s happening? Instead of shelving the party, the kids are tagged along.

We need stricter enforcement of children’s entry to venues. But of course, mainly it has to come from us: it’s our responsibility as parents to ensure that the well-being of our children trumps our desire for entertainment.

But it would be of such great help to us if someone took the initiative to organise something akin to Britain’s summer Proms – over several evenings, say at Ta’ Qali, where we can picnic with our kids and together enjoy the beauty of the arts.

If this ever happens, I’ll grab my hula, and in true Obama fashion, will hoop on my knees in thanks.

Twitter: @KrisChetcuti