No matter how thick your rose-tinted glasses might be, it's hard to dispute that being a child is rubbish. You can't always eat what you want, you "earn" a pittance in pocket money, you're always grazing knees (we have never - NEVER - grazed a knee as adults), and people tell you what to do. A lot.

And things won't be getting any easier if Microsoft has its way, because internet whisperings, originally started by Kotaku back in September, are currently suggesting that the next Xbox 360 firmware update could come with a parental timer feature, allowing hated Mums and Dads everywhere to clamp down on the time their child spends gaming.

The rumour was further reinforced earlier today, after a forumite over at TeamXbox encountered a brief guide to the feature in a leaflet that came with a Guitar Hero III keychain. According to said pamphlet, the feature will arrive in December, and will let parents "manage [time] in daily or weekly increments."

There's no confirmation on this from Microsoft yet, but we'll know the truth soon enough by the sounds of it. Kids - commence your whinging now. The rest of you - feel mighty smug about being grown-up.