Which iPod should I get?

To be honest, I’d agree with your parents and get a 3rd Generation iPod Nano. In actual fact the Gen 3 iPod Nano is smaller than the Gen 2 - its a bit fatter by 1/5th, but almost 1/3rd shorter, and they’re both as thick as each other. Having used one in real life, it easily fitted in the palm of my hand - so there’s no problem with the Gen 3 iPod Nano in that regard.

The differences in what Gen 2 and Gen 3 are able to do are huge. Gen 2 was able to play music, and you could show pictures on it. Gen 3 plays music, show pictures, plays movies (on its super sharp screen), and the battery lasts longer than the Gen 2. Also on the Gen 3 the software on it is newer, and you can flick through your music collection using a new feature called “Cover Flow” which shows your music by the album artwork.

The choice is up to you. Either way, both Gen 2 and Gen 3 are going to fit in your hand. So personally I’d go with Gen 3 because of the extra features.