Bill Fernie
16-Nov-09, 11:01
Received this along with many other items usally consigned to the "Delete" button but thought it might be interesting to hear what some of the difficult or amusing questions your children asked when young.
The item is to introduce a new programme on "Guess With Jess" on CBeebies.........
What do fish drink? what do ants eat? and why is the sea salty? are just some of the questions parents would struggle to answer, it was revealed yesterday.
A survey of mums and dads reveals that 52 per cent often find it difficult to answer searching questions from their young children.
And four in 10 adults admit to feeling inadequate when faced with a question from their child when they don’t know the answer.
Interestingly, when faced with a question they can’t answer, almost a quarter of parents admit to making something up, whilst another 24% admit they try to distract their child with something else to avoid the question altogether.
The poll of 3,000 parents was commissioned by Classic Media to mark the launch of Guess with Jess, a brand new children’s television programme that tackles some of the more common science and nature based questions posed by 2-5 year olds everywhere.
It revealed that a third of mums and dads don’t know how to describe how rain is made, whilst 18 per cent get muddled when trying to explain where babies come from.
Fifteen per cent of adults find it hard to say why girls and boys are different, and a further 15 per cent have no idea what ants eat.
Other nature based questions which leave parents stumped include what do fish drink? how do bees make honey? and how do spiders build webs?
Science questions such as what makes thunder, what makes a rainbow and how do planes fly in the sky pose a big challenge to uncertain parents.
Jennie Lindon, psychologist and consultant to the show, comments: “Inquisitive young children can ask their parents some tough questions. Even what appear to be simple questions can leave you feeling stumped.
‘It is worrying to hear that 40% of the parents in the survey felt inadequate to answer their child’s questions. It is exciting when children become really curious about the world around them and ask those searching questions. We want parents to feel confident and part of that discovery.”
More than a third of parents polled say they feel very anxious when they can’t answer their child’s questions, and 26 per cent say they wish their child asked less questions.
But 37 per cent of these parents say they do try and research answers to difficult questions on the internet so they are better prepared next time round.
Fifteen per cent will take their child to a library if they are particularly interested in a subject, and 12 per cent would buy them a book about the subject so they can learn more.
Jennie Lindon continued: “The key is to embrace your child’s curiosity and to coax them towards figuring out some answers for themselves. You can give gentle pointers rather than always providing the answer.
“This takes the pressure off Mums and Dads to find tricky answers on the spot. But just as important you’re helping your children with the tools for thinking. They need to learn for themselves, through exploring and trying out different possible answers and solutions.
“Guess with Jess obviously can’t answer all the weird and wonderful questions children ask their parents. But it does address intriguing questions about how caterpillars turn into butterflies, why spiders build webs and how puddles disappear.
“Most importantly, this new programme shows clearly how learning is a process. Young viewers, watching with their parents, will see that learning is as much about being wrong as being right. Hopefully this will put some of those worries to rest if parents are anxious.”
Guess With Jess is a brand new children’s television programme launching on CBeebies at 9.45am on Monday 9th November.
The survey was commissioned by Classic Media and conducted by One Poll
TOP 20 QUESTIONS PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN WOULD STRUGGLE TO ANSWER
1. How does it rain?
2. Where did I come from?
3. How are girls and boys different?
4. What do ants eat?
5. Where does the wind come from?
6. Where does God live?
7. Why is the sea salty?
8. What makes thunder?
9. What makes a rainbow?
10. What do fish drink?
11. Why can’t I remember being born?
12. What is heaven?
13. How do spiders build webs?
14. Why is the sky blue?
15. How does a man get inside the TV?
16. Why do I have to go to bed when it’s not dark?
17. How do bees make honey?
18. Why can planes fly in the sky?
19. How does Father Christmas get down the chimney?
20. How are babies made?
The item is to introduce a new programme on "Guess With Jess" on CBeebies.........
What do fish drink? what do ants eat? and why is the sea salty? are just some of the questions parents would struggle to answer, it was revealed yesterday.
A survey of mums and dads reveals that 52 per cent often find it difficult to answer searching questions from their young children.
And four in 10 adults admit to feeling inadequate when faced with a question from their child when they don’t know the answer.
Interestingly, when faced with a question they can’t answer, almost a quarter of parents admit to making something up, whilst another 24% admit they try to distract their child with something else to avoid the question altogether.
The poll of 3,000 parents was commissioned by Classic Media to mark the launch of Guess with Jess, a brand new children’s television programme that tackles some of the more common science and nature based questions posed by 2-5 year olds everywhere.
It revealed that a third of mums and dads don’t know how to describe how rain is made, whilst 18 per cent get muddled when trying to explain where babies come from.
Fifteen per cent of adults find it hard to say why girls and boys are different, and a further 15 per cent have no idea what ants eat.
Other nature based questions which leave parents stumped include what do fish drink? how do bees make honey? and how do spiders build webs?
Science questions such as what makes thunder, what makes a rainbow and how do planes fly in the sky pose a big challenge to uncertain parents.
Jennie Lindon, psychologist and consultant to the show, comments: “Inquisitive young children can ask their parents some tough questions. Even what appear to be simple questions can leave you feeling stumped.
‘It is worrying to hear that 40% of the parents in the survey felt inadequate to answer their child’s questions. It is exciting when children become really curious about the world around them and ask those searching questions. We want parents to feel confident and part of that discovery.”
More than a third of parents polled say they feel very anxious when they can’t answer their child’s questions, and 26 per cent say they wish their child asked less questions.
But 37 per cent of these parents say they do try and research answers to difficult questions on the internet so they are better prepared next time round.
Fifteen per cent will take their child to a library if they are particularly interested in a subject, and 12 per cent would buy them a book about the subject so they can learn more.
Jennie Lindon continued: “The key is to embrace your child’s curiosity and to coax them towards figuring out some answers for themselves. You can give gentle pointers rather than always providing the answer.
“This takes the pressure off Mums and Dads to find tricky answers on the spot. But just as important you’re helping your children with the tools for thinking. They need to learn for themselves, through exploring and trying out different possible answers and solutions.
“Guess with Jess obviously can’t answer all the weird and wonderful questions children ask their parents. But it does address intriguing questions about how caterpillars turn into butterflies, why spiders build webs and how puddles disappear.
“Most importantly, this new programme shows clearly how learning is a process. Young viewers, watching with their parents, will see that learning is as much about being wrong as being right. Hopefully this will put some of those worries to rest if parents are anxious.”
Guess With Jess is a brand new children’s television programme launching on CBeebies at 9.45am on Monday 9th November.
The survey was commissioned by Classic Media and conducted by One Poll
TOP 20 QUESTIONS PARENTS OF YOUNG CHILDREN WOULD STRUGGLE TO ANSWER
1. How does it rain?
2. Where did I come from?
3. How are girls and boys different?
4. What do ants eat?
5. Where does the wind come from?
6. Where does God live?
7. Why is the sea salty?
8. What makes thunder?
9. What makes a rainbow?
10. What do fish drink?
11. Why can’t I remember being born?
12. What is heaven?
13. How do spiders build webs?
14. Why is the sky blue?
15. How does a man get inside the TV?
16. Why do I have to go to bed when it’s not dark?
17. How do bees make honey?
18. Why can planes fly in the sky?
19. How does Father Christmas get down the chimney?
20. How are babies made?