The Telegraph – Staff Writer
“Children ask “why?” eight times a day but parents are unable to respond more than half the time, a survey found. Almost half (47 per cent) of parents with children aged three to 10 noticed an increase in the number of questions during journeys, according to research by Read On. Get On, an organisation promoting literacy. Parents find “how long will it take?” and “what happens when you die?” the most challenging questions to answer, followed closely by “where do babies come from?”, often prompted by the birth of a sibling. Science also presents a challenge. A quarter of parents admitted they were flummoxed by questions from budding Einsteins, including “why is the sky blue?” and “how many stars are there in the sky?”. But while nearly half (48 per cent) of parents took the time to look up answers to their child’s queries with them, one quarter (26 per cent) admitted to being creative with the truth.”(more)