Parents stumped by tricky science questions

Parent use a range of diversionary tactics to avoid answering tricky science questions posed by their children, including sending them to ask their partner, delaying the answer or even making it up!

These parental strategies were uncovered in a survey of 1,002 UK parents for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. More than half of the parents questioned thought that their children knew more about science than they did, with 80 per cent admitting that they didn’t know the answer to science questions asked by their children.

The top three most-asked questions were: Where do babies come from?, What makes a rainbow?, and Why is the sky blue?. Almost a third of parents admitted that, when faced with such questions, they had told their child to ask their partner instead, with mums three times more likely to do this than dads. Fathers made up answers, rather than admit that they didn’t know, while mothers often said that they would answer later, in the hope their child would forget. One in five parents promised an answer when the child was older.

The survey was commissioned by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills to highlight the importance of science to people’s everyday lives and to mark the launch of a new ‘frequently asked questions’ section on its website Science: So what? So everything . The website provides exciting information to children about science and its relevance to their lives and the things they enjoy – such as riding rollercoasters or sledging. The website also has downloadable activity sheets with fun facts and figures, and ideas for places to visit to help the whole family understand science.

Former Tomorrow’s World presenter, Lindsey Fallow, said: “Kids are incredibly curious, constantly wondering about the world around them… An inquisitive mind is a good thing, but can leave parents in a sticky situation if they don’t know the answers. That’s why the Science: So what? So everything campaign is encouraging families to find answers to some of these puzzling questions this summer.”

Minister for Science and Innovation, Lord Drayson, said: “Like all parents, I’ve had to cope with many questions from my children. The Science: So what? So everything website will help parents get ready for the onslaught of questions their kids throw at them and fuel their children’s curiosity at the same time.”