A new poll has revealed the most common 'hard-to-answer' questions children ask their parents, including 'Where do babies come from?', 'Why is the moon following us?' and 'What happens when we die?'. The survey of 1,000 mothers and fathers of children aged three to eight across the UK found parents face an average of six tricky questions a day, with five-year-olds identified as the most inquisitive.
Survey reveals daily tricky questions
Other frequently asked head-scratching questions include 'Why do we dream?', 'Why can't animals talk?' and 'How does Santa get to every house in one night?'. While 90% of parents delight in their children's curiosity, the same proportion confessed to secretly searching for the answer online because they hadn't a clue what to say. A notable 24% of all questions asked will prove too challenging for the average parent to tackle.
Mr Men Little Miss anniversary
The study was commissioned by the Mr Men Little Miss series to mark the 55th anniversary of Mr Tickle, which came about when Roger Hargreaves transformed his son's question "What does a tickle look like?" into the much-loved character. His son, Adam Hargreaves, now the author of the iconic books and illustrator, said: "My father recognised children's wonderful sense of curiosity and imagination and he explored these to create Mr Men Little Miss."
"While parents may not always have the answers to those impossible questions their children like to test them with, those everyday conversations play an important role in helping children to learn and stay curious."
Parental responses and concerns
The research also revealed 48% of parents believe their youngster asks more open-ended and imaginative queries as they grow older. For 39%, their child springs a question on them which takes them by surprise multiple times a week or more. Nearly four in 10 (43%) typically pause whatever they're doing to explore the subject with them, while 37% offer them a quick response and carry on.
The findings also showed 72% are concerned about their youngsters losing their sense of wonder and inquisitiveness as they grow up. However, almost all parents (95%) feel it's vital to encourage and foster their children's curious, imaginative mindset.
Inquisitiveness compared to past generations
The research, conducted via OnePoll.com, discovered 57% reckon kids nowadays are generally more inquisitive than when they were young. Meanwhile, 34% would feel less assured answering queries surrounding life and death, while 24% would find questions around religion and beliefs challenging.
The book series is hosting a gallery of children's 'big little questions' for the anniversary, to remind families to take inspiration from the wonderful things children say before they're forgotten. A spokesperson for Sanrio, which owns the licensing rights for Mr Men and Little Miss, said: "Children today are full of big ideas and even bigger questions, and that natural curiosity is something worth celebrating."
"When they feel encouraged to ask questions, they're not just learning facts, they're developing confidence, creativity and a deeper understanding of the world around them. This is why we're so excited to launch the Big Little Questions online gallery, to encourage mums and dads to treasure the imaginative things their kids say."
Top 20 questions parents find difficult to answer
The top 20 questions parents find difficult to answer include: Where do babies come from? How does Santa get to every house in one night? What happens when we die? Why do we have to go to school? Why can't I stay up as late as you? Why do people get old? Why is the moon following us? Why do people have to go to work? Why do we dream? What happens to us before we're born? Why can't animals talk? Are there aliens in space? Why do grown-ups make the rules? Why is the sky blue? Can animals understand what we're saying? Where does the sun go at night? Why do some people look different from me? Why do bad things happen to good people? Do pets have feelings like humans do? How do birds know where to fly?
