Why is the sky blue?

Mark Evans says parents should adopt a scientific approach to dealing with inquisitive children

SCHOOLS finish up next week and children across the land will rejoice. But spare a thought for the parents who will face a barrage of tricky questions from their curious kids.

Parents will be inundated with puzzlers and it’s the questions on science and nature that they fear the most. A survey carried out earlier this year in Britain found that 80% of parents have been stumped by science questions posed by their children. In an effort to save your blushes during a long summer of inquisition, arm yourself with some scientific knowledge, or cut it out and keep it handy in case you’re cornered with a conundrum. Instead of passing the buck to your more knowledgeable other half — or simply making up an answer — why not take the advice of everyone’s favourite scientist, Professor Brian Cox. “Inquisitive minds are fantastic, but clever questions can often leave parents in a tricky situation if they don’t have the answers. The best thing parents can do is work with their children to find the answers — not only can it be fun, but you’ll both learn something new along the way.”