Presenter Denise Van Outen has told how she refuses to shield her young daughter from the harsh realities of the world, including the truth behind terror attacks.
She said that talking honestly to children about events such as the Manchester and London Bridge atrocities is crucial to teaching them about safety and understanding for the future.
While the 43-year-old carefully picks the messages she passes on to her seven-year-old, Betsy – the child she shares with Holby City star Lee Mead – she said she never “brushes the facts under the rug”.
“I do fear for her generation of children,” she said, “but at the same time I don’t want her to grow up feeling fearful and judging people because of their religion or skin colour.
“I just want her to grow up and appreciate how we live in a multicultural society and how great that is.”
Commending Betsy’s school for explaining the deadly attacks to pupils, she added: “I was really pleased about it, because she came home then we talked about it.
“I don’t tell her anything that will make her really scared, but I still tell her the facts of what has happened and that there are bad people who sometimes do bad things.
“But I always end it with a positive and explain to her how everyone in the emergency services work so hard.”
Denise also shared her views on the importance of children’s films in exposing them to emotions and encouraging them to ask questions.
She and Betsy have taken part in the Into Film education charity’s latest campaign to compile the ultimate list of 50 films that all children should watch before growing up.
The list, taken from 3,000 contenders, includes the likes of Matilda, The Lion King, ET and Star Wars.
“A lot of these movies that I watched when I was growing up I have now watched again through Betsy’s eyes,” she said.
“We’ve ended up having really relevant conversations about topics that you would never discuss normally with your kids, like bereavement and empathy.”
Explaining that children need to learn that “life isn’t always happy and bubbly,” she continued: “As a parent you want to protect your children from difficult things.
“I lost a close friend last year and I had to explain that to her, but I think through films she has understood the concept a lot more.”
Considering the pair’s favourite flicks, she admitted that she still gets choked up watching ET and cannot resist rewinding funny scenes in the 2014 Paddington adaptation.
“You never stop being a kid,” she confessed.
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