‘I won’t shield daughter from terror attacks’ – Van Outen
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 attacks is crucial to teaching them both 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 actor Lee Mead – she said she never “brushes the facts under the rug”.
“I do fear for her generation of children,” she told the Press Association.
“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.”