OVER FIFTY PER CENT OF CHILDREN THINK THEIR PARENTS HAVE SUPER POWERS

Now I know this might sound a little bit rude, but do you think children are generally stupid or generally smart? I mean, would you give one a heap load of cash and then ask them to place a bet on a well known betting site, like Ace Kingdom for instance? And if you did, how much would you give them, how much would you expect in return, and what do you think they'd bet on? $20 on a game of poker? $30 on a slot machine? $5.21 on donkey racing? $2,100 on parrot wrestling? Or, you know, something else, equally as benign?

The reason I ask this is because a survey of one thousand children, aged between six and eight, has recently revealed that fifty-five per cent of them are really, really stupid. Well, not completely stupid, per se. Although, that said, fifty-five per cent reckon their Mum's and Dad's could actually be superheroes or super-villains in disguise. More than a third also suspect that their parents have a secret lair which hides their crime-fighting paraphernalia, where as six in ten believe their own Papa is capable of inhuman feats of strength.

Funnily enough, where superhero suits and costumes are concerned, sixty per cent say that you have to wear a mask to hide away your true identity, while fifty-eight per cent agree that nothing sets off a superhero get-up like a cape, blowing in the breeze.

Yet when it comes down to the daily tasks parents require their super powers to complete, one in two kids think their kin would utilize their super-hearing to keep tabs on them while they're out of sight, and fifty-five per cent imagine their parents would use their telepathic skills to get in their heads. Forty-three per cent also think super-strength would make carrying shopping bags a lot easier, and thirty-five per cent would flash-cook dinner with their heat-vision.

Now quickly moving on over to the comic book front, and the top rated superhero polled by kids is none other than your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, closely followed by Batman and Superman respectively. On the other side of the law, however, Batman’s arch nemesis the Joker was named the best baddie ever, and he was followed by the Avengers antagonist, Loki, and the Spidey-rival, Green Goblin.

A spokesperson who represents the popular entertainments venue, 'Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!', who commissioned this survey, recently said: "From super-human abilities to hidden lairs and colorful costumes, it’s lovely to discover the vivid characters parents inspire in their kids. Generally speaking, parents are a huge inspiration to their kids, and we hope that we can help fan the flames of their imaginations with our exhibits on Remarkable People, Amazing Art, and the Weird but Wonderful."

Now if you want to see the full results of Ripley's survey, here, please check this out...