I was horrified to read this week that bedtime stories seem to be falling by the wayside. What's even sadder is that long working hours are to blame for parents deciding to ditch reading bedtime stories to their kids.
A survey of 1,005 UK parents carried out by interiors etailer Furniture123.co.uk revealed that almost two thirds (64%) of British mums and dads do not regularly read their children a bedtime story.
Just 1 in 10 say they read their child or children a bedtime story every night, while 6% confess to never having read their little one a bedtime story. NEVER?!
The survey found fathers (76%) are more likely to read their children a bedtime story than mothers (72%).
When quizzed on the reasons for not doing so, almost a third (31%) of parents say longer working hours mean their child is often already asleep by the time they get home, while 17% say there isn’t enough time when they get in from work.
24% say their children prefer to play on their iPads and other devices to wind down before bed, rather than reading.
This trend is not without guilt however, as an overwhelming 88% of British parents say they wish they could read to their child or children before bed more often.
Mark Kelly, marketing manager at Furniture123.co.uk said: “It’s really quite sad to see how few parents are able to regularly their children bedtime stories, as the moments before bed are considered special.
“Clearly, it’s not through want of trying, as so many wish they could read their little ones’ bedtime stories more often, but in fact it’s busy work schedules and lives that are getting in the way.
“While working long hours is out of many parent’s control, they can compromise by making a commitment to read to their kids on their days off and at weekends to ensure it becomes a special part of their week.
“Parents can also reduce exposure to tablets before bed and encourage bedtime reading as a family, whether that is parents reading to children, older children reading to their younger siblings, or children of reading age enjoying a good book on their own.”
I've noticed my older kids don't ask us to read bedtime stories now but if we volunteer, they'll happily scoot over to make room for mum or dad, and that half hour of quiet reading time together is indescribably precious.
And there's literally no chance of my four-year-old going to sleep unless we've read her at least a couple of stories – she routinely asks for 64, in fact, but I usually whittle this down to about three.
I'm not judging, but it makes me sad to think of all those kids missing out on the magic of a bedtime story, not to mention the mums and dads who are being deprived of the very special bonding time that only a bedtime story can bring.
What's your view on this? Do bedtime stories matter in your house? At what age do you think you'll stop reading bedtime stories to your kids? Leave us a comment here, take part in our latest poll or come and join the conversation over on our Facebook page.
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