Dads unlikely bedtime story tellers
16 Apr 2008
Just 42% of dads said they regularly read bedtime stories to their children, compared with three-quarters (76%) of mums
Dads are less likely to read a bedtime story to their children than mums according to a survey by the National Year of Reading.
In the survey conducted by YouGov as part of a campaign to raise awareness of the pressures dads face and the impact of these on children’s reading habits, just 42% of dads said they regularly read bedtime stories to their children, compared with three-quarters (76%) of mums surveyed. Many fathers cited work pressures as the main barrier to their storytelling, while one in ten were lacking in confidence and felt the role was better suited to mums.
A third of the fathers questioned in the survey of over 2,000 adults, thought employers should do more to help parents read to their children. The National Year of Reading suggests that businesses could set up reading areas for staff, and create a book swap shelf for children’s books at work, as well as encouraging staff to join a library. Night shift workers are recommended to pre-record bedtime stories for their children.
Honor Wilson-Fletcher, Director of the National Year of Reading said: “Reading has never been more important, but we know boys lag far behind girls when it comes to reading. Boys need to see their dads enjoying reading if they are to become readers themselves as they grow up. Football programmes, blogs, newspapers and sports magazines are just as valuable reading as fairy tales.”
