Do you read to your kid’s every night?

‘83.6% of Mums spend time reading to their children at bed time, despite studies showing a growing number of Mums returning to work’

As a working mum, I’m often tired after being on the motorway and fairly stressed by the time I get home, but the one thing I make sure I do every night is to read to and with my daughter as part of her bedtime routine. Around 1 in 10 parents admit that they find the bedtime routine very stressful, it is certainly a lot easier, when after the bath, hair brushing and teeth cleaning to focus my daughter’s attention with the promise of a story together.

Reading to your kids Even as dads get more involved in parenting, bedtime is still mums domain, with 51% of mums in charge of bedtime each night compared to just 15% of dads’

We are lucky that our childminder does our daughters school reading with her, because often by bedtime she is too tired to read by herself and it can turn into an unwelcome battle. She is now at the age where reading is a pleasure for her and as long as the pressure of having to read is removed; I find she often takes over from me whilst I read her, her bedtime story. Dad is very involved with parenting and shares the bedtime routine, especially on those nights that I’m just too tired.

Our daughter has a wide selection of story books, she is keen to read some of her school reading book to me to show me how well she is doing and will select the book she wishes me to read to her before going to sleep. We do have our favourites, one of my personal favourites is Winnie the Witch.

I find it important to prioritise the bedtime routine with my daughter, especially as a working mum. Whether it’s the reading or the routine, our daughter certainly settles to sleep a lot quicker than she does if the reading is missed out of the routine.

I’m going to miss the bedtime routine when she’s older.

Do you read with your kids every night?  What are your favourite books?

Disclosure:  This post was inspired by research undertaken by Fairy Non-Bio about children’s bedtime routines and we did receive a bottle of Fairy Liquid and a lovely bedtime blanket for our daughter.

 

 

 

 


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6 responses to “Do you read to your kid’s every night?”

  1. chickenruby Avatar
    chickenruby

    This is a post from a year or so ago about Reading with older children.
    http://www.chickenruby.com/2011/12/it-never-too-late-to-read-to-your-kids.html

  2. Mum in Meltdown Avatar

    We always read to both the boys at bedtime and had a bath/bed/read routine! Both of them are now keen readers at ages 12 and 15yrs- I def think it was something to do with us reading to them. :) So important to have that one to one time x

  3. Midlife Singlemum Avatar

    Yes, every night. I wrote a blog post about what bedtime stories do for your child, as it was part of my MA thesis. http://midlifesinglemum.blogspot.co.il/2011/04/what-bedtime-stories-do.html

  4. Fay Avatar
    Fay

    I read to my boys(6 & 3) most nights, it used to be every night but since daddy has started working back shifts some nights I give them a choice of a story or 15/20 mins cuddle in mummies bed with a wee chat.
    I started this as my eldest has health issues and it never really bother him until starting school and now he gets quite frustrated going to appointments etc I found this “chat time” a good opportunity for both of them to ask me questions or get stuff off their chests so to speak.
    Anyway it’s not every night anymore but is most nights and they love it, my 6 year old has started to read story’s to my 3 year old and it makes me so proud to know that I had a hand in him being so enthusiastic about reading.

  5. Josanne Avatar

    My hubby and I share the bedtime routine equally (unless he works late). Reading is an important part of this. My little one is only 2 1/2 but can already recite her favourite reads: Up in a tree By Margaret Atwood, BOO! by Ros Asquith & Andi Good and Room on the broom by Julia Donaldson. I read to her several times a day too, for which I account her advanced speech.

  6. Emma T Avatar

    The majority of the time yes, unless it’s a later bedtime than normal. Although he’ll now quite often ‘read’ books to himself during the day. It’s lovely to read with him especially now he ‘reads’ along with me, or finishes the sentences.

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