Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

Only 3% of dads read to their children, and as for the mums...

50 replies

hunkermunker · 27/02/2009 13:32

9 out of 10 read to their children, but more than half admit to being distracted by CLEANING.

If that's you, what is wrong with you?!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
daftpunk · 27/02/2009 13:34

i stopped reading to dc when they were around 7/...i used to skip paragraphs to get it over quickly...as they got older they had me sussed...sorry

snickersnack · 27/02/2009 13:35

Does that mean they never read to them because they are always distracted by cleaning, or that occasionally they need to clean therefore can't read? I was just reading to ds, but then dd tipped her milk over - so I suppose I was "distracted by cleaning" but I wouldn't say I clean at the expense of reading most of the time.

As for the dads...I don't believe that.

emkana · 27/02/2009 13:36

[races over to "what are you feeling smug about" thread]

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families General parenting
PestoMonster · 27/02/2009 13:37

I can't imagine DH ever being distracted by cleaning............

PussinJimmyChoos · 27/02/2009 13:37

I read to DS at night before bed...we have a lovely chatter about the book and then we have 2 songs

pagwatch · 27/02/2009 13:37

My Dh very rarely reads to DD as she is asleep in bed by the time he gets home. He does more than make up for it when he can though and we have mahoosive reading sessions when we are on holidays.
When DS1 was younger we did all the Harry Potters on our hols with DH readingto all of us.I found it incredibly relaxing

I am almost never distracted by the cleaning in any circumstances.

Original poster
hunkermunker · 27/02/2009 13:38

The other 97% of men are "too tired", apparently.

Presumably many not from doing the cleaning though

OP posts:
daftpunk · 27/02/2009 13:41

doesn't mean they're bad fathers if they don't read to dc....i found it boring at times.

unfitmother · 27/02/2009 13:47

I never read to my dcs.

DH does, every night, including DS who is nearly 12.

Meglet · 27/02/2009 13:51

I love reading to the DC's, best bit of parenting I reckon - I get to choose all my their favourite books in the shops . Even though me and DP have split up he still comes round for bedtime 3 nights a week and reads to them.

Marne · 27/02/2009 13:53

Dh and i take it in turns to read to the dd's, sometimes (if its late) they won't get a story.

unfitmother · 27/02/2009 13:54

That's lovely Meglet.

mrsruffallo · 27/02/2009 13:54

Where do they get these statistics from?
Almost every dad I know reads to their children.
The library is one of our favourite places, I can't believe anyone could find books boring!

The cleaning thing...well, that's just silly isn't it?

devilisunaccomplishedinprada · 27/02/2009 13:55

Both DH and I read to our dds. Usually at bedtime. DD1 and DH LOVE the Dr Seuss books she got for christmas. They read a different one every night and she's memorised all the stories. DD2 loves her Charlie and Lola book so much we have to read EVERY night. It gets so boring and I do admit to leaving out paragraphs but she's too young to notice yet.

If it's in the daytimee I probably do get distracted but I've got 3 kids so if I'm reading to one then the other one we still usually be demanding my attention. And yes it's my 16 year old dsd that demands the most attention. I make sure we do dd1's reading book every night. If I don't read to them during the day then they ALWAYS get a story at bedtime.

OrmIrian · 27/02/2009 13:56

By cleaning?

A big glass of red wine, Holby City, sex (hmm probably not actually)...maybe, but cleaning

Original poster
hunkermunker · 27/02/2009 13:57

Nope, didn't say anything about bad fathers, Daftpunk.

OP posts:
daftpunk · 27/02/2009 13:57

books arn't boring mrsruffallo...but reading the very hungry caterpillar for the 100th time can be.

daftpunk · 27/02/2009 13:58

sometimes my caterpillar didn't eat quite so much...that's all.

alittlebitshy · 27/02/2009 14:00

gosh - where were these stats? Not doubting just interested).

I can quite imagine many dads not reading but that few, whoah!

fwiw my dh and dd love reading together - always have. We both try to read to ds (7m) every night as we always did for dd (nearly 6 now) but he prefers to eat the books at the mo.....

unfitmother · 27/02/2009 14:00

I can still recite some of my 12 yr old DS' toddler books, he has AS and liked the same one, over and over!

DanJARMouse · 27/02/2009 14:04

I dont read to my kids, they read to me!!!

Ok I lie, I do read to DD2 and DS but DD1 reads to me.

I cant imagine being in a family where reading isnt the done thing, I was brought up surrounded by books, and so was DH.

Dh reads to the DCs just as much as I do, and thats at least once a day.

I refuse to skip pages or paragraphs, you just use a bookmark and say thats enough for today, we will read more tomorrow.

MrsMerryHenry · 27/02/2009 14:04

We love reading to DS, it's brilliant! We both read to him, every single day. Where are these stats from?

BakewellTarts · 27/02/2009 14:05

Love books in this house so much so that they are part of our DDs day and not just bedtime... Both of us read to them, maybe DH reads more than I do.

As an aside I think I'm developing a mini bookworm. DD1 aged just over 3 is currently entertaining herself pretending to read her current favourite book to DD2.

mrsruffallo · 27/02/2009 14:06

Unfit mother- I can recite Room on the Broom, Going on a Bear Hunt and The Gruffalo.......howzat!!

daftpunk · 27/02/2009 14:09

no hunkermunker you didn't...but i kinda read your mind....