THE tradition of parents reading bedtime stories to their kids is heading for an unhappy ending — with only two in ten saying they always do it.
A quarter now give youngsters a phone or tablet to play on or to watch cartoons instead.
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And nearly six in ten let youngsters watch TV to help them nod off. But more then two-thirds of mums and dads admit to feeling guilty about not reading a story, a poll found.
More than a quarter claim their children are not interested in being read to before bed.
But 94 per cent of parents said they believed a bedtime story was important to help nurture children’s creativity and reading skills.
Some 28 per cent of parents blame working late for not reading to their kids and 34 per cent were often “too tired”.
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The survey by hotel group Novotel questioned 1,000 parents of children aged six months to ten years — asking them how often they read stories.
The firm’s James Wheatcroft said: “With demanding schedules, parents often struggle to find the time for bedtime stories — but our research shows that they are valued by kids, as well as mums and dads.
“We understand the pressures that modern life can put on families. Whether it’s about dragons or princesses or reminiscing about a day spent together, stories bring families together and that’s important.”
Parents who do read to their youngsters do so for an average of 13 minutes, the survey found. And 40 per cent do it less than three times a week.
Almost half said their kids preferred tales of adventure — with 44 per opting for fairy tales.
