Welsh get full marks for children's bedtime reading, study shows

Nov 15 2007 icWales

Welsh parents read more bedtime stories to their children than anyone else in the UK while parents in southern England read the least, research published today shows.

Figures highlight a disparity across the UK in the number of children under six who are read to.

A total of 83% of parents in Wales read to their child at night while only 51% of parents in the south of England and London do.

In the north of England and the Midlands the figure is far higher at 73% and 70% respectively.

In second place is Scotland with 71%. In Northern Ireland, 67% of parents read bedtime stories.

In the UK as a whole, 75% of parents asked said they read to their children at bedtime.

Holly Wright, founder of www.itsyourstory.co.uk – the website which conducted the research, said: “It’s very encouraging to find that three quarters of parents read to their child every day but the national discrepancies are stark.

“Perhaps Southern parents lead busier lives so find it difficult to find the time to sit down with a book.

“But I would encourage all parents to read regularly to their child, especially at bedtime as it is calming and therefore encourages a good night’s sleep.”

The children’s book publisher also questioned parents on their children’s use of TV and computer games in the evening.

Welsh kids watch the least TV before going to bed while children in the South watch the most.

Only 1% of Welsh children watch TV before going to bed while 22% in southern England do. The number is only 7% in Scotland and 9% in the Midlands.

It is far higher in Northern Ireland and the North of England where 21% and 16% watch the box before bedtime.

In Scotland none of those asked said their child played computer games before going to bed while in Wales and Northern Ireland it was only 1% each.

The highest number of children playing computer games before bedtime is in England with 6% in the Midlands, 5% in the North, and 5% in the South.

A total of 1,500 parents of children aged six and under were questioned for the survey.