Bedtime stories are in severe peril according to new research published today. A new survey for phone and broadband company TalkTalk (www.talktalk.co.uk), found that 57% of Britons believe that the tradition of parents reading bedtime stories to their children is dying out. In response, the company has decided to support the art of family reading by searching for the nation’s best amateur storyteller. The nationwide competition is backed by Bernard Cribbins, famous for narrating The Wombles and Jackanory.
TalkTalk’s research also suggests that, while people have good intentions about reading bedtime stories to their kids, they find it hard to fit it into their schedules. Of the people surveyed by TalkTalk who don’t have children, 91% said they would read bedtime stories to their child if they had one. However, the reality is that only 52% of parents surveyed say they do read bedtime stories to their kids, with the remaining 48% missing out on the joys of reading to their kids together.
Meanwhile, 62% of people said they think more encouragement should be given to adults to read stories to children as there are huge benefits in stimulating their appetite for reading. 85% of respondents also agreed that reading to young children enhances their development, and 60% said they had stories read to them when they were a child.
Bernard Cribbins, celebrity judge for TalkTalk Tales, said: “Reading bedtime stories as a family activity seems to have been overtaken by other forms of entertainment, which is why I’m proud to be supporting this exciting campaign to get storytelling back on the family agenda. Narrating tales has played a huge part in my career and I hope to reignite the nation’s passion for storytelling through TalkTalk Tales.”
Mark Schmid from TalkTalk said: “Reading and storytelling should be central to family life, whether it’s parents reading stories to their children at bedtime or kids telling their parents about their day at school. Unfortunately our busy lives nowadays mean such traditions get squeezed out because of a lack of time. Our competition aims to reignite the nation’s passion for storytelling and narrating, and remind people again of the ongoing power and appeal of having a story told to us.”
TalkTalk’s survey found that the nation’s favourite book from their childhood is Enid Blyton’s classic Famous Five stories, beating The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis into second place, with the Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen coming in third.