Bedtime is the Best Time

This story in the Guardian is a little discouraging: "Children's Bedtime Stories on the Wane, According to Survey."  It seems there's far less regular story-reading now than a generation ago, even as we parents believe in the importance of such routines for our children's development. 

This is a case where our desires meet smack dab into the brick wall called the real world.  We mean to bond with our kids at night over a story, but when that time of the night hits, it seems we just can't bring ourselves to spend a piddling 15 minutes.  We skip, beg our spouses to go solo for just one night, or blitz through a book so fast we don't realize we just finished bedtime in 4 minutes. 

Why?  Isn't bedtime the best time?  What could be better than doing something you had done to you when you were a kid, something they'll do for their kids when they're your age?  What could be better than being together, reading no less?  And, is there anything besides children's books that will be funner to read throughout our whole day?

I was annoyed by how the article ended, that a deterrent was kids' preference for TVs and electronics.  BS.  Of course watching a show or playing a game is easier than reading a book.  Doesn't mean we should always do the easiest thing.  In fact, all the more to make sure we develop healthy habits in our kids.  On their own, they're not going to learn to love reading; we have to model it and make it something associated with positive experiences, like snuggling with Mommy and Daddy and using funny voices and laughing at a silly picture.  Let's hope more of us parents, more of the time, remember this.