BEDTIME ROUTINES AND READING REALLY MATTER

How many Nigerian Parents read to their children at bed time?

There's no substitute for Parents modeling a pattern of reading for their children. It generates a genuine love for reading in the children.

Read the article below culled from the booktrust website.

Research published by University College London (UCL) shows that children often suffer behavioural difficulties if they have erratic bedtimes - displaying symptoms similar to jetlag.



The research was based on analysis of data from more than 10,000 children collected by the Millennium Cohort Study, with bedtimes noted at ages three, five and seven, and information on behaviour collected from parents and teachers. Three-year-olds were the most likely to have erratic bedtimes, with one in five children going to bed at varying times.



The study found that those youngsters who experienced erratic bedtimes throughout childhood displayed progressively worse behaviour. But those children who went from varying bedtimes aged three or five to a regular bedtime by age seven displayed a notable improvement in behaviour. Children whose bedtimes were irregular or who went to bed after 9pm came from more socially disadvantaged backgrounds and they were more likely to have poor routines such as skipping breakfast, not being read to daily, having a TV in their bedroom and spending longer in front of a TV than children with earlier bedtimes.