I read to them during the day. So I guess they weren't unfairly advantaged over other kids.

In general, kids love being read to, and it's a great way to transition them from physical activity into something calmer.

"When the red red robin comes a bob bob bobbin along..." head under floorboard

instead of viewing it as disadvantaging other kids why not encourage it for all kids ?

I feel like I'm living in the middle of crazy. I like crazy if it's something meant to be crazy. But not news, and not health or education "studies."

Who thought of this dumb study? I guess a person who was not read to as a child. Every child is read too. If not bought books then books from the library. Such nonsense study.

No thought given as to why parents might not read at bedtime, either. Exhausted from working multiple jobs? Not that well-educated themselves, so they never became a reader? Can't afford books and can't get to the library when it's open?

I happened not to ever have a story at bedtime as part of my routine either as a child or as a parent. Although I did love reading to them, and had the time and energy to do it during the day.


Because of the things you offered as to why a parent might not read to a child, many elementary teachers have regular reading to kids as part of the day. I was fortunate enough to have teachers doing that as late as 6th grade. I was in a classroom full of excellent readers, and we all loved being read to.

We'd come in from afternoon recess (yes, we had recess twice a day, so clearly I'm a dinosaur) and the teacher would read to us while we cooled down or warmed up from being outside.

To even entertain the idea that bedtime reading disadvantages other children is moronic. Hey, I must have been especially bad as I read my kid such elitist material as TS Eliot

Because he sure reads like the famous satirist.

this may be the dumbest thing I ever have

My older bro and sisters taught me to read because they were tired of reading to me.

When I started school I had to skip kindergarten because I was too "advanced".

I bless them for being lazy and teaching me to read. I've been a reader all my life and still love books.

who have less careful or nurturing parents.

So I guess all children should be neglected, just to be fair.

The remedy for "too much privilege" is to bring everyone to the least common denominator.

jump an ocean full of sharks.

What. The. Fuck?

Christ on a cracker, this is about the stupidest pile of crap ever.

Parents SHOULD be aware of the advantages that are conveyed upon their children, and be compassionate and supportive of those who don't get that type of support from their parents. Its all about being aware of privilege. Be it white, academic, or whatever.

I explained this to my daughter once when she thought that Affirmative Action was unfair. I told her to think about all the advantages that we have given her to start her life when compared to another child. I was glad that she did her CNA class at a satellite campus that was in an impoverished area of our metro area. She met struggling single mothers who were trying to get qualified to do a very hard job without enough pay. It was far better for my daughter to be in class with these women than at the high school with others privileged like herself.

Wake the **** Up

they would both make it just fine.

france, Italy, Greece just to name a few.

nice try though.

So many think they are socialist. I guess that is as far as we can agree though.

Tom said Swiftly.

That's an argument for NOT reading to your kids?

Kookooville, next stop.

Outraged I say!

(fyi - I employ pop-up & "Flash" blockers on my browser, so I can't speak to what this site generates)
http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/philosopherszone/new-family-values/6437058

The "money" quote:
‘The evidence shows that the difference between those who get bedtime stories and those who don’t—the difference in their life chances—is bigger than the difference between those who get elite private schooling and those that don’t,’ he says.

Not interested in this framing mechanism. I try to avoid insanity-inducing gas-lighting academics who depend on shock-value to bolster book sales and word-cloud false outrage internet discussions.

Thanks anyway, though.

dig a little deeper in an attempt to get the "real" story.

IMO, the author of the OP (ninemsn?) did us a disservice and twisted the intent of the of the two philosophers "work".

Overall, their conclusions are fairly well reasoned and not so fantastic as we we led to believe - by the OP.

tifwiw...

is the same as "love their children" vs neglect their children.

Everyone is equal.