Why I love reading bedtime stories to my children

I can't be the only parent who was appalled at the news that more than half of the UK's children are never read a bedtime story.

Now I'm no model parent - far from it - but reading bedtime stories is my favourite part of the day, and undoubtedly one of the most rewarding experiences that parenthood has to offer.

Some days my children's bedtime can't come quickly enough, and when story-time is all that stands between you and a large glass of wine, it can be tempting to make your excuses at the book shelf and hot-foot it to the wine rack. But, as with so many aspects of parenting, pushing through the pain barrier brings rich rewards. Forcing yourself to hunker down for story time when you least feel like it might sound like torture but it feels like bliss.

I know of no better relaxation at the end of a difficult day than losing myself in the gorgeous pages of an Oliver Jeffers book, watching my boys fight sleep, wide-eyed, as they strain to see the pictures and stay awake long enough to hear the ending.

It's a bewitching moment and a unparalleled opportunity to bond with your babies, whatever their age, and put right anything that might have gone wrong earlier in the day. The fears and concerns that children don't readily give voice to during the day often come tumbling during bedtime stories, so it's heart-breaking to think of children missing out on that.

Really, what's the point of having children, if not to savour the experience of curling up to read a soothing bedtime story together at the end of every day? What's more, endless studies have shown that reading to children isn't just good for their development, but absolutely vital. So why would any parent deliberately forgo the golden nightly ritual that is reading bedtime stories?

There is literally no excuse, in my book, for not reading bedtime stories to your children. Even the most high-flying parent who can't be there for bedtime can still read stories thanks to the wonders of modern technology. You wouldn't buy a dog if you were too busy to walk it every day, so why have a child if you can't make time to read to it at bedtime?

And you have to wonder how the kids who don't get read a bedtime story are settling themselves to sleep at night. It's sobering to read that 44% of the children surveyed said they'd prefer to be read to than play computer games. Of course they would. What children most want is our time and attention, so perhaps neglecting to read bedtime stories to a child isn't that far off from not bothering to feed it.

On the other hand, I see the survey was conducted by asking children, not their parents, about their experience of being read to at bedtime. Given that the best part of an hour and three or four stories is never enough for my children, I wouldn't be surprised if my six-year-old swore blind, if asked, that he only gets a minute of reading per night, too.

So perhaps it's not the most robust or trustworthy data, but one thing it does show categorically is how much bedtime stories mean to children.

My top three all-time favourite bedtime reads:

How to catch a star by Oliver Jeffers
A truly touching tale, beautifully illustrated.

The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Less popular than their other books but the ones my lads love best.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
A timeless classic, perfect for babies but still a household favourite years later

And for really frazzled parents there's:

Go The F**k To Sleep
It's not exactly suitable bedtime reading for older kids - but strangely soothing for truly sleep-deprived new parents, with lines like:

"The eagles who soar through the sky are at rest
And the creatures who crawl, run, and creep.
I know you're not thirsty. That's bullshit. Stop lying.
Lie the fuck down, my darling, and sleep."

There's even a download available, read by Samuel L Jackson!