Editorial: Reading gift we can give our kids

Dads should read to their kids more often.

"I just wanna be a good dad, will I be, I've no idea."

Macklemore's ode to parenting is full of wisdom that dads could cherry pick from while reflecting on their role during Father's Day yesterday.

The song is peppered with down-to-earth advice from the rapper to his new born child, such as:

"Tell the truth no matter what the consequences."

"Find something that you love, do it every day."

And my favourite: "Every day, give your momma a compliment."

He also exhorts his child to read - poetry and books.

Reading with children is one of the greatest gifts parents can give.

A survey by Paper Plus has revealed fewer dads are reading to their children at night, reports Kiri Gillespie today.

The survey studied the reading habits of New Zealand parents and found just 6 per cent of households named dads as the main reader of stories to their children.

It is not that dads do not want to read - three out of four dads wanted to read more to their children. They cited lack of time as the main reason they didn't.

As professor of literacy education at Massey University Tom Nicholson said, books, as well as dads as reading role models, were hugely important to a child's development.

"Having a male role model when it comes to reading can have a really positive effect on a child," Professor Nicholson said. "When fathers take an active role in their child's reading and education, he or she is more likely to do better at school."

As many households now have both parents working full time, no doubt there are mothers, too, who find it hard to find time for stories.

Reading well and widely is the key to a good education and is life enriching.

The dishes can wait. Bedtime stories are a magical time and the kids will thank you for encouraging a love of reading.