I made a mental note to follow the Bring Back Bedtime Reading campaign and put my mobile away when sharing books. The concentration was broken, the magic was lost and I was cross with myself for letting a mobile phone intrude on our special time together. When it rang, I could see the disappointment on the children's faces, but I had to answer it because it was their parents phoning to wish them goodnight. I was babysitting my young grandchildren the other day and had forgotten my phone was in my pocket. Know from experience how easy it is to let technology interrupt this lovely, shared moment. Gradually, you'll find that their concentration will improve, they will become happier and sleep better and, best of all, their enjoyment of reading and desire to read for themselves will increase day by day. Listening to you read will help a child develop their imagination and will relax and motivate them more than almost anything else.

Reading together in a child's bedroom or another quiet place with no distractions from TV, phones or computers is a lovely, calming and comforting way to end a busy day.

Many of those children are now parents themselves and I would like to think they're eager to share the same books with their children.īooks are a child's window onto the world and sharing a book is your chance to open that window and help them explore what lies beyond. I have spent the last 30 years writing and illustrating books for young children to share with their parents.

I am sure, like me, you can all remember someone close to you reading a bedtime story and just how exciting - and at the same time relaxing - that was. This seemed like such a small number and I could see why the school was so keen to launch a Bring Back Bedtime Stories campaign. When South Parade Primary School first contacted me, I was shocked to hear that only 25% of their pupils were being read a story at bedtime. Old Bear author and illustrator Jane Hissey explains why she backed one school's campaign to Bring Back Bedtime Stories - and admits that even she has let technology get in the way in the past. Why Old Bear's Jane Hissey wants to Bring Back Bedtime Stories

Old Bear by Jane Hissey