Attention Parents! A Professor Would Like You To Know That Bedtime Reading To Your Kids Unfairly Disadvantages Other Kids

A British professor would like parents who read bedtime stories to their children — as well as send them to “elite private schools,” and perhaps even form strong family bonds with them in general — are putting other children at an unfair disadvantage, News Corp Australia is reporting.

Adam Swift is a professor of politics and international studies at the University of Warwick in England. He also has some rather unusual ideas when it comes to parenting. Speaking on an Australian radio broadcast about whether or not having a loving family is an unfair advantage, the Professor shared his thoughts on bedtime reading.

“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.”

Swift was quick to admit that he doesn’t want to see bedtime reading banned — he even admits that it’s a good idea.

“You have to allow parents to engage in bedtime stories activities, in fact we encourage them because those are the kinds of interactions between parents and children that do indeed foster and produce these (desired) familial relationship goods.”

But he does want parents who read bedtime stories to their kids to at least have the decency to feel bad about it every now and then.

“I don’t think parents reading their children bedtime stories should constantly have in their minds the way that they are unfairly disadvantaging other people’s children, but I think they should have that thought occasionally.”

But the Professor draws the line at sending your kids to private school, according to National Review.

“It’s just not the case that in order for a family to realize these intimate, loving, authoritative, affectionate, love-based relationships you need to be able to send your child to an elite private school… we could prevent elite private schooling without any real hit to elite family relationships.”

Needless to say, social conservatives are not amused, according to KOKI (Tulsa). Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, never one to shy away from controversy, says that the Professor’s thoughts on bedtime reading equate to punishing achievers in order to “level the playing field” for under-achievers.

“Good parents must now treat their children like bad parents have to treat their kids so that they don’t confer any unfair advantages on their kids.”

Do you now feel the need to stop reading bedtime stories to your kids — or at least have the decency to feel bad about it — now that a British professor has told you it’s a bad idea?

[Image courtesy of: Shutterstock/wavebreakermedia]