Mothers 'better at reading bedtime stories'

Mums are better at developing their child's emotional skills because they tell more heartfelt stories, according to a new study.

Recent research has shown that youngsters who read to pet dogs learn more quickly than those who read aloud to adults Photo: GETTY

By Amy Willis and agencies

The Telegraph - 29 Mar 2013

Although talking is not an area where ability is usually considered along gender lines, scientists say there are subtle differences between the sexes in their story-relating ability and the act of reminiscing.

Previous research has found parents reminiscing with their kids enables them to interpret experiences and weave together the past, present and future. There is also evidence that parents elaborate less when talking to sons than daughters.

Researchers studied 42 families with children who were four or five-years-old.

Parents were asked to reminisce about four past emotional experiences of the child - happy, sad, a conflict with a peer and a conflict with a parent - and two past play interactions they experienced together.

The parents took turns talking to the child on separate visits in the study for Springer's journal Sex Roles. Results showed mums elaborate more when reminiscing with their children than dads do, and there is no difference in the extent parents elaborate on a story depending on the sex of the child.
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