Help Your Child Love Reading. Alison David

and I was able to read to my son. I’m especially fond of a dog-eared copy of The House at Pooh Corner. And my brother gave my son, on loan, his treasured childhood copy of Wilf Weasel’s Speedy Skates, which was treated with great reverence by Louis. That physical continuity is not something you get with e-books. So I think it would be a shame to miss out on the physical presence of books in the early years, quite apart from any developmental harm screen time might cause.

      Screen time is a very modern problem. Finding the balance between recognising the utility of computers and the potential developmental impairment that overuse can cause is one of the most common issues in family life nowadays. Health education specialists like Dr Aric Sigman, as well as the Department of Health, are raising awareness among parents of the need to consider discretionary and recreational screen time as yet another form of consumption – similar to sweets or crisps, or hours in direct sunshine – that is measured in minutes or hours per day, and which needs to be thought about and limited. There is no way around it; you do need to get involved to help your child find that balance.

      Here’s an example of how you go about finding the balance. One mum told me her son, Alfie, is an avid gamer. He is seven years old and into playing the same games on the Wii and on the iPad as much as his friends are. But he is also a very keen reader. She said ‘Alfie reads to relax. He reads in bed every day – we have a routine. He is not allowed to have any gaming kit or phone or TV in his room.’

      It can be done!