New mothers stop reading classics after birth and turn to 'chick lit', study claims

[Honey]

Women stop reading serious literature and turn to 'chick-lit' after having children, research suggests.


Mothers were shown to swap novels and non- fiction for lighter reads including celebrity autobiographies by the likes of Victoria Beckham and Jordan.
Sixty per cent of mums admit they read a lot less than they did before having children.
More than half - 51 per cent - prefer chick-lit or "anything that doesn't take much effort" and only 8.5 per cent choose non-fiction.
The findings, from a survey of 6,000 women by the Bookseller magazine and Netmums.com, illustrate the effect of pressures on mothers' time.
Eighty per cent say they do not have enough time to read and 55 per cent say they would rather sleep than take a book to bed.
Some 73 per cent did manage to read stories to their children every day but many said they preferred less taxing activities than reading in their own spare time, preferring to watch TV.
Forty per cent of women who tackled highbrow titles before having children said they stopped after becoming a parent.
Popular chick-lit reads include the Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella and titles by Lisa Jewell.
Doctors have coined the term "maternal amnesia" to describe an apparent decline in memory and brainpower after women become pregnant.
It is more commonly known as "mumnesia" or "nappy brain" but research increasingly suggests it is only short-term and probably due to sleep deprivation.
In fact, there is evidence to suggest-that women who have had children are cleverer and grow more brain neuron connections which allow them to tackle a more demanding environment and protect their offspring.
Further studies have suggested that working mothers attempt to spend "quality time" with their children when not in the office, planning special outings and joint activities.
However, it is claimed that children learn more during day-to-day time together getting on with household chores or following family-routines, when children can be parents' "apprentices" and pick up skills they will draw on as adults including silent reading.
Netmums co-founder Siobhan Freegard said: "Reading is a great way for mums to give their brains a daily boost, and it's important for children to see their parents reading if they're going to go on to become book-lovers themselves."
Honor Wilson Fletcher, director of 2008 National Year of Reading, said: "It's really important to read what you love and what fits in with your lifestyle. "Reading isn't just about personal advancement, it's also about relaxation and pleasure."

New mothers stop reading classics after birth and turn to 'chick lit', study claims | the Daily Mail

[Aella]

What, did they expel their brains out of their vaginas too?

[sputnik]

one more reason the idea of children is increasingly less appealing to me.
i hate chick lit. the only exception was bridget jones' diary. i tried reading a shopaholic book once after a friend recommended it, and i couldn't finish it.