Only three per cent of fathers now find the time to read to the kids compared to 89 per cent of mothers Mums claim they are distracted by cleaning or cooking while dads blame late nights in the office or sheer tiredness when they do get home.
The stats emerged in a study of 2,000 parents was carried out by CITV to launch their new children's show Bookaboo, which highlights the pleasures of books.
Worryingly, it also emerged only three per cent of fathers now find the time to read to the kids compared to 89 per cent of mothers.
Lucy Goodman, creator of Bookaboo, said: "It's important development-wise that young boys are able to share a book with dads, granddads or male carers and it can be fun and rewarding too.
"Dads are just not finding time to do this but I hope in Bookaboo we've created a character who will inspire an appetite for books in both children and grown-ups."
Of the dads who said they didn't read to their kids 87 per cent blame work commitments while more than a third (34 per cent) said they were too tired.
While 89 per cent of mums said they did read to their children, more than half of them said cleaning distracted them and 49 per cent were sidetracked by other household chores or cooking.
Researchers also found parents are now relying heavily on other people to lend a hand with reading to their children with grandparents mucking in most, followed by siblings and aunts and uncles.
While 95 per cent of parents have read to their children at some point, only five per cent of those polled read to their children during the day.
More than one in ten said they read every couple of weeks or less, and five per cent could not remember the last time they shared a book.
The study found parents also seem content with allowing their children to immerse themselves in the TV or playing computer games rather than reading with two thirds of children under-16 having some form of electrical equipment in their bedroom.
Over a third of children spend up to two hours per day playing on their consoles, a quarter spend the same time surfing the net and 57 per cent spend around two hours a day watching television while 35 per cent spend two hours a day on computers.
Ex-England Goalkeeper David Seaman and of a dad of two who is one of the celebrities featuring in Bookaboo, says: "I think it's important that fathers do read to their children because it's a special time, I have two children, and I read to them both, sometimes they'll come and both listen to the same book - it's a magical moment and I advise fathers just to try it."
* Bookaboo is designed to encourage anyone to pick up a book and read with their children at anytime of the day.
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