Parents are reading their children the same bedtime story 416 times a YEAR

The words a mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood will be forever etched into the minds of many parents.

And new research suggests there is good reason for this - with the average parent reading the same bedtime story to their children 416 times a year. 

Thats a lot of lunches with the Gruffalo.

A poll of 1,000 mums and dads has found that parents will read their childs favourite tale from start to finish an average of eight times in a typical week.

And more than eight in 10 parents are so familiar with their childs favourite stories that they can recite at least one by heart, with many mums and dads saying they can remember as many as eight.

But despite the nightly demand for the same story, 46 per cent of parents still said that reading to their child at bedtime is one of their favourite parts of their day.

Parents feel the ideal book before bed should be 11 pages long and include characters which are animals (52 per cent), children or babies (48 per cent) and fairies (42 per cent).

While 63 per cent said they read bedtime stories because they enjoy it, two thirds said they did so because they know it is important for a childs learning and development.

New research suggests the average parent reading the same bedtime story to their children 416 times a year (Stock image)

A poll of 1,000 mums and dads has found that parents will read their childs favourite tale from start to finish an average of eight times in a typical week. Pictured: the front cover of childrens classic The Gruffalo 

However 77 per cent said they picked the topic for a bedtime story with an ulterior motive - getting their children off to sleep so they can enjoy their evening in peace.

Some 65 per cent of parents believe its important to read to children for quality time together, while 55 per cent said they did so because it inspires them to read independently and 54 per cent said this is because it aids their language development and widens their vocabulary.

Jenny Shaw, academic lead at Busy Bees nurseries which commissioned the research, said: While re-reading the same stories may seem repetitive to parents, it is hugely beneficial for language development.

Children love the familiarity of their favourite characters and repetition is essential for learning and helps children learn new words more quickly.

She added: Stories are key in nurturing childrens language development, and its been proven that the number of words a child hears and speaks by the age of three plays a key role in their future literacy, communication skills, and academic success.