The way I read the OP was that the overheard comment was done in a dismissive way to those that DO read and who value reading. The comment wasn't saying, "I wish I could read but other things get in the way," - it' was perceived to be more of a "why would you do it at all" sort of comment.

While I think it's good to always try to see the other side of a story and acknowledge that every family's situation is different, I don't think there's anything wrong in questioning why people wouldn't value reading regardless of whether they actually get time to do it with their child or not.

I would think that most parents would have to have been living under a rock to NOT know the importance of reading to/with their child.

My parents were not educated people (both left school at 14), didn't have a single book in the house for them so were not readers at all - yet somehow they knew (even before every researcher and his cat came out with a study every second day confirming it) that reading was very important and read to me and my sister every single night and during the day until we were old enough to want to read on our own.

I'd be interested in finding out whether people think that parents DO know that reading is important (regardless of whether they actually do it) or whether they think it should be left to the school etc. etc.?