I come across so many parenting related articles and blog posts each week, I thought I would round them up regularly. We can all use a little extra reading on Friday, no? Hope you have a most fantastic weekend!

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E D U C A T I O N

The Best and Worst States to Raise Children In via CNN

What Good a Preschool Looks Like: Snapshots From 4 States via NPR Ed

Winning the Battle but Losing the War? Behind the Science of Early Reading instruction via The Huffington Post

How Early Academic Training Retards Intellectual Development via Psychology Today

The Reading Rules We Would Never Follow as Adult Readers via Pernille Ripp

A New Argument for More Diverse Classrooms via The Atlantic

To Learn More, This High-Schooler Left the Classroom via NPR Ed

Amazon Unveils Online Education Service for Teachers via The New York Times

Why America’s Business Majors Are in Desperate Need of a Liberal-Arts Education via The Atlantic

The Future of College? A brash entrepreneur thinks he can reinvent college by stripping it down to its essence eliminating lectures and tenure along with football games, ivy-covered buildings, and research libraries. What if he’s right? via The Atlantic

P A R E N T I N G

Why Disney Princesses and ‘Princess Culture’ are Bad for Girls via The Washington Post

The Connections Between Spanking and Aggression via The New York Times

Raising Empathic Kids via Psychology Today

‘Time-Outs’ Are Hurting Your Child via TIME

In Defense of Absurdly Early Bedtimes via Slate

Great Expectations: Holding Children to Higher Standards than Adults via Boston Parents Paper

Is Selfie Culture Making Our Kids Selfish? via The New York Times

The Power of Casual Gratitude via The Atlantic

Sunscreen & Bug Spray: Children’s Summer Skin Care via The New York Times

M O T H E R H O O D

Too Afraid to Have a Baby via The Atlantic

Postpartum Anxiety Might Be Even More Common Than PPD via The Huffington Post

The Ugly Secret of Working Moms via The Week

Mounting Evidence of Advantages for Children of Working Mothers via The New York Times

N E W S

Ikea Recalls 29 Million Chests and Dressers After 6 Children Die via The New York Times

T R A V E L  &  H E A L T H

20 Extraordinary Family Vacations Kids Will Actually, Truly Enjoy via Travel + Leisure

Zika 101 via Travel Channel

Scary News: More Birth Defects Linked to Zika via Fit Pregnancy and Baby

The Danger of a Third Trimester Zika Infection via The Atlantic

H U M A N  I N T E R E S T

An Honest Birth Announcement via The New Yorker

Emoji Women Can Now Get Pregnant, But They Still Can’t Work via Slate

If You Saw This Little Girl On the Street, Would You Pass Right By? via UNICEF

An open letter to the parent that thought it was OK to invite the entire class to their child’s birthday except for my son via Facebook

Mom was mad when Dad skipped their daughter’s dance recital… but he had bigger plans via Omeleto (this made me tear up!)