October is my favorite month of the year, but once it starts the rest of the year just flies by with lots of birthdays and holidays! We’re just one week away from Halloween!

pumpkin

Here are some interesting parenting links from around the web this week!

E D U C A T I O N

Why We Need A Teacher Workforce That’s Both Diverse And Knowledgeable via Forbes

Growing up in a house full of books is major boost to literacy and numeracy, study finds via The Guardian

This is how a bookish home helps a child to thrive via World Economic Forum

Parents are giving up on public schools to home-school their kids via New York Post

Early childhood education yields big benefits — just not the ones you think via Vox

How High Schools Shaped American Cities via The Atlantic

The Best Board Games for Kids, According to a Board Game Blogger via Offspring

Walkouts Led to Big Wins for Red-State Teachers. So Why Are They Still Struggling? via New York Magazine

Children in Singapore will no longer be ranked by exam results. Here’s why via Weforum

H E A L T H

Miscarrying at Work: The Physical Toll of Pregnancy Discrimination via New York Times

Can You Biohack Your Fertility? via The Cut

Why scientists are working to unlock these five puzzles about mother’s milk via Washington Post

Hand Dryers Spread Bacteria So Dramatically That Scientists Think They’re A Public Health Threat via IFLScience

More than half of parents in the US think the flu shots cause the flu — here’s why that’s wrong via Insider

The outbreak of acute flaccid myelitis, the polio-like illness affecting kids: what we know via Vox

Why Are You Still Afraid of MSG? via The Kitchn

P A R E N T I N G

Are Siblings More Important Than Parents? via The Atlantic

Dear White Moms, What I Need You to Know via Wonderoak

The Truth About Being a Working Mom via The Week

How to Raise a Minimalist via Real Simple

Ending Sexual Violence by Raising Better Boys via Slate

No ‘Foreign’ Names for Children, Dear Abby Advised. Furious Parents Replied. via New York Times

Raising children near their grandparents has scientific benefits (besides the free babysitting!) via Motherly

How To Teach Your Kids About Other Cultures via Huffpost

Can picture books meet the crisis in children’s mental health? via The Guardian

Mindfulness Classes for Parents Benefit Their Kids too via Futurity

Give Your Kids a 1980s Halloween via Creative Child

5 Little Ways To Show Your Kids The Importance Of Mental Health via Huffpost

Sophie is 16 in America. Here’s what scares her. via The Lily

Which countries are raising the most productive humans? via The Economist