Our Favorite Parenting Stories Of The Week

The consequences of having a favorite child—what can happen if you admit it publicly and the mental health effects of being cared for by less-favored children. (Slate)

When Beth Bernstein broke up with her boyfriend, she wanted to keep seeing his children. If it’s what everyone wants, is it okay for an ex-girlfriend to keep visiting? (Babble)

Check out this quick and simple video by Kin Community, an online group of women who record YouTube vids for tips on style, food, and DIY. This one shows you how to whip up some homemade popcorn for after-school snacks. Yum! (YouTube)

Nameberry releases their list of top 20 unusual baby names gaining popularity this year. The results may surprise you! (Huffington Post)

Megan Fox, Claire Danes, Gisele Bunchen, and Drew Barrymore are just some of this week’s featured pregnant ladies of Hollywood. (JustJared)

In parenting, there are no easy answers, especially when it comes to dealing with loss. Read one mom’s tips on how to help your children cope. (ABC News)

In the months before he passed away, Jim Flanagan, gifts his grandchildren with one last letter, full of lessons for a life well lived. (Huffington Post)

After Congress-approved calorie limits on school lunches went into effect last month, kids are complaining of mid-day hunger. Could the solution be more snacking? (ABC News)

Apparently Ben Affleck “excels” at girlie things, especially tea parties with his daughters, Jennifer Garner admitted on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” (People)

Reese Witherspoon welcomed her third child on Thursday. Both mom and baby boy are healthy. Tennessee James Toth is the first child for Witherspoon and husband Jim Toth. (E! Online)

Retired military leaders are taking up arms against childhood obesity. Mission: Readiness, the group of retired generals and admirals, aims to get rid of junk food in school vending machines. (USA Today)

New online privacy rules to protect children in the U.S. are expected within weeks. One of the rules suggested by the Federal Trade Commission would require parental consent before children under 13 could upload personal information to certain websites. (New York Times)

Cells from fetuses can stay in the mother’s body for years and can even migrate into the mother’s brain, according to new findings. It remains unclear whether these cells are helpful or harmful. Who knew? (Huffington Post)

Have you heard of any of these children’s books by renowned authors such as James Joyce, Mark Twain, and Virginia Woolf? Neither had we! (Brain Pickings)

Bullying has received enormous attention as of late. But what if your child’s tormentor is not the stereotypical tough kid, but his or her best friend? (Huffington Post)

Baby Bjorns are everywhere! Not only are they all over the streets, through a savvy product placement strategy, they are unavoidable on screen as well. (New York magazine)