Here is this week’s best-of-the-best child and parenting articles found on the internet, selected by happychild contributor, Michelle Higgins. This week, topics include motherhood, education, and talking to children about sex education.

Motherhood – Paid Maternity Leave, Feminism, and Alcoholism

Sydney blogger and social commentator, Maria Tedeschi (@mums_word) objects to the characterization of motherhood as just another “lifestyle choice” and argues that Paid Parental Leave should be treated as a workplace entitlement rather than welfare payment.
After reading her opinion piece at The Big Smoke – http://bit.ly/1cTgVsV – what do you think?

Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, executive director and co-founder of MomsRising.org, makes the case that “motherhood is now a greater predictor of inequality than gender in the United States.”
Read her opinion piece at Politico Magazine: http://politi.co/1bGNm10. Kristin says feminism is for mothers too – what are your thoughts?

Leslie Garrett, whose mother was an alcoholic, explains why the many hashtags and blogs that make light of drinking under the strain of motherhood aren’t funny to her.
Read her honest insights in her article at Salon: http://bit.ly/1ji8DzD.

Education – Exposure to the Arts, andStandardised Testing

The opening of the first art gallery in a small American city provided researchers with a unique opportunity to study the educational impact of gallery visits on children. And what the researchers found was that a visit to an art gallery definitely makes kids smarter, and the positive effects were especially marked for disadvantaged children. Read the full article in the New York Times Magazine: http://nyti.ms/1k7XEGB
What do you think – does art make you smart?

Teacher Tom, an early childhood teacher and blogger from Seattle, asks why we are in such a rush to make sure children meet artificially imposed benchmarks. He follows the path of a boy who, after spending three years in his preschool, is deemed a failure by standardized testing administered on entering kindergarten. Read the full post on the blog Teacher Tom: teaching and learning from preschoolers: http://bit.ly/1eMDYXH
Teacher Tom says “This is education and it’s not a race…” What are your thoughts on standardised testing at a young age?

Teens – Talking About Sex

Talking about sex with your own children can make a lot of parents uncomfortable. In this TEDx talk, Marnie Goldenberg tells us how to have the conversation in a way that emphasizes the joy, and is perhaps a little less awkward for all involved.
Watch on YouTube: http://bit.ly/188lFgK

Stay tuned for next week’s top internet finds!

You can follow Michelle Higgins on twitter @mamabook and read her blog Crooked Fences.

Image from freedgitialphotos.net