Best Of The Web: July 20-July 26

Contributors: Melanie Dostis, Kelly Farrell and Gavriella Mahpour

Here’s our weekly roundup of parenting articles that piqued our interest. Enjoy! —

Playgrounds have become increasingly safe, but does that
mean we’re robbing our children of important life experiences? Some researchers question
the true value of safety-first playgrounds. (NYTimes)

Are you guilty of Facebook stalking your child? According to a recent survey, more than 50% of parents and guardians use social media as a way of keeping tabs on their children. (TIME Techland)

Researchers studied the effects of bed-sharing with children. The result: if it works for your family, then it’s not really harmful. (MSNBC)

Never let your skin reveal how much fun in the sun you’ve been having. Dermatologists collected the 10 best natural sunburn remedies to ease the pain. (Huffington Post)

According to a Harvard University child obesity expert, from a legal standpoint, parents should perhaps lose custody of their severely obese children. (ABC News)

The balance between fostering children’s independence and keeping them safe is debated by a Washington Post blogger, in the aftermath of the Leiby Kletzky killing. (Washington Post)

It’s up to parents to monitor the violence in video games after a Supreme Court ruling neglected to restrict video game purchases for children under 18. (USA Today)

Could your kids be
safer when grandma and grandpa take the wheel? According to a recent
study, serious injuries were more likely to occur in children when
parents were driving. (MSNBC) 

Juggling motherhood and attending school is challenging (to say the least), yet
nearly 3.9 million people in the U.S.
are parents
earning an undergraduate degree. (CNN)

Oh, gateway dolls!
Introducing, The Breastmilk Baby Doll (no joke) and the official downfall of the
younger generations as we know it. This pretty faces actually slurps and
burps…and boy, does it sparkle. (Mom-101)