#5SmartReads - April 4, 2023

Zara Hanawalt is a freelance journalist and twin mom. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism where she studied long-form reporting and magazine writing/editing. Now she primarily works in the digital world as a journalist covering reproductive issues, parenting, women's health, and culture. Her byline has appeared on digital publications like Parents, Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Shape, and many more. She's a fierce advocate for fellow mothers and is passionate about facilitating conversations about the state of motherhood today.

My Mom Rage Is A Product Of Overstimulation (Motherly)

Overstimulation is one of those facets of motherhood we are just starting to discuss — as it mom rage. This article is incredibly relatable: It really gets to the heart of what mothers deal with on a daily basis and how it affects them.

And the biggest takeaway for me is this: In order for moms to really show up for their families, moms need to take care of themselves.We can't keep demanding 24/7 sacrifice from mothers. We need to give them time to decompress — primarily for their own sake, but also for the sake of their families.

3 Things You Should Do If You Really Want To Cancel Plans But Feel Guilty (Self)

Is it just me or have we become a little too comfortable with cancelling plans? I very much include myself in this, but let's be honest: Cancelling plans can be done in a way that's wildly inconsiderate.

This article breaks down how we can reconcile our own desire to protect our energy alongside the need to honor commitments. I don't necessarily agree with every single point in particular this article, but I do feel it's important to explore *why* so many people are cancelling plans these days, as we've become a little too casual in our approach.

Lets Stop Belittling Care Work- Starting With Mom Influencers (Mother Untitled)

Mother Untitled always does a fantastic job of pointing out the ways we devalue domestic labor and care work, and this article really addresses how that societal devaluation of work that's typically taken on by women (pink-collar work, as the article describes it) affects how we view mom influencers.

It's a look behind the scenes of what influencing really involves, and it's also a really smart piece of commentary on how we dismiss and diminish that work — just like we dismiss and diminish the work mothers take on at home.

Misogyny Is The Biggest - And Most Unflattering- Trend Of 2023 (Glamour)

It's 2023 and misogyny is...still very much a thing. In the first quarter of the year, it became abundantly clear that we still have some truly messed up, archaic ideas about women.

See: Every example detailed in this article, plus so many more.

South Asain Food TikTok Is A Comforting Reminder I Am Indian Enough (HuffPost)

I'm the only child of Indian immigrants and I feel what I imagine so many others in my position feel: Like I can never fully fit in no matter where I go.

In America, there's the obvious: I'm a minority, and everything about me, from my skin to my name, broadcasts that. But I've also never felt fully "Indian" enough, and this article does such a beautiful job of articulating that sentiment.

Now, Indian recipe developers are celebrating that experience...and showing there's beauty in the in between. They, and this article, are helping me find that beauty too.