5SR - August 11, 2023

Today’s #5SmartReads contributor is Zara Hanawalt! Zara is a freelance journalist covering parenting, women's health, culture, and more. She has written for outlets like Parents, Elle, Shape, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Glamour, and more. Zara is a mom to four-year-old twins and a passionate advocate for maternal rights and health.

If You’ve Ever Wondered How High-Powerful Moms ‘Do It All,’ Here’s Your Answer (HuffPost)

When I stepped into the world of parenting journalism, I noticed an unspoken rule: It was considered problematic, maybe even a little sexist, to ask a mom how she balances it all. But now I see that we NEED to ask those questions — and more importantly, people need to answer honestly and recognize the role their support systems play.

So many of our cultural images of motherhood are of women with great privilege (notably celebrities, influencers, and public figures), who are, quite simply, able to do things the average mom can't do thanks to all the help they employ behind the scenes. But it's time to stop pretending that help doesn't exist.

People have got to be transparent about the help that makes it possible. Without it, the incredibly problematic supermom narrative will live on. Kudos to stars like Chrissy Teigen, Busy Philipps and Kaley Cuoco for refusing to gatekeep this information.

How America Fell Out Of Love With Ice Cream (CNN Business)

I love ice cream. I know donuts and cupcakes and the like have been more recently trendy, but for me, ice cream has always been the treat of choice.

But according to this article, Americans don't feel the same way anymore. With concerns about health and environment mounting, ice cream consumption is down.

This article does a wonderful job of breaking down the evolution of the role ice cream has played in the American diet over the years.

What Is Girl Dinner? Introducing The No-Cook Meal We All Need In Our Lives (The Every Girl)

As evidenced by the previous article, food trends can tell you a lot about the way people live and what they value. See: The rise of "girl dinner".

While there are so many pieces looking to evaluate the trend — from a health standpoint, a societal standpoint, a gendered standpoint — this one hits the heart of what girl dinner really ought to be: A way for women to simplify their lives. I am very much a person who needs a full meal (if I'm on my own for dinner, I'm either ordering takeout or making pasta), but I say if other women want a damn break from turning on the stove and would prefer to just assemble a plate of snacky little things (all the better for eating in front of the TV!), then that's great.

Let's trust that women and girls know what's best for their bodies and allow them to embrace the fun and ease of this trend.

Despite DEI Promises, Media Companies Are Still Mostly Hiring White People (Digiday)

I am a woman of color in the journalism industry. I have a lot of thoughts about this article and quite frankly, I'm still trying to process them all after 10 plus years in this industry.

All I'm going to say about this article right now is this: I am absolutely not surprised by these findings...and the conversation needs to go beyond these stats to highlight the real experiences people of color are having in their media jobs. Because if my experience is any indication...there is so, so much work to do.

Birth Control Will Finally Be Sold Over The Counter. These Young Activists Pushed To Make It Happen (Elle)

Over the counter birth control access certainly won't solve all the problems that exist in the world of reproductive health, but it will be a game changer for a lot of people.

Teens, people from religious families, rural residents, people from cultures that still stigmatize premarital sex and birth control — those people have one barrier to access removed. This matters, and it's important that we explore the implications of this new development.