Parenting in 2025 is noisy, fast, and full of trade-offs. In this episode, Brian speaks with experienced writer, editor and journalist, Zara Hanawalt, to unpack the realities shaping family life today—from tech and TikTok advice to school choices, cultural norms, and even the "tradwife" discourse. We explore why the default parent role persists, how class and policy shape everyday experiences, and the one thing no app can replace: emotional presence.

Zara Hanawalt is a Chicago-based freelance journalist covering parenting, women's health, work, and culture, with bylines at outlets like Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Parents, Shape, Motherly, and The Everymom. She's also a co-host of the podcast Do You Want The Truth? which shares candid, real-life stories from parents in the trenches. Zara is a graduate of the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, where she earned a Master's degree.

Learn more about Zara:

• Contributor bio at The Everymom (portfolio & recent pieces) The Everymom

• Instagram: @zarahanawalt Instagram

• LinkedIn profile LinkedIn

• Podcast: Do You Want The Truth?

• How parenting has shifted over the last decade—and what hasn't

• Why information overload burns parents out (and filters that actually help)

• Tech's double edge: practical guardrails vs. guilt

• Culture & class: how they shape radically different parenting realities

• The default parent and division of labor—what rebalancing looks like

• Return-to-work after a résumé gap: language that works for caregivers

• Education choices amid uncertainty about the future

• Emotional presence as the non-negotiable in modern parenting

From workplace policies and school decisions to algorithm-driven advice, parents are navigating complexity with real consequences for kids and careers. Zara brings reporting rigor and lived perspective to cut through the noise and focus on systems that actually improve family life.

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