Words matter. Lived experience matters. Research matters. With a 25-year background in journalism (and 14 years and counting as a parent), Lauren Smith Brody writes about the intersection of gender, parenting, and business for national media.

recent bylines

The New York Times Book Review: The Pressures and Privileges of Being a Parent in 2021. Reviews of The Family Firm, by Emily Oster, Pregnant Girl, by Nicole Lynn Lewis, and Father Figure, by Jordan Shapiro, by Lauren Smith Brody

The New York Times Book Review: The Myth of the Silent, Sulky, Horny Teenage Boy. Reviews of Boys and Sex, by Peggy Orenstein and Decoding Boys, by Cara Natterson, by Lauren Smith Brody

The New York Times: How to Be Mostly O.K. (And Occasionally Fantastic) at the Whole Working Mom Thing, by Lauren Smith Brody

Harper’s Bazaar: The Invisible Nannies of Instagram, by Lauren Smith Brody

Harper’s Bazaar: Gabrielle Union and Eva Longoria Want to Wear Their Babies on the Red Carpet, by Lauren Smith Brody

Today’s Parent: Why Mom Guilt Is the Biggest Lie of All, by Lauren Smith Brody

The New York Times: When the Nanny Needs Maternity Leave, by Lauren Smith Brody

Pure Wow: I’m a Working Mom With No Hobbies…And I’m O.K. With That, by Lauren Smith Brody

Slate: New Moms Have Plenty to Deal With at Work. Don’t Add More Guilt, by Lauren Smith Brody

Parents magazine: Everything You Need to Know About Parenting Around Judge-y Relatives, by Lauren Smith Brody

Glamour magazine: How to Ask for (and Get!) a More Flexible Work Schedule After Having a Baby, by Lauren Smith Brody

“Ask Lauren” Columns for Maisonette

Parents’ Guide to Negotiating Now: Some good news: Parents have more room to negotiate than ever. From how to reset expectations at the office and with kids who always want more of you, columnist Lauren Smith Brody offers guidance for getting what you want at work and home.

Navigation Ambition: What does it look like to reframe ambition? Is burning the midnight oil all that it's cracked up to be? Here, Lauren Smith Brody offers guidance on how to think about moving forward in your career, whether or not that means moving up.

Reframing Time Management: From fitting in time for friends to being honest with ourselves about procrastination, columnist Lauren Smith Brody offers guidance on time management strategies without changing who you are in any way.

How to Avoid Holiday Drama: 'Tis the season! From demanding travel schedules, balancing time with family, over-served uncles and fighting the urge to spend it all—literally and metaphorically speaking—columnist Lauren Smith Brody answers your most pressing questions about surviving the most wonderful time of the year.

Navigating the New Workplace Normal: From setting boundaries with friends and colleagues to handling the inevitable daycare shut downs, navigating our new ever-changing normal is a constant juggling act. Here, columnist Lauren Smith Brody helps readers keep their most important balls in the air—one uncertainty at a time.

Caregiver Conundrums: From missing milestones to handing the reigns over to your mother-in-law, the childcare struggle is real. Here, columnist Lauren Smith Brody answers your toughest questions about finding—and keeping—the perfect caregiver for your family's needs.

Money Matters: Financial Advice for Parents: When it comes to parenting there's one thing everyone agrees on: it's expensive. Here, columnist, author and founder of The Fifth Trimester, Lauren Smith Brody, answers the questions weighing most heavily on your wallets—from getting your partner to recognize the true value of childcare to taking maternity leave as a freelancer without going broke.

Pandemic Relationships Real Talk: If you've experienced any pandemic relationship problems, you are not alone. Here, columnist, author and founder of The Fifth Trimester Lauren Smith Brody answers all of the tough questions--from taming resentment to planning for a brighter future.

How to (Painlessly) Transition Back to Work After Baby: Author and founder of The Fifth Trimester, our columnist Lauren Smith Brody literally wrote the book on going back to work after baby. Here, she answers your toughest questions about returning to the office, from how to deal with mom-shaming to successfully setting new boundaries.

Back to (Paid) Work After Baby, Part 2: Our columnist and author and founder of The Fifth Trimester answers another round your most pressing questions about returning to the office post-baby—from how much leave to take to how to deal with feeling jealous of a partner who gets to stay home.

Friendship Dilemmas: Even in the best of times, friendships can be fraught. From political differences to keeping in touch during a pandemic, Lauren Smith Brody tackles the issues we are facing now.

Co-Parenting Through the Holidays: From getting your partner to do their share to navigating religious differences with in-laws, columnist Lauren Smith Brody offers advice for managing holiday stress with your co-parent.

How to Cope with the Holidays During Covid-19: The holidays are always a stressful time, but COVID-19 has taken what can sometimes be a logistical nightmare to the next level. Luckily, columnist Lauren Smith Brody is here to help.

The Mother Load: From over eager gift givers to hesitant helpers, columnist Lauren Smith Brody and her mom, Susan Smith, tackle the grandma issues we all struggle with.

Great Expectations: As our work, home and school lives collide, managing expectations—of ourselves and others—has never been harder. Here, columnist Lauren Smith Brody offers her best advice for keeping bosses, toddlers and colleagues in check.

Fairness in the Workplace: What does fairness in the workplace look like now? Here, Lauren Smith Brody answers your questions on everything from winning at flex-time to feeling the brunt of childcare needs.

Negotiating It All: From having your partner help with distance learning to a seamless return from maternity leave during a pandemic, columnist Lauren Smith Brody offers guidance for getting what you want at work and at home.

Working From Home With Kids: In her second column, Lauren Smith Brody tackles our new reality of working from home with littles in tow.

Mom Guilt? In the first installment of a new advice column for moms, Lauren Smith Brody answers questions on mom guilt—and even a lack thereof.