Jody Allard

Jody Allard

Bio

Jody Allard is a former techie turned freelance writer living in Seattle. Her online work has appeared on Time, xoJane, and Offbeat Home, among others. She writes primarily about food, family, mothering, and life with a chronic illness. 

Jody Allard Articles

SHOCKER: Men And Women Experience Pain Differently

As you might imagine, assuming that men and women are exactly the same hasn't worked out too well.

Read...

Internal Review Released Today STILL Brings No Justice For Rehtaeh Parsons

Prosecutors could have "reasonably" proceeded with sexual assault charges in the Rehtaeh Parsons case or declined to pursue them, according to a

Read...
chronic illness does not automatically equal depression.

5 Things I Wish My Doctor Knew About Having An Invisible Illness

Although my underlying disease has no treatment, many of the symptoms of my disease can be treated, and even a small reduction in my symptoms can be life-changing for me. Yet, unless I really push my doctors for a treatment plan, they rarely offer any suggestions. I understand that there is no pill to cure me, and I don't feel bad when my doctor doesn't have one to offer.

Read...

"I'm Especially Proud When You're At Your Worst": A Letter To My Teenage Daughter

You're 15 years old now. You're not a little girl anymore—even though you wish you were, just a little bit.

Read...
Cut it out with the pink ribbons.

6 Things You Can Do Today To Help Someone With Breast Cancer

As you've probably gathered by the explosion of pink everything, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And, while many people try to spread awareness with the best of intentions, there isn't anyone left on this planet who hasn't heard of breast cancer. Breast cancer patients need many things, but sharing silly Facebook statuses and engaging in other click-it-and-forget-about-it forms of awareness isn't one of them.

Read...
credit: Ashley Anderson

Please Do Not Dub Sandra Bland A Crazy Black Woman

"Ultimately, it doesn't matter much whether Bland killed herself or was murdered. In both cases, she died because she was hauled into custody for a minor offense that didn't really even merit being pulled over to begin with. Maybe her head injury led to uncharacteristic behavior, or maybe the traumatic arrest triggered a severe PTSD episode, or maybe someone flat out killed her. But, in every case, she died because she was in that police cell."

Read...
Credit: ThinkStock

Debate On "Free-Range Parenting" Obscures Real Issues Facing Children

It's easy and painless to poke our noses into the minutiae of other parents' decisions, but it in no way tackles the real epidemic of child abuse.

Read...

Video Shows What Happens When Men Are Erased From Power

If you've ever wondered what would happen if all men were removed from positions of power, a

Read...
Planned Parenthood (photo credit: Women's eNews)

Why We Should Thank Planned Parenthood, Not Defund It

". . . it is illegal to sell fetal tissue, but it is perfectly legal to receive compensation for the time and expense involved in collecting, preparing, storing, and transporting tissue for research purposes. This is well-established in the rules and regulations surrounding organ and tissue donation. Similar regulations also make it illegal to sell children, but legal to compensate parents for medical care and expenses incurred during an adoption."

Read...

When Hackers Target Ashley Madison, Families Suffer

". . . a couple of people posted the nastiest sex ad they could come up with to Craigslist and published all of the responses, including pictures, email addresses, etc. Unfortunately, my ex husband was dumb enough to use a fake email address but still send this "woman" multiple pictures of himself that included both his face and his dick. It was very obvious to everyone concerned that my husband was soliciting nasty sex online."

Read...