What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face...

When you're a parent, every day brings a "fresh hell" to deal with. In other words, there's always something. Think of us as your funny mom friends who are here to remind you: you're not alone, and it won't always be this hard.

We're Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables, both busy moms of three kids, but with completely different parenting styles. Margaret is a laid-back to the max; Amy never met a spreadsheet or an organizational system she didn't like.

In each episode of "What Fresh Hell" we offer lots of laughs, but also practical advice, parenting strategies, and tips to empower you in your role as a mom. We explore self-help techniques, as well as ways to prioritize your own needs, combat stress, and despite the invisible workload we all deal with, find joy amidst the chaos of motherhood.

If you've ever wondered "why is my kid..." then one of us has probably been there, and we're here to tell you what we've learned along the way.

We unpack the behaviors and developmental stages of toddlers, tweens, and teenagers, providing insights into their actions and equipping you with effective parenting strategies.

We offer our best parenting tips and skills we've learned. We debate the techniques and studies that are everywhere for parents these days, and get to the bottom of what works best to raise happy, healthy, fairly well-behaved kids, while fostering a positive parent-child relationship.

If you're the default parent in your household, whether you're a busy mom juggling multiple pickups and dropoffs, or a first-time parent seeking guidance, this podcast is your trusted resource. Join our community of supportive mom friends laughing in the face of motherhood!  

whatfreshhellpodcast.com

Parenting
Comedy
Kids & Family
301
Fresh Take: Rainesford Stauffer on Rethinking A...
What does it mean to be ambitious in today's society, and why are women always told they have too much or too little, but never the right amount? Rainesford Stauffer, author of the new book ALL THE GOLD STARS, explains why we've been getting ambition all wrong.
30 min
302
Are Vacations Worth It?
Are vacations worth the planning, packing, schlepping, and laundry once you get there? We discuss why vacations can be so hard—and how to make summer travels happy for everyone.
41 min
303
Ask Margaret: My Kid Is Reacting Badly to Their...
What do we do when our kids start acting out after their baby status is usurped by a younger sibling? Keep in mind: it's just a phase.
6 min
304
Fresh Take: Jamilah Mapp and Erica Dickerson of...
How do we deal with the societal pressure to perform motherhood perfectly every single day? Jamilah Mapp and Erica Dickerson of the "Good Moms Bad Choices" podcast discuss the power of showing up as our authentic selves..
30 min
305
What Makes You a Great Parent?
Knowing where all the things are? Breaking patterns? Handling gross injuries? We asked our listeners what makes them a great parent, and the answers ranged far and wide.
43 min
306
June Bonus TEASER: Our Hobbies
From decoupage to the OG bullet journal, Amy and Margaret discuss the hobbies they love, the ones they hate, and the ones they only learned for a show they were in.
2 min
307
Ask Amy: When Other People Discipline Your Kids
It can really get under our skin when other adults– relatives or strangers– tell our kids to stop splashing, or sit still, or any other directive we might or may not agree with. But when should we go full Mama Bear, and when should we let it slide?
6 min
308
Fresh Take: Gaia Bernstein on Gaining Control O...
Screens are everywhere today, and both we and our kids are on them too much. Gaia Bernstein, author of "Unwired: Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies" explains how to start to untangle ourselves from screen addiction.
29 min
309
Uh Oh, It's Summer!
Ah, summer! Time for relaxing. Just as soon as we get through the end-of-year craziness and sign each of our kids up for ten camps.
42 min
310
Ask Margaret: My Kid Is Afraid of Storms
How do we calm our kids' fears about storms, floods, fires, and tornadoes? Here's how to help your kids process scary things in an honest way.
7 min
311
Best Of: Dr. Becky Kennedy on Being "Good Inside"
Dr. Becky Kennedy, host of the "Good Inside with Dr. Becky" podcast and @drbeckyatgoodinside on Instagram, tells us how the “Good Inside” approach can reshape how we view both ourselves as parents and our children.
33 min
312
Things We Should Be Able to Do (But Can't)
Parallel parking? Riding a bike? Estimating how many people are in a stadium? We asked our listeners what lessons they "missed in school" and never caught up on again.
39 min
313
Ask Margaret: When Kids Ask Embarrassing Questions
What do we do when our kids loudly observe other people's differences in public? Curiosity may be normal, but the outcomes can be mortifying.
6 min
314
Fresh Take: Meg Zucker on Empowering Kids with ...
Meg Zucker is the author of the new book BORN EXTRAORDINARY: Empowering Children with Differences and Disabilities. We talk about the work all parents can do to empower all kids.
27 min
315
Ditching Mom Guilt
"Mom guilt" might be universal and inescapable. It's also often misplaced, and can sabotage not just our own happiness, but our ability to parent effectively.
39 min
316
Ask Amy: My Kid Is Learning Sassy Talk at Presc...
Is it a big deal if your child brings salty talk home from preschool? Not necessarily. Is it a teachable moment? Absolutely. This age is the time kids first become aware of others' feelings.
5 min
317
Fresh Take: Laura Cathcart Robbins on Motherhoo...
If we feel like we're constantly performing motherhood rather than living it, how is that sustainable—or desirable? Laura Cathcart Robbins talks about her journey to authenticity in her new memoir STASH.
34 min
318
Our Mom Friendships Are Different Now
Have your mom friendships changed after the upheaval of the last few years? How do we get past our decreased social stamina and get back out there?
40 min
319
Ask Amy: My Kid Just Doesn't Want to Talk About It
Some kids are more expressive than others. And a child’s ability to discuss feelings might be frustrated by their vocabulary or emotional maturity. How can we encourage kids to open up? Is there a point at which we should be concerned if they don’t?
5 min
320
Fresh Take: Virginia Sole-Smith on Parenting in...
The stigmatization of fat people shapes how we think about our health. Virginia Sole-Smith, author of the book FAT TALK: PARENTING IN THE AGE OF DIET CULTURE, invites us to question what it means to be “good" regarding weight, diet, and exercise.
33 min
321
Hear Us Out
A boutique where everything on the rack is exactly your size and is guaranteed to fit correctly and look good on you? An ATM app? Third-day hair shampoo? We asked our listeners what would be AMAZING if it were just a liiiiiitle bit different.
43 min
322
Ask Margaret: My Playroom Is a Disaster
How do we keep endless plastic junk from flowing into our house and gumming up the works? Margaret helps a frustrated listener with some tips for those who are swimming up to their necks in plastic toys.
7 min
323
Fresh Take: Sara Petersen on Mommy Influencer C...
Why do we get sucked into endless golden hour photos of mothers and their beatific children in pumpkin patches on Instagram? Sara Petersen, author of "Momfluenced," explains what it is about these so-called "perfect mothers" that holds us captive.
29 min
324
Body Image: How It Affects Us (and Our Kids)
What do we do when we see our kids disparaging their bodies, especially when we're struggling with our own body images? As Margaret says, "this can't be fixed," but there are definitely things we can try.
39 min
325
Ask Amy: My Kid Is Not Great at Apologizing
Kids sometimes view saying “sorry” as a get-out-of-jail-free card. I said the magic word, Mom, why are you still mad? But sorry is only the first step in a proper apology.
6 min