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
BEST OF: Debbie Reber on Parenting Kids Who Are...
At least 20% of today's kids are “differently wired” with anxiety, ADHD, autism, giftedness, processing disorders, learning disabilities, and more. Guest Debbie Reber explains the parenting “tilts” that work best to support non-neurotypical kids.
37 min
302
BEST OF: How Little Parenting Can We Get Away W...
How little parenting can we get away with? Is doing less better—or at least good enough? We talk backing off on what our kids wear, what they eat, and what they do all day with James Breakwell, author of the hilarious new book Bare Minimum Parenting.
45 min
303
Ask Amy: What Age Is Old Enough for Social Media?
How old should our kids be before they have social media accounts, given all that we know about their dangers? It's a complicated decision, but here are the factors to consider.
6 min
304
Fresh Take: Jennifer Wallace on Achievement Pre...
How do we protect our kids from the toxic achievement pressure that surrounds them? Jennifer Wallace, author of the new book NEVER ENOUGH, explains how to walk this line.
30 min
305
When Typical Parenting Advice Just Doesn't Fit
Parenting advice is often deemed to be universal. When it's not, we tend to question ourselves—but what we should be questioning is why parenting was ever thought to be one-size-fits-all.
40 min
306
Ask Margaret: My Kid Won't Eat a Bite of Dinner!
How do we get our kid to eat what's on their plate when they'd rather launch it across the room? It's time to start thinking of our kid's nourishment in larger units (like weeks).
5 min
307
Fresh Take: Bea Kim on Rediscovering Yourself A...
Once we become mothers, does everything else about us go out the window? How do we get back in touch with our values? Bea Kim, executive and life coach, provides concrete advice for maintaining a healthy sense of identity post-parenthood.
31 min
308
Crazymakers
We all have people in our lives who are crazymakers— always late, always stirring the pot, always causing chaos. Here's what a crazymaker really is - and how to deal with the ones in your life effectively.
42 min
309
Ask Amy: Should I Care If My Teenagers Curse?
What do we do when our kids start using colorful language around the house? Especially when we are sometimes guilty of doing the same thing? Here's how to lay down some ground rules around cursing if you can't outlaw it completely.
4 min
310
Fresh Take: Jamilla Svansson-Brown on How Mothe...
How do we accept the huge changes that motherhood brings while maintaining strong relationships with our partners? Jamilla Svansson-Brown, co-creator of the Jamilla and Que YouTube channel, discusses how she and her wife have navigated these changes.
31 min
311
BEST OF: Ditching What Doesn't Matter (with the...
Whether we’re stressed perfectionists or hot messes, our homes and relationships get happier when we clarify what goes in what pile FOR US. Guest Kendra Adachi, author of THE LAZY GENIUS WAY, talks about making systems that work for us and only us.
42 min
312
Ask Margaret: My Child Is Being Ostracized
How do we help our child when their friends have cast them out without making things worse or helicopter parenting? Margaret gives some tactics for helping kids through inevitable friendship drama.
7 min
313
Fresh Take: Lara Love Hardin
What does it take to come back from absolute rock bottom? Lara Love Hardin, author of the new memoir "The Many Lives of Mama Love" discusses her journey from perfect soccer mom to incarcerated felon to reinvented woman.
30 min
314
We Forgot What Little Kids Were Like
Margaret recently took care of a 6- and 2-year-old for awhile, and Amy recently attended a family reunion with little ones running around. The results are in - constantly attending to the needs of little kids is way more exhausting than we remember!
41 min
315
Ask Amy: I've Already Got the End-of-Summer Sca...
How do we relieve ourselves of the pressure to make every summer day Pinterest-worthy for our children, especially when all we do is break up fights and tell them no? Amy helps a listener combat her end-of-summer scaries.
5 min
316
Fresh Take: Ash Brandin, The Gamer Educator
Most of us think our kids should have less screen time. At least that’s the guilt trip we’ve been sold. But what if we can take a more “value neutral” approach? Ash Brandin, @TheGamerEducator, tells us how families can make screens work for everyone.
32 min
317
Teaching Kids About Money
In a world where we walk around most days without cash or even credit cards, paying for things with our phones and watches, how can we teach our kids how money works—and that it doesn't grow on trees? Here are some ways to teach financial literacy.
41 min
318
Ask Margaret: Ground Rules for House Guests
House guests are fun. They're also overwhelming, even when they're the same people who raised you. Here's how to set ground rules that work for everyone.
5 min
319
Fresh Take: Erin Pepler
Why are mothers expected to say pregnancy is an unending forty weeks of bliss, even when their reality may very much differ? Erin Pepler author of the new book “Send Me Into the Woods Alone” talks about breaking the silence around the less-than-pretty parts of pregnancy and new motherhood.
35 min
320
Why Was This a Thing? Rules We Once Lived By
Whistling inside? No baseball caps at dinner? No showers during a lightning storm? What odd rules of life did Amy and Margaret once cling to?
40 min
321
Ask Amy: When Should Kids Stop Sharing a Room?
When siblings share a room, is there an age when it becomes better for them to have separate spaces? It depends on the kids, but here are the factors you might keep in mind.
4 min
322
Fresh Take: Raena Boston on Mom Scams
What if we thought of mom guilt and the gender pay gap as "scams" that were being run on mothers? Raena Boston, founder of the Working Momtras, explains why parenting is inherently political.
32 min
323
July Bonus TEASER: Ask Us Anything
Best infinite purse snack? How does the family feel about the podcast? When is the What Fresh Hell sitcom coming out? For the July bonus episode, it's time to ask Amy and Margaret anything!
2 min
324
Let's Stop Caring What People Think
Why do we care so much what other people think? Does anyone truly possess the magical ability to ignore the judgments of others? How do we tell the difference between whose opinions matter and whose definitely do not?
38 min
325
Ask Margaret: My Kid Is Super Slow in the Mornings
What do you do with a child who always runs late because they move at a (seemingly purposeful) glacial pace? It might be time to consider what your kid is gaining from the situation.
5 min