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!
476
Fresh Take: KC Davis and the Gentle Approach to...
KC Davis, author of the new book HOW TO KEEP HOUSE WHILE DROWNING, tells us how to move beyond stepping on LEGOs, confronting towers of dirty dishes, and feeling overwhelmed with a gentler method for home care and self-care.
43 min
477
BEST OF: Let It Go? Or No?
Still mad about that thing from that time? In this "Best Of" re-release, we review listener grudges large and small, deciding once and for all if those listeners should let it go or no. That’s not the same as whether they have a right to be annoyed.
41 min
478
Fresh Take: Iris Chen on "Untigering"
Iris Chen is a recovering tiger mother and founder of the Untigering movement, which emphasizes shifting away from parenting that is rooted in power to parenting that is grounded in partnership. Iris explains how to begin the untigering process.
29 min
479
BONUS: What We're Watching, Reading, and Listen...
From “Bridgerton” to “Invisible Kingdom” to “Maintenance Phase,” Amy and Margaret are keeping busy between What Fresh Hell episodes with podcasts, movies, TV shows, and a little bit of T Swift. (And no, the kids are not invited.)
42 min
480
Which Parenting Rules Can We Break?
Pacifiers in the crib. Juice in the sippy cup. Popsicles in the bathtub. We all have exceptions that we make to the so-called parenting “rules” in the interest of our own sanity. Our listeners share which parenting rules they break and why.
41 min
481
Ask Amy: My Kid Has Serious Separation Anxiety
Many of us have had the drop-off experience where our kid cries and just won't let go of us. How do we help our kids through separation anxiety and make them understand that we don’t go poof when we leave for work?
7 min
482
Fresh Take: Mary Laura Philpott on "Bomb Shelter"
You can think you’ve accounted for every variable as a parent, but then something happens that turns everything upside down. This week, Mary Laura Philpott, author of Bomb Shelter, discusses the unexpected variables in her life and how she copes.
30 min
483
When Our Partners Just Don't Get it
It was my husband. In the kitchen. With the dirty cup. AGAIN. Our partners do things that drive us mad. And sometimes it affects our parenting or our marriages. How do we make our partners truly understand what we need? Besides hiding all the cups?
40 min
484
Ask Margaret: How Do I Talk To My Kids About My...
Getting a cancer diagnosis turns everything upside down. And helping your kids understand the situation is a daunting prospect. This week, Margaret talks about the support systems we can use to make the task easier--and reminds us we’re not alone.
6 min
485
Best Of: Dr. Lisa Damour on Helping Kids Manage...
Anxious kids don’t always behave like anxious adults. What works to help anxious kids also differs. In this “Best Of” episode Dr. Lisa Damour, host of “Ask Dr. Lisa” and author of UNDER PRESSURE, gives strategies to help kids “settle their glitter.”
54 min
486
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure affects everyone in the human species, and even some self-conscious monkeys. What is it about sitting with the cool kids, and how can we help our own kids understand they don’t have to follow all of the other lemmings over the cliff?
37 min
487
Ask Amy: Helping Kids Deal With Comparison and ...
When kids reach school age they become aware of what others might think. Social comparison with peers comes into play– and when another kid gets “student of the week” or a T-ball grand slam or any benchmark of childhood achievement, so can jealousy.
4 min
488
Fresh Take: Britt Hawthorne on Antiracist Paren...
Starting the conversation about racism with kids is tricky. But there is a way to instill curiosity, engagement, and excitement in both yourself and your child as you embark on your journey to practice antiracism each and every day.
31 min
489
Why Is This a Thing?
From bikinis for six-year-olds to leprechaun traps to over-the-top holiday traditions, there are so many trends and traditions that shouldn’t exist. We asked our listeners what shouldn’t be a thing anymore, and they responded in force…
43 min
490
Ask Margaret - How Should I Enforce Bedtime?
When your child’s 8 p.m. bedtime becomes 9 p.m. and then 10 p.m., it's called “bedtime creep." How can we enforce better and more consistent rules around bedtime and get everyone more sleep?
8 min
491
Fresh Take: Cat and Nat on Being Mom BFFs
Cat and Nat’s hilarious #momtruths videos have garnered millions of views. They’re also best friends in real life. They tell us about their new book CAT AND NAT’S MOM SECRETS, and why a good marriage helps, but what we all need is a mom BFF.
30 min
492
Spoiled Kids (And How Not To Have Them)
We might think “kids today” get away with more than we did, but people have complained about “spoiled” children since the 1600s. What does it mean for a kid to be spoiled? How can we avoid raising our own spoiled kids and what happens when we’re stuck with someone else’s?
37 min
493
Ask Amy: My Kid Is Dealing With a Bully
When our kid is being bullied, how do we intervene without making things worse? And what if the bully is a former friend? The key is finding a way protect your kids without going full-on Mama Bear.
5 min
494
Fresh Take: Bobbi Rebell on Raising Financially...
Bobbi Rebell is the author of the new book LAUNCHING FINANCIAL GROWNUPS. In this interview, she explains how to discuss financial matters with our kids early and often, in order to raise young people who understand money once they leave the nest.
34 min
495
Toxic Positivity
“Toxic positivity” has become a buzzword, but what does it actually mean and why is it that we feel a need to put a silver lining on all of our rain clouds? In this episode we unearth the science behind toxic positivity and how an obsessive desire to stay positive can actually hurt us in the long run.
41 min
496
Ask Margaret - My Kid Hates Getting Their Hair ...
Bath time can be a fun-time splash-o-rama or it can be a tantrum-fest. So what do we do when it's the latter and our kids absolutely refuse to get their hair washed? Like, “scream and cry” refuse? Margaret takes us to the tub this week with bath time tips that ease kids fears.
6 min
497
Fresh Take: Abby Medcalf on Relationships That ...
Abby Medcalf, author of “Be Happily Married, Even if Your Partner Won’t Do a Thing,” and host of the “Relationships Made Easy” Podcast, discusses how to move out of competition mindset with our partners and into cooperation and connection.
33 min
498
Kid Crushes and Dating
When you find out about a little kid's crush it may be the first time you are learning something "secret" about them. We talk about kid crushes, tweens’ dating habits, and how to talk to your kid if they have their eye on someone.
42 min
499
Ask Amy: How Should I Deal With Comments About ...
People’s comments about how tiny our child is, or how chubby, can really get to us– even when it’s intended as a compliment, or at least as a sincere inquiry. Here’s what to say when nosy strangers, neighbors, or relatives comment on our kid’s size.
7 min
500
Fresh Take: Sara Dean on Thinking Bigger
How can we think bigger even when we don’t have time to shower? How can we stop shrinking and start shining? We talk about how to live bigger, bolder and braver with Sara Dean, host of The Shameless Mom Academy podcast and the Momentum Mamas.
31 min