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!
501
Best Of: Dr. Lynyetta Willis on Breaking Out of...
Ever felt like things are going pretty well but happiness is missing from your parenting and relationships? In this “Best Of” episode, Dr. Lynyetta Willis discusses "stable misery" and explains how we can create more joyful harmony in our lives.
39 min
502
Mom Rage
Mom rage engenders debilitating shame. Where did it come from? Are we actually the worst parent who’s ever parented? But mom rage has common triggers and a predictable path along which it builds- which also means there are things we can do about it.
42 min
503
BEST OF: Handling the News With Our Kids
When the unthinkable happens, how are we supposed to explain it to our children? What do we say, when are they old enough, how do we answer their questions without making them more frightened? In this episode recorded in July 2021, Amy and Margaret discuss how to handle the news with our kids.
42 min
504
Introverts vs. Extroverts (and Making Room for ...
Are you an Amy or a Margaret? AKA: are you an introvert or an extrovert? Turns out, you can enjoy socializing but still be an introvert or require some alone time but still be an extrovert. And there are ways to raise kids who are the opposite of you.
40 min
505
Ask Amy: My Kid Is Screaming Like a Banshee All...
What is with the turn-on-a-dime switch from the sweet, demure kid we had yesterday to the demon who woke up today? Is something really wrong or is this a phase? Here’s how to help your kids through the inevitable “red brain” stages of disequilibrium.
7 min
506
Fresh Take: Matthew Fray on Strengthening Our R...
We’ve all left dishes by the sink. Either that, or we’ve yelled at our partner for doing so. In this episode, Matthew Fray explains how leaving dishes by the sink caused his marriage to implode—hint: it wasn’t just about the dishes.
38 min
507
Unwelcome Surprises
What unwelcome surprises have you experienced on your parenting journey? We asked our listeners to tell us what they didn’t expect when they first started out, and they listed everything from torturous theme days to baby headbutts.
44 min
508
Ask Margaret: Should I Force My Kids to Give Hugs?
We all have relatives who demand big bear hugs when saying goodbye. That may all be well and good for some kids, but what if our kids just aren’t huggers? Margaret discusses how to protect kids’ autonomy while keeping the peace with Grandma.
6 min
509
Fresh Take: Lynn Lyons and Robin Hutson of "Flu...
When anxiety is part of family systems, our well-meaning attempts to assuage kids can instead serve to further reinforce it. Psychologist Lynn Lyons and Robin Hutson, co-hosts of the podcast Flusterclux, explain what actually works for anxiety.
39 min
510
Will We Ever Get Back to Normal?
When will things go “back to normal"? Is that even a question we should be asking ourselves anymore? How do we learn to live with a new normal? Amy and Margaret ponder over how to keep running a race where the finish line keeps moving.
41 min
511
Ask Amy: Am I a Terrible Person for Being Jealo...
When others have easier experiences of parenting than we do, it's easy to get jealous. But is that wrong? Amy responds to a listener struggling with envy towards friends whose births and postpartum experiences were far easier than hers.
5 min
512
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
513
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
514
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
515
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
516
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
517
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
518
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
519
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
520
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
521
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
522
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
523
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
524
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
525
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