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!
526
Ask Margaret - My Boys are Bathroom Destroyers!
If you've got boys you probably have a bathroom in your house that no one dares walk into, but this doesn't have to be a permanent state! Here are some tips and tricks for how to keep the bathrooms in your house at least passable, if not perfect.
4 min
527
Fresh Take: Melinda Wenner Moyer on Raising Kid...
These days, our kids are getting the message that being selfish, obnoxious and cruel is not only okay– it’s how people in power behave. How do we teach them that it actually matters to be kind, ethical, and nice to be around? Guest: Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of HOW TO RAISE KIDS WHO AREN’T A**HOLES.
36 min
528
Well, That Backfired! (Part Two)
Part Two! We asked our listeners: What's something you tried thinking it would go great, and instead it spectacularly backfired?
43 min
529
Ask Amy: My Toddler Thinks It's Funny to Hit Me
Toddlers don’t possess "theory of mind"– the ability to understand other people's mental states, and that those emotions can differ from their own. If smacking Mommy's face makes a 2-year-old feel curious, he really might not know it’s inappropriate.
3 min
530
BEST OF: Katherine May on "Wintering"
Katherine May is the author of WINTERING: THE POWER OF REST AND RETREAT IN DIFFICULT TIMES. In this episode, which originally aired in December 2020, May explains how we can apply the lessons of nature’s actual winters to our metaphorical ones.
44 min
531
2021: The Year in Review
We look back on the year that was and discuss the episodes that were our favorites: the ones that surprised us, taught us the most, and made us laugh. Check the show notes for the one-click playlist of all our favorites!
39 min
532
Ask Margaret - How Do I Handle Kid Crushes?
When our kids tell us about their elementary school crushes– or we find out thanks to notes in their backpack– it can be exciting, confusing, or hilarious. Here’s how to talk about crushes with our younger kids and why it might be best to ‘lean out.’
5 min
533
BEST OF: Carla Naumburg
Kids are hardwired to push our buttons. We’re hardwired to freak out when they do. Carla Naumburg, author of HOW TO STOP LOSING YOUR SH*T WITH YOUR KIDS, explains in this "Best Of" episode how managing our triggers can help.
42 min
534
BEST OF: Holiday Fails
We asked our listeners to tell us their holiday worsts, and in this "best of " episode we discuss them all, plus a few of our own. Think your holiday season has been a little crazy? Hold our eggnog.
44 min
535
Ask Amy: Tips for Flying With Little Ones
Flying with little ones this holiday season? We’ve got tips for what to pre-load on your phone, how to get little ones to keep masks on, and how to decide whether you want to get on the plane first– or absolutely last.
5 min
536
Fresh Take: Rashida Dinehart on Normalizing Grief
Being a parent when you’ve lost your own parent is a special grief journey. Rashida Dinehart of The Grieving Mamas Podcast tells Margaret how her own stages of grief have progressed, and how she says moms on this journey can protect themselves.
30 min
537
It's the Most Everything Time of the Year
According to a recent study, 41% of men strongly agreed that they can relax during the holidays. Only 27% of women felt the same. It’s the most everything time of the year, and we’re doing– and feeling– all the things.
41 min
538
Ask Margaret - Splitting Time at the Holidays
When we have to balance time with our partner’s family and our own at the holidays, it gets difficult to make everyone feel loved and appreciated. The key to making it work? Establishing clear expectations ahead of time, and then holding your ground.
6 min
539
Fresh Take: Relationships with Danielle Silvers...
29 min
540
Well, That Backfired (Part One)
We asked our listeners: What's something you tried thinking it would go great, and instead it spectacularly backfired?
40 min
541
Ask Amy- My Kid Gags At Foods He Used To Like!
If kids already have limited food repertoires, seeing them reduce their list of acceptable foods is very stressful. What should a parent do when her child’s picky eating actually increases with age? How can parents push back without power struggles?
7 min
542
Fresh Take: Rachel Nielson of "3 in 30" Podcast...
Rachel Nielson hosts 3 in 30 Takeaways, a podcast for moms who want to love motherhood as much as they love their kids. She tells us how noticing the "flecks of gold" in her life has actually changed her parenting– and how we can start that practice.
31 min
543
Does Having Kids Make Us Happy?
Studies show an uncertain connection between becoming a parent and increased pleasure, so asking whether having kids makes us happy is complicated– and might not be the point. What are parenting’s rewards? What can we do to raise happiness levels?
40 min
544
Ask Margaret - Will I Always Be This Tired?
When you have little kids feeling tired can start to feel like a permanent state. Kids are master energy-sappers and with, say, a baby and a toddler at home it's easy to feel like being rested is a thing of the past. But there is hope for sleep in the future of even the most tired mom and there are even a few things we can try to make us less tired during those super-tough baby years.
4 min
545
BEST OF: Dr. Edward Hallowell on the New Scienc...
In this “Best Of” interview Dr. Edward Hallowell, co-author of ADHD 2.0: New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving with Distraction--From Childhood Through Adulthood, explains the growing understanding of brains with “variable attention.”
39 min
546
Might Seem Crazy. Works for Me.
45 min
547
Ask Amy - Can I Really Love My Second Child As ...
When moms have a second baby it’s common for them to fear how it will change their relationship with their first child. And whether they’ll have enough love to give them both. Trust us: you will. And you’ll give that older kid the gift of a new bond.
5 min
548
Fresh Take: Zibby Owens on What Moms Don't Have...
Zibby Owens is a podcaster, writer, publisher, and mom who doesn’t have time to exercise, see friends, sleep– or even get sick. Her new anthology MOMS DON’T HAVE TIME TO HAVE KIDS offers 49 essays on what most moms don’t– and yet must– make time for.
30 min
549
Taking Care Of Our Parents (And Our Kids)
Half of adults in their 30s and 40s say they handle some of their parents’ caregiving, even if it’s mostly logistical or financial. When you’re also taking care of your kids, it’s a lot. We talk “sandwich generation” stress and how to get more help.
43 min
550
Fresh Take: Tiffany Jenkins on Mom Anxiety and ...
Tiffany Jenkins is as hilarious as she is honest. She’s a comedian, blogger, author, podcaster, and mom who uses her platforms to help and inspire others struggling with motherhood, mental health, and addiction, and those who just need a good laugh.
39 min