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 - 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
527
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
528
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
529
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
530
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
531
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
532
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
533
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
534
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
535
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
536
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
537
Grudges Held, Grudges Kept
We asked our listeners to tell us about their pettiest and most long-held grudges. From spelling-bee unfairness to pumpkin-farm price gouging, we spill the tea on our own petty grudges and share some of your most hilarious answers.
42 min
538
Ask Margaret - Should I Take My Kids to Disney ...
Some families are "all Disney all the time". Some prefer “one and done.” And for some folks the very idea is a "nope, never". Margaret talks about her own family’s recent trip to Disney World and her ideas on making your own family's trip a success.
7 min
539
Fresh Take: Amee Severson on Intuitive Eating F...
Intuitive eating starts with believing our kids deserve to feel lovable, worthy, and accepted, no matter what their bodies look like. Nutritionist Amee Severson, co-author of HOW TO RAISE AN INTUITIVE EATER, tells us how to start living that message.
32 min
540
Being "Safe Spaces" For Our Kids
We’ve all had it happen: Grandma says the kids were perfect angels for her all weekend, and then they’re crying and fighting as soon as we get them home. Do we really have to be “safe spaces” for our kids’ worst behavior and most negative feelings?
41 min
541
Ask Amy: The Kids Make Me Nuts While I'm Driving!
Working parents could really use their commuting time to decompress. Kids prefer to use that time explaining every single thing that happened that day. How do you balance the need to share with the equally valid need for a little peace and quiet?
4 min
542
Fresh Take: Taylor Harris on Motherhood, Geneti...
A mother whose child is struggling “shoulders the burdens of discerning the why,” as Taylor Harris explains in her book THIS BOY WE MADE. And when teams of experts try their best but can provide no answers, parents have to learn to live in between.
34 min
543
Better Then? Or Better Now?
Anyone old enough to have enjoyed the Super Bowl halftime show also has strong opinions about what other things were definitely better Back in the Day. In this episode we decide whether some things are better then or better now- for kids AND parents.
41 min
544
Ask Margaret - When Should My Kids Start Sharin...
Having your kids share a room creates more space, but it can also create a whole host of problems, from late-night shenanigans to siblings waking each other up way too early. Margaret explains how the pros and cons have played out at her house.
4 min
545
Fresh Take: The Dumb Dads
The Dumb Dads make some of the funniest content in the parenting space. Margaret talks with Evan and Kevin about where they find their inspiration and about their Clark Kent lives as stay-at-home dads.
36 min
546
That's No Longer Interesting To Me
Life can get better when you stop caring. Whether it’s celebrity culture, making our kids dress appropriately for the weather, rinsing rice, or checking the scale in the morning, here are things that are no longer interesting to us and our listeners.
41 min
547
Ask Amy: How Much Complaining About the "Invisi...
Talking about the invisible workload isn't one and done. If the default parent doesn’t make it visible, who is going to see what they do? But in order to keep these conversations peaceful and productive, start by considering what you hope to gain.
5 min
548
Fresh Take: Masha Rumer on Parenting As An Immi...
There’s a Russian saying: You can’t sit on two chairs with one butt. Guest Masha Rumer, author of PARENTING WITH AN ACCENT, explains the experiences of immigrant parents raising kids in America while trying to maintain a relationship to their pasts.
30 min
549
Things Change, And That's Okay
Our kids get older, and so do we. That’s Just Facts. And that our relationships with our kids will therefore change as they grow? Truth. But does that mean you have to therefore cherish every moment, because it’s all less wonderful each day? Nope.
42 min
550
Ask Margaret - What Kind of After-School Routin...
We picture after school as a time to reunite with our kids and discuss the day, maybe over some homemade cookies. In reality it’s more like wrangling a bunch of escaped zoo creatures. How can we create a routine that serves everyone in our homes?
6 min