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!
576
Fresh Take: Kate Anthony on Doing Divorce Right
Divorce can be amicable, even if your breakup (or marriage) was not. Guest Kate Anthony explains how to make the decision to stay or to go, how to move past the anger, and how to put kids at the center of your co-parenting, but never in the middle.
33 min
577
Let's Rethink Birthday Parties
Have we utterly lost the script when it comes to kids' birthday parties? Is there anything to be gained by simplifying the expectations, the gift-giving, and the goodie bags? We’ve got ideas for parties that are super-fun without breaking the bank.
43 min
578
Ask Margaret - My Kid Doesn't Want to Spend Tim...
When a kid is spending a lot of time alone and seems disconnected from peers, it is tempting for us to swoop in and try to solve the problem. But the better approach is to offer perspective and support to your teen, and be a “safe landing spot.”
7 min
579
BEST OF: Husband Crimes- Can This Marriage Be S...
We asked you to tell us your spouses’ most unacceptable- and also extremely minor- infractions. Whether it’s turning off the AC, creating a Sock Mountain, or pausing Netflix to point out plot holes, these husband (and wife) crimes deserve justice.
52 min
580
Rule Breaker Or Rule Follower: Which Are You?
Are you a rule breaker or a rule follower? Are you married to your opposite? In this episode we discuss how these two kinds of people bump up against each other– especially in our own families– and how we try to find a little balance.
42 min
581
Ask Amy- Is My Kid *Trying* To Be This Difficult?
Is your kid *trying* to make you hate her? More likely, she’s in a developmentally appropriate “disequilibrium” phase. Knowing your formerly calm, happy, loving child will come back soon can really help.
5 min
582
Fresh Take: Christina Hillsberg on How Being a ...
Christina Hillsberg is a former CIA spy. She’s also a mom of five. Her book LICENSE TO PARENT: How My Career as a Spy Helped Me Raise Resourceful, Self-Sufficient Kids is a practical guide for using key spy tactics to teach kids important life skills.
32 min
583
The Best Mom Lies Ever
Here are the mom lies that totally worked on our kids– or worked on us *as* kids. Whether it's the ice cream truck's “all gone” jingle, the "just sleeping” goldfish, or the broccoli factory field trip for kids who act up, these are our favorite fibs.
42 min
584
Ask Margaret - Handling Tough School Drop-Offs
Many of us have peeled shrieking children’s arms from around our necks, handed them off to preschool teachers, then headed back to our cars for a good cry. Here’s how to make dropoffs a little easier– while taking comfort that this phase won't last.
6 min
585
Fresh Take: Annie Murphy Paul on The Extended Mind
Annie Murphy Paul is the author of "The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain.” In this interview, Annie explains how we can tap the intelligence that exists beyond our brains– in our bodies, our surroundings, and our relationships.
29 min
586
Competition: How Much Is Good For Our Kids?
Most of us think the dad yelling through the fence at T-Ball is taking things too seriously. Others say participation trophies teach our kids that achievement is optional. How do we balance the eye of the tiger with just letting our kids play?
41 min
587
Fresh Take: Ashley Brown on Routines That Work
Ashley Brown is the founder of Routine and Things, a business equipping women to live their happiest lives one routine at a time. We discuss Ashley's five areas of focus for routines, why planning routines *is* a routine, and how we can create our own pathways to happier, less stressful lives as moms.
28 min
588
We Thought This Would Be Over By Now
As the *third* school year affected by the pandemic begins, yep, we are frustrated. We thought this would be over by now. But the Delta variant had other plans. Here's how we're currently managing risk for the unvaccinated kids– and vaccinated teens and grownups– in our lives. The enemy is the virus.
35 min
589
Ask Margaret - Can I Say "No Gifts" For My Kid'...
Kids love their birthdays for lots of reasons, but let’s be honest: it’s mostly the gifts. Parents love the gifts a lot less. Buying presents for other kids' parties is a hassle, and having your own kids get a pile of plastic for each birthday isn't great either. Is there a polite way to say “no gifts”?
7 min
590
Fresh Take: Amanda Knox on Feeling Lost and Fin...
Amanda Knox explains how she held on to the hope that was available in her saddest times, what she learned about the loneliness of personal struggle, and how we can help others who are feeling lost in labyrinths of their own, even from the outside.
33 min
591
Highly Sensitive (and Under-Sensitive) Kids
When we first hear about highly sensitive kids– or sensory seekers– it can provide a profound connecting of dots for things that might have baffled us in the past, and a path to effectively address the otherwise confusing behaviors that might ensue.
43 min
592
Ask Amy- When The Other Kid Wants To Play But Y...
Most parents have been on both sides: trying to make friend connections on behalf of a kid who is feeling left out, and hearing "but he's so ANNOYING!" from that same child, feeling suddenly fed up with a friend they used to like fine. Here’s how to handle.
5 min
593
Fresh Take: Lenore Skenazy on Free-Range Kids a...
Lenore Skenazy is the author of FREE-RANGE KIDS and president of Let Grow, a nonprofit promoting childhood independence. We discuss the crucial role of free play with kids of all ages in our kids’ development, and how to foster that free-range play.
33 min
594
Am I Making This Harder Than It Needs To Be?
Why are some things hard for us but not our partners or our friends? Do we make things harder than they need to be? Or are some things, like picking up the phone and talking to a stranger to order pizza, just stupidly difficult for everyone?
38 min
595
Ask Margaret - What Do I Do About My Kid's Poor...
Does keeping track of our kids' hygiene have to be another thing on our list of stuff to worry about? Setting rules and parameters around how and when your kids need to groom themselves is better than daily fights about whether they’ve taken a shower.
6 min
596
Fresh Take: Nikki Weiner on What's Changed in C...
Nikki Weiner explains what’s changed in the college admissions landscape. Is test-optional here to stay? Why are schools suddenly so much harder to get into? What makes an application stand out? How can a student and her parent get through this together?
32 min
597
Handling the News With Our Kids
The news is hard for anyone to escape these days– even our kids, who might see a stray notification on our phones or overhear a TV that was left on. A lot of us struggle with what to tell our kids, how much, and when. Here’s how to get those conversations started.
40 min
598
Ask Amy- My Kid Loses Everything!
All kids lose stuff sometimes. Some kids lose stuff all the time. Sometimes it's ADHD or general inattention. Sometimes it's just a slower development of executive function. No matter what, it's frustrating (and expensive). What's a parent to do?
6 min
599
Fresh Take: Heidi Murkoff on Maternal Health (A...
Heidi Murkoff is the author of the legendary What to Expect When You’re Expecting. She’s also the creator of the What to Expect Project, a nonprofit dedicated to helping all mothers expect healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries, and healthy babies.
32 min
600
Best Advice We'd Give Our Younger Selves
Youth is wasted on the young. We wasted our youth taking the wrong classes in college and layering imaginary agendas onto other people's dopey behavior. Here's the best advice we (and our listeners) learned from doing things the wrong way.
41 min