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!
626
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
627
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
628
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
629
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
630
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
631
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
632
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
633
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
634
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
635
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
636
Ask Margaret - What To Do When Kids Say They're...
We love the freedom of summer, but with it comes the familiar complaint of "We're bored!” The simplest solution to kid boredom may be to do less. Structure the day with basic categories of activities, but leave lots of free time for “kids' choice.”
7 min
637
Fresh Take: Olivia Martinez-Hauge on Special Ne...
Olivia Martinez-Hauge is a mom of three kids, two with neurodiversity. She’s also a therapist who treats individuals and families who caregive. We talk parenting special-needs kids, plus how to be better allies to friends who might be on that path.
32 min
638
Super-Awesome Mom Hacks
Time for some easy wins! Here of some of our (and our listeners') favorite hacks for naptime, diapers, laundry, cooking, snow days, sibling squabbles, and General Sanity Preservation. This stuff really works!
39 min
639
BEST OF: What Kind of Monster?
What kind of monster listens to videos on speaker? Or keeps the keyboard clicks on their phone? What kind of monster takes up two parking spots? Puts empty cereal boxes back in the cabinet? (Disclaimer: we may have been just a few of these monsters.)
51 min
640
Birth Order: Can We Fight It?
We can see clearly the effects of birth order both in our own families and in our families of origin. But is that a bad thing? Is it a thing to fight back against? And is it a problem if our own birth order has shaped who we are and how we parent?
40 min
641
Ask Margaret- When Is It Okay For Kids To Keep ...
We sometimes worry about kids keeping secrets, but some level of secrecy is appropriate for kids. It’s important to help kids learn which secrets are OK (like surprises). Here’s how to talk about keeping other people's confidences, early and often.
7 min
642
Fresh Take: Dawn Huebner on Sibling Rivalry (An...
Dr. Dawn Huebner’s latest book is The Sibling Survival Guide: Surefire Ways to Solve Conflicts, Reduce Rivalry, and Have More Fun with Your Brothers and Sisters, which gives kids the power to "stop feeling so bothered and start having more fun."
26 min
643
Can We Be More Inclusive Parents?
Can we become more inclusive as parents? We discuss how to get more intentionally welcoming in our family lives and communities, how to bring our kids into that conversation, and how inclusivity benefits us just as much as the one we’re welcoming.
35 min
644
Ask Amy - Is Childhood Stuttering Something To ...
Stuttering occurs when a child's speech development lags behind what they want to say. It's best not to finish their sentences or focus on it. But "ignore it" doesn't necessarily mean "never get a professional opinion or seek therapeutic support."
4 min
645
Fresh Take: You're Doing It Wrong! (with Bethan...
Margaret Quinlan and Bethany Johnson are co-authors of You’re Doing it Wrong! Mothering, Media and Medical Expertise. which investigates the history of mothering advice from the 1800s to now. Turns out, perfectionism in motherhood is an old dictate.
27 min
646
Admitting Things Aren't Perfect
It's hard to admit things aren't perfect.It's especially hard for moms. "Socially mediated" perfectionism happens when a culture has unrealistic demands for a person or group, then punishes them when they fall short. Sound familiar? Here’s what to do.
39 min
647
Ask Margaret - When Grandparents Undermine Your...
As long as there have been grandparents there have been grandparents who say "I would love to give you this brownie but your mom won't let me". How much does this undermining hurt our parenting? If we address this behavior with the grandparent in question and stay firm with our own parenting choices the answer is probably - not much.
6 min
648
Fresh Take: Ellen Kahn On Supporting Our LGBTQ ...
Ellen Kahn is an expert on LGBTQ youth and family life. She tells us how parents can create a home environment that affirms and accepts LGBTQ children, and how we can advocate for LGBTQ kids in the larger world, whether they're our own kids or not.
34 min
649
Our Parental Achilles Heels
An "Achilles Heel" is a weakness in spite of overall strength that when exploited by our enemies can lead to our tragic downfalls. From whistling to growth spurts to the constant, constant talking, here are our greatest weaknesses as moms and humans.
41 min
650
Ask Amy: How Do I Protect My Newborn in a Post-...
How can a mom feel okay about protecting her newborn in a post-pandemic world? Take advantage of warmer weather to do things outside; keep masks on if that makes you more comfortable; and don't accept the burden of Other People's Feelings About That.
4 min