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!
51
BEST OF: What Fresh Hell Is Back to School?
School supplies. Pre-season sports. Parent portals. Uniform pants that don’t fit the night before the first day. Back to school means the return of so many fun activities for kids, and so many fresh hells for parents. Here are a few of our favorites.
36 min
52
Fresh Take: Jyoti Chand, FITTING INDIAN
Margaret speaks with Jyoti Chand, author of FITTING INDIAN, about the South Asian culture she was raised in, how much of her own life informed the experiences of her novel’s protagonist, and why emotional intelligence is so key to child development.
36 min
53
How to Make the Back-to-School Transition a Lit...
Make back-to-school season less stressful with these tips on sleep schedules, meal planning, and simple routines. Margaret and Amy share ways to reduce overwhelm, save time, and support kids' mental health this fall.
37 min
54
DEEP DIVE: Kelly Corrigan on Letting Big Kids Go
Kelly Corrigan, host of "Kelly Corrigan Wonders", discusses with Amy how she has navigated the emptying nest and her continually changing relationships with her older children.
40 min
55
Fresh Take: Mike de la Rocha, SACRED LESSONS
Mike de la Rocha joins Margaret to discuss grief, fatherhood, masculinity, and his new book SACRED LESSONS, a moving look at healing generational wounds, expressing emotion, and parenting boys with presence and compassion.
39 min
56
More Husband Crimes (Part One)
We return to the courtroom of everyday relationship annoyances in our "Husband Crimes" series. Listeners submit crimes perpetrated by their spouses, and we serve as (infallible) judge, jury, and executioner.
41 min
57
DEEP DIVE: Vanessa Kroll Bennett and Dr. Cara N...
These days puberty starts sooner and lasts longer. That requires not one "The Talk," but a hundred small conversations. Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, co-authors of THIS IS SO AWKWARD, offer tips for getting started.
37 min
58
Fresh Take: Amy Larocca, HOW TO BE WELL
Journalist Amy Larocca, author of the new book HOW TO BE WELL, joins Amy and Margaret to unpack the $6.8T wellness industry: whether it’s just beauty and weight loss in disguise, how it particularly targets women, and how we can spare our daughters from it.
37 min
59
Why Kids Lie: What’s Normal, What’s Not, and Wh...
Is your kid lying more than you’d like? In this episode, we break down why kids lie, what’s developmentally appropriate (and when it’s not), and how to handle fibs—from “I didn’t eat the cake” to “my dad’s the CEO of American Airlines.”
45 min
60
DEEP DIVE: Your Tween, Explained
The word “tween” was popularized by marketers, who sold preteens stuff by treating them like they’re a lot older than they are. Which might explain why your kid is full of sass all of a sudden. But tweens’ brains really are different—here’s how.
43 min
61
Fresh Take: Rebecca Bloom, WHEN WOMEN GET SICK
Women face unique barriers in healthcare. Rebecca Bloom, author of the new book WHEN WOMEN GET SICK, joins Amy to share why this is true and what we can do about it.
31 min
62
Is It Normal to Feel Jealous of Other Moms?
Feeling jealous of other moms? You’re not alone. Margaret and Amy unpack the real reasons behind mom envy, how shame makes it worse, and why naming it helps.
40 min
63
DEEP DIVE: Best Advice for Dealing with Teenagers
How do we support our teenagers while providing them with firm yet reasonable boundaries? We asked our listeners for their best advice on raising teens, and they had so much great advice!
40 min
64
Fresh Take: Shannon Watts, FIRED UP
Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action and author of FIRED UP, shares how she reignited her life—and how listeners can too.
37 min
65
Fresh Take: Genevieve Kingston, DID I EVER TELL...
Genevieve Kingston, author of DID I EVER TELL YOU?, shares the extraordinary story of the chest full of letters and gifts her mother left her before dying of cancer just before Genevieve’s 12th birthday. Amy and Genevieve discuss how children grieve and the enduring power of maternal love.
27 min
66
BEST OF: Kids with Big Imaginations
Can a kid ever have TOO good of an imagination? Does there come a time when we need to lead kids back to reality? Will they take their imaginary friends to prom if we don’t? Here’s why an overly active imagination is almost always a wonderful thing.
50 min
67
What to Say to Our Kids When Bad Things Happen
How do we talk to our kids when tragedy strikes—whether close to home or far away? Amy and Margaret explore how to support children through scary news, sad events, and overwhelming emotions through ages and stages.
37 min
68
When One of Our Kids Takes Up All of Our Bandwidth
What happens when one child dominates your parenting bandwidth—whether due to illness, behavior, or giftedness? We unpack the impact on family dynamics and how to recalibrate.
34 min
69
BEST OF: Dumb Things We Thought When We Were Kids
What's the absolutely dumbest thing that you fully believed as a child? We asked our listeners, and share some of their—and our—most deeply held misbeliefs.
39 min
70
Fresh Take: Danielle Bettmann on Positive Disci...
Parenting coach Danielle Bettmann shares how positive discipline can help parents of strong-willed or neurodivergent kids avoid power struggles and find calm, connection, and consistency.
37 min
71
5 Conversations to Have with Your Kids This Summer
Amy and Margaret offer five important topics to discuss with your kids this summer, from online safety to growth mindset. We also provide you with plenty of other episodes we've done on these topics for further listening.
39 min
72
BEST OF: 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
73
Best of: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Raising Antiracists
It can feel scary to discuss racism with our kids. But it’s the best way for us to protect them from its harms– and as Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of HOW TO RAISE AN ANTIRACIST, explains, kids can approach this work more easily than we might expect.
27 min
74
BEST OF: 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
75
DEEP DIVE: Francesca Royster on "Choosing Family"
Francesca Royster, author of the memoir CHOOSING FAMILY: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance, explains what it means to build a “chosen family” of friends, and how to parent while yearning for the world that we want, but don’t have yet.
33 min