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
Fresh Take: Jenny Wood
As moms, it can be hard to express our needs and prioritize ourselves. Jenny Wood, author of the new book WILD COURAGE, gives tips for finding small ways to be brave and get out of our comfort zones when it comes to going after what we want.
41 min
52
Family Meetings (and Why You Should Do Them)
Do you find that conversations about family logistics seep into quality time with your partner? Here's how weekly family meetings can help draw boundaries between time spent relaxing together and time spent planning together.
41 min
53
DEEP DIVE: Is There Just Too Much Information?
A recent study found many parents report consulting the internet for parenting advice every single day. But how much information is too much? And is it the same for everyone?
31 min
54
Fresh Take: Mary Catherine Starr on Truly Shari...
How can couples redistribute the mental load of housework and parenting equally once it's become incredibly one-sided? (Read: Mom-sided.) Mary Catherine Starr, author of the new book MAMA NEEDS A MINUTE, explains how couples can even out the mental load.
33 min
55
How to Feel Less Starved for Time
There is a way to get more “time affluence” in your life—and it’s not by being more productive and getting your to-do list done more quickly! Margaret and Amy discuss how to organize your time such that you can do more of what you enjoy, no time turner needed.
40 min
56
DEEP DIVE: Dealing With Uncertainty as a Parent
As parents we can feel like uncertainty is something we have to solve, especially where our kids are concerned. We’re supposed to have the answers. But how do we reassure them when we’re not certain either? How do we manage “uncertainty distress”?
39 min
57
Fresh Take: Nicole Graev Lipson
In a patriarchal society, how can woman divorce themselves from unreal expectations around motherhood and find satisfaction in themselves as they are? Nicole Graev Lipson, author of the new book MOTHERS AND OTHER FICTIONAL CHARACTERS, shares her insights on how women often find themselves performing fictionalized versions of motherhood.
34 min
58
BEST OF: So What Do You Do All Day?
Tired of people assuming stay-at-home moms have nothing to do? Well, there's not a lot we can do about what other people perceive about stay-at-home-moms, but we can change how we think about our labor as SAHMs to validate ourselves and how hard we really do work.
43 min
59
DEEP DIVE: Brave Parenting in a Scary World
Brave parenting doesn’t mean acting like what’s happening in our world isn’t scary, or that we must present our kids with perfect solutions. It means meeting our kids where they are, discussing their feelings, then deciding together what to do next.
36 min
60
Fresh Take: Melanie Shankle
How can we try to get out from under our family's generational trauma? Melanie Shankle, author of the new book HERE BE DRAGONS, discusses how her upbringing influenced her parenting decisions and how to parent well when you weren't shown how.
35 min
61
What We Call "People Pleasing" Might Really Be ...
Are “people pleasers” really happy to help, or are they simply resigned to the fact that it won't get done if they don't do it? Here's what may lie behind people pleasing tendencies and how people pleasers can take a much-needed break.
40 min
62
HAPPY TO HELP free audiobook preview from libro...
Libro.fm says "MUST READ THIS BOOK!", by which they mean listen. Share this sample chapter of the HAPPY TO HELP audiobook with a book-listener friend!
25 min
63
DEEP DIVE: When It's Okay To Be Emotional In Fr...
Kids shouldn’t have to hold our emotions for us, but is it OK for them to witness our sadness or loneliness? When is shower-crying the better bet, and when are our negative emotions safe for us to express? Can it be a good thing for our kids to see?
40 min
64
Fresh Take: Renee Reina, "The Mom Room"
How can we reconcile the idealized parenting we see online with our actual daily lives? Renee Reina, host of "The Mom Room," tells us how she's trying to find the balance.
38 min
65
We Settle Your Arguments (Part 2)
We had to dedicate not one but two episodes to settling our listeners' low-stakes disagreements, from how to cut an avocado to proper popcorn prepping.
41 min
66
DEEP DIVE: Changing the Stories We Tell Ourselves
Our brains are wired for story. That doesn’t mean that the stories we tell ourselves are always accurate–or that the alternative stories others may have are necessarily wrong. Here’s how to identify–and change–the stories we tell ourselves.
40 min
67
Fresh Take: Ashley Graber and Maria Evans on Ra...
In such an anxious age, how can we validate our children's very real fears without making them worry more? Ashley Graber and Maria Evans, authors of RAISING CALM KIDS, explain how to recognize and navigate anxiety in our kids.
40 min
68
We Settle Your Arguments (Part 1)
We asked our audience what small arguments they keep on a low boil with their partners at all times. From travel rules to sleeping habits to coffee cup positions, Amy and Margaret rule once and for all.
39 min
69
DEEP DIVE: Is This a Midlife Crisis?
"Have I wasted my life? Should I have gotten married so young? Should I have gone to law school?" As we approach "middle age," whatever that is, can we avoid the midlife crisis? If not, how can we can put it all in perspective?
40 min
70
Fresh Take: Neha Ruch, "The Power Pause"
Mothers can feel a loss of identity when they take time off paid work to raise children. Neha Ruch, author of THE POWER PAUSE, reframes that time away from the workforce as a time of growth and change, not loss.
40 min
71
Multitasking: Turns Out We’re ALL Bad At It
A lot of us think it's settled science: men's and women's brains are different, and women are just better at multitasking. Here's what the science really says about why we're ALL bad at doing multiple things at once.
39 min
72
DEEP DIVE: When It's Time To Pivot
When it’s time to pivot, it’s easy to focus on what doors are closed. That’s when it’s important to remember that with one foot planted firmly in place, we still have 360 degrees of choice on where to head next. Here’s how we’ve pivoted in our lives.
41 min
73
Fresh Take: Norah Lally
What can our relationships with our own mothers teach us about parenting? Norah Lally, author of the new book BACK TO BAINBRIDGE and Margaret's BFF, discusses the family history that inspired her debut novel and her own experiences as a mother.
44 min
74
Our 2/1 "Back-to-Ones" for 2025
We don't do New Year's resolutions at What Fresh Hell. We do "back-to-ones" on 2/1. Here's why we believe in resets, rather than resolutions, and here are the resets we are putting in place.
41 min
75
DEEP DIVE: How Motherhood Changes Us
Studies show that mothers’ brain structures change during pregnancy, along with our shoe sizes. That most of us become more hypervigilant and more anxious isn't a personal failing– it's a biological imperative. We discuss how to give ourselves grace about the ways motherhood has changed us.
41 min