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!  

whatfreshhellpodcast.com

Parenting
Comedy
Kids & Family
726
Ask Margaret - How Can I Get My Kid to Be Inter...
Margaret answers a question from a listener who is worried that her son does not have a wide range of interests.
7 min
727
Our Family Had Covid! Here's How It Went For Us...
Amy’s family of 5 had Covid-19 back in March– all “mild” cases, but even in a single household that has meant different things. Here’s how it went down, what Amy has learned, what recovery has looked like, and what to have ready before you need it.
33 min
728
Should I Send My Kids Back To School?
Our kids’ schools have sent plans. And revised them. And reversed them. Now parents have to make our own decisions. Here are the factors driving our own plans– knowing this can’t be one-solution-fits-all, and that the ‘right’ answer does not exist.
48 min
729
Ask Amy - My Kid Is a Know-It-All!
A listener asks whether her daughter's know-it-all tendencies need to be nipped in the bud.
6 min
730
Asking For What We Want, And Teaching Our Daugh...
Our daughters need to be taught to ask and negotiate–because girls aren’t taught those things as well as boys, but also because the world doesn’t always reward women (including grownups) who speak out. Guest: Marisa Porges, author of WHAT GIRLS NEED.
46 min
731
Ask Margaret - Is There Any Way to Get My Kid t...
Margaret answers question from a mom who is scaring her by constantly throwing things.
6 min
732
Advice We Totally Hate
As soon as you become a mother unsolicited advice-givers are everywhere, telling you to “sleep when the baby sleeps.” Or “it gets easier.” Or “enjoy every moment.” Out of all the advice that we and our listeners have received, here is the very worst.
44 min
733
Ask Amy - How Can a New Mom Make Friends Right ...
Amy answers a question from a listener who is having trouble connecting with other moms during coronavirus.
6 min
734
Two Kinds of People- Which Are You?
We asked our listeners to divide the world into two kinds of people. Summer or winter? Sleep cuddlers or stop-breathing-on-mes? Many of you responded with slightly judgmental “there’s me, and the crazy people” responses that we are totally here for.
45 min
735
Ask Margaret - When Does This Get Easier?
This week Margaret answers a question from a listener who wants to know if life with her two young kids is ever going to get better!
6 min
736
Hitting the Wall: Get Us Off This Coronacoaster!
We are so done with life on the coronacoaster, but we can’t get off this ride yet. We’ve moved past denial to bargaining, hung out in depression- and now we’re doubling back to anger, not feeling the acceptance part so much. We’re hitting the wall.
42 min
737
Bad Mom Moments (with guest Arianna Bradford)
We tend to hold our Bad Mom Moments close, deeply certain no other mother has ever temporarily forgotten her baby in the Target LEGO aisle. Spoiler alert– you’re not alone. Guest: Arianna Bradford, author of SHAME ON YOU: BIG TRUTHS FROM A BAD MOM.
46 min
738
Ask Margaret - I'm So Worried About Being Away ...
Margaret answers a question from a listener who is worried about leaving her three year old for a few nights.
7 min
739
What This Has Taught Us About Our Kids
This extended pause has been really hard for some of our kids, and actually sort of good for others. We discuss the things we’ve learned and will take forward as parents, both for kids who have weirdly thrived and for kids who have really struggled.
44 min
740
Ask Amy - How Do I Get My 8-Year-Old to Read a ...
Amy answers a question from a reader who wonders how she can encourage reading in her child.
8 min
741
Helping Kids Feel Secure In a Scary World (With...
We’re in an anxiety-provoking moment. But parents don’t need to present our kids with solutions to the things that scare them. We just need to meet them where they are. Guest: Dr. Abigail Gewirtz, author of WHEN THE WORLD FEELS LIKE A SCARY PLACE.
46 min
742
Ask Margaret - My Husband is a Terrible Gift Gi...
Margaret answers a question from a listener who is frustrated by her husband's extremely poor gift-giving skills.
7 min
743
How Do We Handle This When Everyone Is Doing It...
Shutting it all down was hard, but the assignment was extremely clear. Reopening is more like: do what you want when we think you can, or at least aren't fully convinced that you can’t. How are we going to do this when everyone’s doing it differently?
42 min
744
Ask Amy - My Toddler Doesn't Listen When I Say ...
Amy answers a question from a listener whose “incredibly active” two-year-old doesn’t always hear the word “stop!”
5 min
745
Talking With Our Kids About Race (with guest De...
The idea that kids are colorblind, that we should put off talking about race because kids are too young to understand its complicating factors, is wrong. It always was. Here’s how to talk about race and racism, early and often. Guest: Deborah Porter.
42 min
746
Ask Margaret - Dealing With My Kids' Coping Mec...
Margaret answers a question from a listener whose twins are exhibiting some worrying coping mechanisms during the pandemic.
7 min
747
Uh-Oh, Here Comes Summer (with guests Ashley an...
It’s the summer of nothing. Everything is canceled, even Camp Grandma is questionable, and we’ve already *had* three months of lying around doing nothing. How do we make July different from March? Guests: Ashley and Keri from the podcast Momtourage.
48 min
748
Ask Amy - My Toddler is Mean to Her Older Sibling
Amy answers a question from a mom whose 17-month-old is tough on her six-year-old.
5 min
749
This One Thing Is Actually Going Well
What’s one thing that’s actually working right now? Not a barely acceptable Band-Aid for these crazy times, but something you have discovered that you will totally keep doing? From mowing the lawn to a beer-pong app, here’s what’s working for us.
45 min
750
Ask Margaret - The Bedtime Routine is Out of Hand!
Margaret answers a question from a mom whose four year old is stretching bedtime to the max.
8 min