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
776
Ask Amy - Helping Kids Deal With a Move
Amy answers a question from a mom who is getting her worried four-year-old ready for a big move.
5 min
777
Letting Kids Be Little
In a world where kids get big praise for hitting their milestones ahead of schedule, there are still times and places to let kids be little. Here’s how we create that safe space in our homes, and how it makes our kids’ lives (and ours) more fun.
43 min
778
Ask Margaret - How Should I Deal With Potty Talk?
Margaret answers a question from a listener whose kids are driving her crazy with their potty talk.
5 min
779
Letting People Into Our Mess (with guest Kristi...
Why is it so hard to talk about our struggles? How can opening up about our “mess” make it better? Does online count? How can we be better friends to the mom who lets us in to her mess? Guest: Kristina Kuzmic, author of HOLD ON BUT DON’T HOLD STILL.
47 min
780
Ask Amy- Help! There's a Biter at My Kid's Daycare
Amy answers a question from a mom whose 2-year-old is getting bitten at daycare.
5 min
781
When to Go With Your Gut: Doing What's Right Fo...
From potty-training to red-shirting to homeschooling, these are some of the times our listeners made hard or unconventional choices to do what was right for their kids. If you’ve got that nagging feeling, we talk about when and how you should listen.
43 min
782
Ask Margaret - How Can I Increase My Child's Se...
Margaret answers a question from a listener worried that her tween is suffering from low self-esteem.
5 min
783
When Is This Going to Be Fun Again? Lighthearte...
There really are ways to make our lives as parents more fun and lighthearted, even on a regular Tuesday. Memories aren’t only made at Disney. But it’s okay not to love every moment. Getting rid of the shame around that is the first step to more fun.
45 min
784
Ask Amy - How Can I Get My Child to Do More for...
Amy answers a question from a listener whose daughter is a little too dependent on her.
5 min
785
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.)
46 min
786
Toddlers: The Great Equalizer (with guest Clint...
Toddlers are the great equalizer. No matter how strong you think you are, a short fat dictator who suddenly doesn’t like that kind of ketchup will break you. We commiserate and troubleshoot with Clint Edwards, author of SILENCE IS A SCARY SOUND.
47 min
787
Ask Amy - How Can I Deal With This Fussy Baby?
This week Amy tackles a question from a listening who has a fussy second baby.
4 min
788
Anger Management for Kids
The best way to handle our children’s anger is to equip them with the tools to handle it themselves. Whether your kid is 4 or 14, here’s how to stand outside the storm and get your calm back a little sooner. Get the full transcript: bit.ly/WFHanger.
46 min
789
Ask Margaret - How Can I Help My Kids Care Abou...
Margaret answers a question from a listener who is trying to get her child to care about punctuality and hygiene.
5 min
790
Back to One: Things We're Starting Over This Year
On a film set, going “back to one” means resetting all of a shot’s elements before doing another take. It’s a continual process. This year, we’re framing our new year’s goal-setting the same way: a reset is not a failure. It’s just what happens next.
47 min
791
Ask Amy- How Early Should Kids Learn How To Sha...
Amy answers a question from a listener seeks advice on getting a preschooler to share his toys with his little sister.
5 min
792
Ask Margaret - How Do I Navigate Splitting Time...
Margaret answers a question from a listener who is trying to figure out how to split time between the grandparents when visiting home.
6 min
793
Holiday Fails
We asked our listeners to tell us their holiday worsts, and in this episode we discuss them all, plus a few of our own. Think your holiday season has been a little crazy? Hold our eggnog.
46 min
794
Is Everyone Having Fun Without Me? Motherhood ...
FOMO, or the “fear of missing out,” is that feeling you get when you see friends on social media posting about lives more exciting than your own. But FOMO happens in real life too- and the FOMO we feel on our kids’ behalf? Ouch. Here’s how to deal.
46 min
795
What Are You Grateful For? (with guest Nancy Da...
Regularly expressing gratitude rewires our brains for greater health and happiness. And having a practice is easier than you think! Guest: Nancy Davis Kho, author of The Thank-You Project: Cultivating Happiness One Letter of Gratitude at a Time.
48 min
796
The Whining is Killing Us
Whining is what experts call a “low-power strategy of dominance.” Kids do it because it’s what’s available to them. Since it drives parents bonkers, it’s remarkably effective. Can we deal with whining in ways that might make it stop a LITTLE sooner?
43 min
797
Ask Margaret - Should I Throw Away the Diapers?
This week Margaret answers a question from a listener whose potty trainer is having some trouble giving up diapers.
5 min
798
Meeting Our Kids Where They Are
Sometimes our kids are a little behind on meeting their milestones. Sometimes they’ll never reach those milestones at all. How do we let go of “should be”? How do we meet our kids where they are, while still holding expectations that help them grow?
46 min
799
The Small Things That Drive Moms Insane
Sometimes it’s the little things that make us the craziest: the plastic thingies on juice box straws. The never-ending “Mom?” with that question mark at the end. Here’s all the teeny-tiny things about mom life that still manage to drive us insane.
47 min
800
Why Kids Tell Lies (and When It's Okay)
Why do kids tell lies? How do we know when it’s a problem? Making kids admit their lies isn’t always necessary, as long as we parent in ways that focus less on those falsehoods and more on our kids making things right again. Here’s how.
46 min