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!
851
House Rules That Work
What are your house rules- the ones that keep your home life tolerable, the ones kids know so well they self-police? Whether it’s “no feet where we eat” or “ask Mom twice and it’s no forever,” here are our (and your) house rules to live by.
46 min
852
Finding Your Mom Tribe
How do we find a mom tribe? How can we get closer with the ones we already have? Do online tribes count? In an age when our family of origin is less likely than ever to live next door, here’s how to invest in the communities happening where we are.
45 min
853
Letting Our Kids Feel Unsafe (In a Safe Way) wi...
How can we allow ourselves to allow our kids to experience the exhilaration of feeling just a little unsafe? How does risky play create more confident adults? Guest: actress and author Evangeline Lilly, author of the book series The Squickerwonkers.
47 min
854
Making It Work for the Long Haul (with guest Be...
The familiarity of long-term relationships is the best thing about them- and the hardest. How do we make our marriages work for the long haul? Guest: Belinda Luscombe, author of the new book MARRIAGEOLOGY: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF STAYING TOGETHER.
51 min
855
Sleep Hacks (For All Ages and Stages)
Whether you’re a hard core cry-it-outer or a co-sleeper, here are the best sleep hacks (from both sleep experts and our listeners) for getting babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and even older kids napping, sleeping, and staying asleep. Get some rest!
47 min
856
Making Big Changes as a Family (with guest Jill...
Have you ever considered homeschooling the kids and traveling for a year? Has your job ever forced a cross-country move? We talk making big changes as a family with guest Jill Krause, who spent a year with 4 kids in an RV and lived to tell the tale.
49 min
857
Do We Really Have To Play With Our Kids? When P...
Parenting really is more demanding than it used to be. We spend three times as many hours playing with our kids as our mothers did. But why? Do we really need to curate kids’ every waking moment? Or might they be better off playing in a dirt pile?
46 min
858
Mom Wins! (and Mother's Day Fails)
Happy Mother’s Day Week! We are passing out some Mom Awards to our listeners to counteract the lukewarm eggs benedict, hastily-purchased cards, and kindergarten art projects proclaiming, in 3-inch crayoned letters, that your favorite food is “BEER.”
43 min
859
Screen-Free Week: How To Survive and Why It's W...
Screen-Free Week starts 4/29. If the very notion sends ice through your veins, you’re not alone! But we loved it, and we think you might too. We discuss how to prepare, what to do instead, and why it’s all truly worth it. Learn more: screenfree.org.
47 min
860
Changing How We Talk To Our Kids (with guest Dr...
We know what’s wrong with how our kids speak to us: the sarcasm and eye-rolling are two things we could live without. But does how we talk to our kids need a little fine-tuning as well? Guest: Dr. Wendy Mogel, author of VOICE LESSONS FOR PARENTS.
58 min
861
100th Episode! The Best Stories We Haven't Told...
Amy and Margaret celebrate 100 episodes by trying to stump each other with crazy stories that are either “True or False.” Was Amy ever interviewed by Child Protective Services? Did Margaret greet her MIL for first time by saying, “Don’t touch me”?
45 min
862
Youth Sports: If You Must
Is there any middle ground between the 9-year-old with a pitching coach and the kid who quits after the second game? Maybe. Even if your family has mortgaged all its weekends for travel lacrosse, here’s how to put the “play” back in playing sports.
42 min
863
What We Thought Being a Mom Would Be Like (with...
Some of the things we imagined about motherhood turned out to be pretty accurate. Some of it was WAY off base. We talk what lived up to, exceeded, and confounded our expectations with the hilarious Betsy Stover of the podcast “Why Mommy Drinks.”
45 min
864
When School Projects Become Parents' Projects
Sooner or later every kid gets assigned a school project that is, without question, a PARENTS' project. Here’s how to discern the right amount of help such projects require, whether it’s a shoebox diorama or the science fair. Put the glue gun down!
45 min
865
When You Feel Like a Failure as a Parent
Why do all mothers feel like failures sometimes? Is it the 24/7 job description? The high stakes of nurturing small humans? A culture which tells us no matter how hard we try, there’s another mom doing it better? All of the above. Here’s what works.
46 min
866
The Best Relationship Advice Ever
Here's the best relationship advice we’ve ever gotten: how to prioritize our partners, how to fight better, how to keep things going for the long haul. Thanks to all our contributors from our Facebook group- search “whatfreshhellcast” to join us!
46 min
867
Helping Kids Manage Anxiety
Anxious kids often can’t explain how they’re feeling, so they’ll act out instead. We talk how to help anxious kids settle their “glitter brain” with Dr. Lisa Damour, author of Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls.
52 min
868
Middle Kids
Most of us assume middle kids get the short end of the parenting stick. But some experts believe their place in the birth order makes them uniquely poised to succeed. Are there lifelong benefits for kids who grow up with a little benign neglect?
40 min
869
The Best Advice Ever
Here is (no lie) the best advice ever when it comes to making choices, doing what matters, ignoring the haters, and liking ourselves a little better. Thanks to all our contributors from our Facebook group- search “whatfreshhellcast” to find us there!
47 min
870
Punishing Kids: What Works and What Doesn't
What makes a punishment effective? Is the primary goal payback or providing insight? Can our discipline help kids make better choices- even when they’re not worried about being caught? Here’s what does and doesn’t work for punishing kids of all ages.
44 min
871
Making It Work When You Go Back To Work
Going back to work with little ones at home is complicated— even if you’re secretly thrilled to get back that half hour on the train. Here are our listeners’ tips for smoother returns to work, whether it’s been 6 weeks, 6 months, or a lot longer.
44 min
872
Surviving a Toddler and a Newborn
No lie: parenting a toddler and a newborn is as hard as parenting gets. Here’s what to have on hand, what to do when you have a hand free, how you can let people help you, and why naps are the most important thing to get organized (for you too, Mom).
45 min
873
Having People Over
Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the potluck! Here’s how to take the stress out of having people over, whether it’s beers on the couch or a dinner party for ten. If we make it fun enough, we just might do it more often.
40 min
874
The Birds and The Bees: Having 'The Talk'
We’ve got to talk- and sooner than any of us would probably like to think. Here’s how to talk to kids of all ages about sex, how to be an “askable” parent, how to punt when the moment isn’t right—and how to steer kids towards making better decisions.
42 min
875
Our Goals for 2019
New year, new datebook, some very familiar goals. But this is the year we make things HAPPEN. At least sometimes. In this episode we discuss what we hope to accomplish in 2019- as moms, as friends, as people who exercise once in a while.
44 min