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
126
When Mom Leaves Town
Does the thought of leaving your kids for a few days terrify you? Here are some parenting tips to prepare for all of the eventualities that may occur if you leave town, from interpreting the toddler's babble to handling your feelings of mom guilt.
41 min
127
DEEP DIVE: Dropping the Rope
What fight are you no longer willing to have? Is it making the bed? Eating what you cook? Matching pants with shirts every day? Sometimes the smartest thing you can do in your endless tug-of-war over small things is to drop the rope.
36 min
128
Fresh Take: Jo Piazza
We chat with Jo Piazza, author of the juicy new book THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE and host of the podcast UNDER THE INFLUENCE WITH JO PIAZZA.
30 min
129
BEST OF: Super-Awesome Mom Hacks
Time for some easy wins! Here of some of our (and our listeners') favorite hacks for naptime, diapers, laundry, cooking, snow days, sibling squabbles, and General Sanity Preservation. This stuff really works!
39 min
130
Keeping Our Families' Traditions
Is there one person in your family who keeps everyone in touch, who maintains the traditions, who keeps things going? And is that person you? That is the work of kinkeeping.
39 min
131
BEST OF: Bethany Johnson and Margaret Quinlan
Margaret Quinlan and Bethany Johnson are co-authors of You’re Doing it Wrong! Mothering, Media and Medical Expertise, which investigates the history of mothering advice from the 1800s to now. Turns out, perfectionism in motherhood is an old dictate.
27 min
132
Why Was This a Thing? Rules We Once Lived By
Whistling inside? No baseball caps at dinner? No showers during a lightning storm? What odd rules of life did Amy and Margaret once cling to?
40 min
133
Ask Amy: I've Already Got the End-of-Summer Sca...
How do we relieve ourselves of the pressure to make every summer day Pinterest-worthy for our children, especially when all we do is break up fights and tell them no? Amy helps a listener combat her end-of-summer scaries.
5 min
134
Fresh Take: Mr. Chazz on Breaking Generational ...
How can we move away from the harmful parenting techniques we experienced when parenting our own children? Chazz Lewis, host of the podcast "Learning Curve with Mr. Chazz," gives us practical tips for tough parenting moments.
37 min
135
Sibling Rivalry
Is your house full of bickering siblings? Is it really all about competition for parental attention? If sibling rivalry is taking over in your house, here's how to foster more cooperation and navigate the conflict.
44 min
136
BEST OF: Would You Rather...? (Mom Edition)
Miss Rachel on an eternal loop, or Baby Shark? Long flight with toddlers, or long road trip? It's the Mom Edition of the time-honored game WOULD YOU RATHER?
40 min
137
Fresh Take: Lucas Mann on Fatherhood
What does it mean to be a dad in today's world, and how has the role of fathers changed over time? Lucas Mann, author of ATTACHMENTS: ESSAYS ON FATHERHOOD AND OTHER PERFORMANCES, tells us about his experiences and his writing process.
27 min
138
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
139
BEST OF: Toxic Positivity
Why is it that when we are struggling, other people feel the need to put a silver lining on all of our rain clouds? In this episode we unearth the psychology behind toxic positivity, and how focusing on staying positive at all costs can actually hurt us in the long run.
41 min
140
Fresh Take: Ruth Whippman on What We Get Wrong ...
What are the important differences, both obvious and hidden, in the way we raise boys and the way we raise girls? Ruth Whippman, author of the new book BOYMOM, explains where modern parenting advice for raising boys often misses the mark.
26 min
141
When Your Kid is Being Bullied
Is your kid being bullied? Should you as the parent get involved? Will that only make things worse? It's easy to feel helpless at these times. Getting clear about what's happening can help.
43 min
142
BEST OF: Uh Oh, It's Summer!
Ah, summer! Time for relaxing. Just as soon as we get through the end-of-year craziness and sign each of our kids up for ten camps.
42 min
143
Fresh Take: Jessica Calarco on Women as America...
“Other countries have social safety nets. The U.S. has women.” Sociologist Jessica Calarco, author of the new book HOLDING IT TOGETHER: How Women Became America's Safety Net, explains how we can start changing that narrative.
31 min
144
Tips for Vacationing with Extended Family
Traveling with siblings and in-laws and parents and cousins can be an incredible experience. It can also lead to unexpected conflict. Here's what to agree upon ahead of time.
37 min
145
DEEP DIVE: When You Feel Like a Failure as a Pa...
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
146
Fresh Take: Sarah Gristwood on What We Can Lear...
Historian Sarah Gristwood studied 400 years of women's diaries and found many common threads. Her book SECRET VOICES highlights the stories that women have traditionally kept to themselves, and why those stories matter.
25 min
147
When Our Kids Are Bad at Making Friends
How can we help kids who aren't great at making friends—who don't pick up on the subtle social rules that make friendships work? Here's how to teach kids to make—and keep—peer connections.
42 min
148
DEEP DIVE: Bad Mom Moments (with guest Arianna ...
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
149
Fresh Take: Naomi Cahn and June Carbone on Buil...
How can working women attain wage equity in a modern workplace that is stacked against them? Naomi Cahn and June Carbone, authors of FAIR SHAKE: WOMEN AND THE FIGHT TO BUILD A JUST ECONOMY, discuss the factors that contribute to an unjust economy and how to build a better one.
29 min
150
How Old Is Old Enough?
When should kids be able to walk to school by themselves? What about have a smartphone? We hash out what we think the best ages are for certain activities and privileges—and how our answers now may differ from when we started the podcast.
41 min