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!
151
DEEP DIVE: JoAnn Crohn of "No Guilt Mom"
JoAnn Crohn is the creator of “No Guilt Mom” and a former middle-school teacher. She believes that some of the behavioral control strategies she learned in teacher training can be counterproductive, and especially at home. Here’s what to try instead.
31 min
152
Fresh Take: Cameron Normand of "Stepfamily Solu...
How can step-parents smoothly transition into being part of their new families? What happens when the kids are not on board with having a new parent? Cameron Normand, founder of Stepfamily Solutions, tells us what she's learned.
31 min
153
Do We Need to Lower Our Standards?
Is it really our "maternal gatekeeping" and too-high standards that are preventing a more equitable distribution of household tasks? We discuss the minimum standard of care and how that can be determined.
41 min
154
DEEP DIVE: Dr. Pooja Lakshmin on Burnout and Mo...
Dr. Pooja Lakshmin is a psychiatrist, author, and founder of gemmawomen.com, the first digital education platform dedicated exclusively to women’s mental health. We discuss mom guilt, burnout, true self-care, and finding ways to reclaim ourselves.
30 min
155
Fresh Take: Danielle Bayard Jackson on "Fightin...
How do we make new female friends as adults, and how do we hold onto friendships that matter to us? Danielle Bayard Jackson, author of the new book FIGHTING FOR OUR FRIENDSHIPS, gives tips for making new friends and for keeping the ones we love, too.
33 min
156
MAY BONUS TEASER: Our Myers-Briggs Personality ...
It's test day. In our May bonus episode, we take the famous Myers-Briggs personality test—and turns out we're not complete opposites in some important ways!
12 min
157
What Fresh Hell Is Mother's Day?
Why do moms have mixed feelings about Mother's Day? Turns out Anna Jarvis, the holiday's founder, had second thoughts. Perhaps for good reason. We talk the ups and downs of Mother's Day.
39 min
158
DEEP DIVE: Ditching Mom Guilt
"Mom guilt" might be universal and inescapable. It's also often misplaced, and can sabotage not just our own happiness, but our ability to parent effectively.
39 min
159
Fresh Take: Dr. Alok Kanojia on Parenting a Hea...
How can we determine if our child is addicted to video games, and what can we do about it? Dr. Alok Kanojia, author of HOW TO RAISE A HEALTHY GAMER, explains what a video game addiction looks like and parenting tips for talking to our kids about it.
31 min
160
How To Deal With Picky Eaters
Are you convinced your child will never eat a vegetable and that their picky eating is a reflection of your parenting? Here's how to get your picky eater to expand their palate—and why it's usually not the end of the world.
39 min
161
DEEP DIVE: Parenting as a Team
Parenting as a team is an ongoing challenge even when your relationship is pretty harmonious. But constantly matching headspaces with your co-parent isn’t the goal– for us, parenting as a team has often meant taking turns. Here’s how that works.
41 min
162
Fresh Take: Chelsey Goodan on How Parents Under...
What would our teenage girls tell us if they believed we were truly listening to what they had to say? Chelsey Goodan, author of the new book UNDERESTIMATED, explains what teenage girls need most from their parents and how we can offer them agency.
29 min
163
What Can We Add? What Can We Take Away?
As parents, we often feel that if we add more to a problem—say, buy the right item—we can solve it. But there may be a simpler way to solve certain problems, and that's by taking something away. Here's how to know when taking something away might be the better answer.
39 min
164
DEEP DIVE: Kate Mangino on Increasing Gender Eq...
The Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women estimates that we will not achieve gender equality for 164 years. Kate Mangino, gender expert and author of the book EQUAL PARTNERS, discusses ways to make domestic partnerships more equal.
30 min
165
Fresh Take: Amanda Montell and the Age of Magic...
These days we're bombarded with messages that we can manifest the reality we wish to exist. Amanda Montell, author of the new book THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING, explains the cognitive biases that give us an illusion of outsized control in our lives.
36 min
166
Do We Share Too Much About Our Kids Online?
How are our kids going to feel about what we shared about them online when they're older? Are there effects down the road we're not seeing now? Is there an age at which we're supposed to ask permission? How concerned should we be about privacy in an age of oversharenting?
41 min
167
DEEP DIVE: It's Not "Nagging"
When women ask repeatedly for something to be done– because it wasn’t done the last time they asked– they’re often rewarded by being told they’re “nagging.” How do we push back on the sexism of this word? And are there more effective ways to get those around us to do their share?
38 min
168
Fresh Take: Diane Boden, "Minimalist Moms"
How can parents embrace a minimalist mindset when we've got partners or kids who aren't exactly looking to get rid of things? Diane Boden, host of the "Minimalist Moms" podcast, explains how to declutter your home when you're short on time and patience.
32 min
169
How Involved Should We Be with Our Kids' Schools?
How do we find a balance between keeping abreast of our kids' grades and going all in on their science projects? Here's what the data says about the relationship between parent involvement in school and academic achievement.
44 min
170
DEEP DIVE: Matthew Fray on Strengthening Our Re...
We’ve all left dishes by the sink. Either that, or we’ve yelled at our partner for doing so. In this episode, Matthew Fray explains how leaving dishes by the sink caused his marriage to implode—hint: it wasn’t just about the dishes.
38 min
171
Fresh Take: Amy Shoenthal on "The Setback Cycle"
How can we embrace setbacks in life so that we can learn from them? Amy Shoenthal, author of the new book THE SETBACK CYCLE, explains the science of framing our setbacks to help us more than they hurt us.
33 min
172
Our Lowest-Stake Conspiracy Theories
We asked our listeners for their lowest-stake conspiracy theories. From suspiciously ineffective close-door elevator buttons to lip balms that make chapped lips worse, here are our favorites.
38 min
173
DEEP DIVE: When Our Partners Just Don't Get It
It was my husband. In the kitchen. With the dirty cup. AGAIN. Our partners do things that drive us mad. And sometimes it affects our parenting or our marriages. How do we make our partners truly understand what we need? Besides hiding all the cups?
40 min
174
Fresh Take: Dr. Gabor Maté and Dr. Gordon Neufe...
We mostly think that it's both unavoidable and appropriate for kids to shift their focus from their parents to their peers as they grow. In their newly revised book HOLD ON TO YOUR KIDS, Dr. Gabor Maté and Dr. Gordon Neufeld explain why we should push back on "peer orientation."
27 min
175
Making the "Invisible Workload" Visible
Many of the things we take on in our family's daily lives go without notice or recognition by the people we live with. That doesn't mean it's not work. Here's how to make the "invisible workload" more visible.
36 min