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!
176
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
177
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
178
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
179
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
180
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
181
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
182
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
183
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
184
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
185
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
186
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
187
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
188
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
189
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
190
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
191
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
192
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
193
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
194
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
195
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
196
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
197
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
198
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
199
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
200
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