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!
1
When One of Our Kids Takes Up All of Our Bandwidth
What happens when one child dominates your parenting bandwidth—whether due to illness, behavior, or giftedness? We unpack the impact on family dynamics and how to recalibrate.
34 min
2
BEST OF: 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
3
Fresh Take: Danielle Bettmann on Positive Disci...
Parenting coach Danielle Bettmann shares how positive discipline can help parents of strong-willed or neurodivergent kids avoid power struggles and find calm, connection, and consistency.
37 min
4
5 Conversations to Have with Your Kids This Summer
Amy and Margaret offer five important topics to discuss with your kids this summer, from online safety to growth mindset. We also provide you with plenty of other episodes we've done on these topics for further listening.
39 min
5
BEST OF: Best Mom Lies Ever
Here are the mom lies that totally worked on our kids– or worked on us *as* kids. Whether it's the ice cream truck's “all gone” jingle, the "just sleeping” goldfish, or the broccoli factory field trip for kids who act up, these are our favorite fibs.
42 min
6
Best of: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Raising Antiracists
It can feel scary to discuss racism with our kids. But it’s the best way for us to protect them from its harms– and as Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of HOW TO RAISE AN ANTIRACIST, explains, kids can approach this work more easily than we might expect.
27 min
7
BEST OF: Grudges Held, Grudges Kept
We asked our listeners to tell us about their pettiest and most long-held grudges. From spelling-bee unfairness to pumpkin-farm price gouging, we spill the tea on our own petty grudges and share some of your most hilarious answers.
42 min
8
DEEP DIVE: Francesca Royster on "Choosing Family"
Francesca Royster, author of the memoir CHOOSING FAMILY: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance, explains what it means to build a “chosen family” of friends, and how to parent while yearning for the world that we want, but don’t have yet.
33 min
9
Fresh Take: Ramit Sethi, "Money for Couples"
Ramit Sethi, author of the book MONEY FOR COUPLES, joins Margaret to talk finances in marriages: why we avoid it, how to reframe it, and how to design a rich life together.
41 min
10
Things Most People Think Are Hard (But Aren't)
Sometimes we never learn things because we think they're too hard. But we (and our listeners) are here to say that some of them aren't hard at all!
43 min
11
DEEP DIVE: Ellen Kahn On Supporting Our LGBTQ Kids
Ellen Kahn is an expert on LGBTQ youth and family life. She tells us how parents can create a home environment that affirms and accepts LGBTQ children, and how we can advocate for LGBTQ kids in the larger world, whether they're our own kids or not.
34 min
12
Fresh Take: Dr. Morgan Cutlip on Redistributing...
Relationship expert Dr. Morgan Cutlip, author of the new book A BETTER SHARE, offers practical tools for reducing the mental load, improving intimacy, and creating a more equitable home—without the resentment.
37 min
13
Trad Moms and Trad Wives
We explore the core messages of the trad mom trend. Why does this aesthetic captivate us, and why does it drive so many of us crazy?
39 min
14
Fresh Take: Jessica Zucker on Normalizing Misca...
Jessica Zucker's new book "Normalize It" is a compassionate exploration of the stories of women's lives, rooted in her own experience with miscarriage and breast cancer, and her work as a psychologist specializing in women's mental health. In this episode she explains how to challenge the stigma and silence through storytelling and advocacy.
37 min
15
Fresh Take: Meagan Francis, THE LAST PARENTING ...
Parenting writer Meagan Francis joins Amy to discuss her new book, THE LAST PARENTING BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ, and how to embrace life after hands-on motherhood. A must-listen for parents facing empty nests, identity shifts, and new beginnings.
37 min
16
There's a New Study on Moms' Mental Health...an...
A new study on maternal mental health reveals "significant declines" in the well-being of mothers. Margaret and Amy discuss the latest data, potential causes, and how to prioritize our own well-being at every stage of motherhood.
41 min
17
DEEP DIVE: Amber Briggle on Supporting Trans Kids
Amber Briggle is an activist, speaker, and proud parent of her transgender son. In this episode, she discusses how to support trans kids in today’s political climate as well as her own journey parenting her son through his transition.
33 min
18
Fresh Take: Melinda Wenner Moyer on "Raising Te...
How can we prepare our children to navigate the ups and downs of adult life? Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of the new book HELLO CRUEL WORLD, discusses how parents can model cultivating skills for emotional intelligence and resilience to their children.
39 min
19
Creating Systems That Work
How can we keep track of the millions of tasks that kids, work, and a household require without letting important things slip through the cracks? Amy and Margaret discuss practical systems to help families manage their daily routines and scheduling challenges.
45 min
20
DEEP DIVE: Can We Be More Inclusive Parents?
Can we become more inclusive as parents? We discuss how to get more intentionally welcoming in our family lives and communities, how to bring our kids into that conversation, and how inclusivity benefits us just as much as the one we’re welcoming.
35 min
21
Fresh Take: Loryn Brantz on Finding Joy in Pare...
How can we maintain a creative practice as busy parents? Loryn Brantz, author of the new collection of poetry POEMS OF PARENTING, discusses balancing motherhood with her creative pursuits.
31 min
22
Traveling as a Family
As summer travel looms large, what can we do to keep the family chaos to a minimum as we hop in a car or on a plane? Here are some useful family travel tips from Amy, Margaret, and our listeners.
43 min
23
DEEP DIVE: 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
24
Fresh Take: Gretchen Rubin on Life's Simple Tru...
Do we have to learn life's hardest lessons over and over, or is there a way to easily access the important advice we've heard before? Gretchen Rubin, author of the new book SECRETS OF ADULTHOOD, discusses the power of the aphorism.
31 min
25
How Parenting Advice Has Changed Over the Last ...
Is parenting harder today—or just different? We explore 125 years of parenting trends, from strict rules to gentle parenting, and why modern moms feel more pressure than ever.
37 min