What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson

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

  1. Fresh Take: Suzanne Warye, THE SOBER SHIFT

    15 HR AGO

    Fresh Take: Suzanne Warye, THE SOBER SHIFT

    Margaret sits down with Suzanne Warye—sobriety influencer, host of The Sober Mom Life podcast, and author of the new book THE SOBER SHIFT. Suzanne shares her story of walking away from alcohol, the truth about moderation, the concept of gray area drinking, and why sobriety can feel like abundance, not deprivation. Together, they explore how alcohol affects motherhood, anxiety, and identity, and how community can make the journey toward alcohol-free living possible. Suzanne also discusses the cultural forces targeting moms with “mommy wine culture,” the neuroscience behind alcohol and anxiety, and how embracing sobriety allows for more presence, joy, and connection. Here's where you can find Suzanne: @suzannewarye on IG https://suzannewarye.com Listen to the Sober Mom Life podcast Buy THE SOBER SHIFT: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780063437616 We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you. sobriety, Suzanne Warye, The Sober Shift, Sober Mom Life, alcohol-free living, gray area drinking, mommy wine culture, sober curious, sobriety influencer, alcohol and anxiety, motherhood and sobriety, women and drinking, quitting alcohol, sober community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    43 min
  2. When Does "Typical" Behavior Become Something More?

    2 DAYS AGO

    When Does "Typical" Behavior Become Something More?

    Is your kid extremely resistant to the simplest of requests? Or completely impossible to wake up in the morning? Or sure their peers don't like them, despite pretty clear evidence to the contrary? All of these are extremely typical kid behaviors. All of these also have more intense manifestations—PDA, DSWPD, and RSD, respectively— which meet clinical definitions and which may require more concrete support, for both you and your kid. In this episode, Amy and Margaret discuss the amorphous lines that often exist between typical child behavior and an issue that may need more attention and scaffolding. From afterschool restraint collapse to ARFID, Amy and Margaret explore the moments when everyday challenges start to interfere with family life, friendships, or school—and what parents can do to respond from a place of understanding and clarity. You’ll learn: How certain behaviors can sometimes point to larger patterns. The value of having names for behaviors—reducing shame, guiding next steps, and helping parents advocate for their kids. Practical strategies parents can use at home to reduce stress, manage transitions, and support kids in ways that actually work. If you’ve ever wondered, is this typical, or is it more?—this episode is for you. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH parenting podcast, kids behavior issues, child tantrums, picky eating help, rejection sensitivity dysphoria, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, ARFID in kids, pathological demand avoidance, delayed sleep wake phase disorder, typical vs atypical child behavior, parenting strategies for behavior Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    44 min
  3. DEEP DIVE: Why Women Have Less Free Time

    4 DAYS AGO

    DEEP DIVE: Why Women Have Less Free Time

    A recent report found that the division of home responsibilities is still grossly unequal. Mothers—whether they are married or single—do significantly more than fathers. In fact, the ⁠“The Free-Time Gender Gap” ⁠report found that “simply being a woman is linked to spending more time on unpaid childcare and household work, and having less free time, even when controlling for age, income, race/ ethnicity, parental status, and marital status." What does it mean for women to have less free time, and how can we keep working to close the gender gap? Amy and Margaret discuss: The differences in socialization between men and women when it comes to our living spaces How time inequality serves to further reinforce and perpetuate gender inequality How "secondary childcare" factors into the free-time gender gap Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Natalia Vega Varela, and Leyly Moridi ⁠“The Free-Time Gender Gap: How Unpaid Care and Household Labor Reinforces Women’s Inequality,”⁠ Gender Equity Policy Institute, October 2024. Allison Daminger for the American Sociological Review: ⁠De-gendered Processes, Gendered Outcomes: How Egalitarian Couples Make Sense of Non-egalitarian Household Practices⁠ Anne Helen Petersen on Substack: ⁠What Makes Women Clean⁠ We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/⁠ mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, emotional labor, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    44 min
  4. Fresh Take: Carla Ciccone, NOWHERE GIRL

    26 SEPT

    Fresh Take: Carla Ciccone, NOWHERE GIRL

    What happens when you finally, as an adult, understand for the first time that your brain has been wired differently all along? Writer and mother Carla Ciccone joins Amy and Margaret to discuss her memoir NOWHERE GIRL: Life as a Member of ADHD’s Lost Generation. Together, they explore how ADHD in women often presents differently than the “hyperactive little boy” stereotype, and the lasting impact on many adult women with ADHD of having been undiagnosed for decades. Carla shares her journey through shame, perfectionism, and masking—and how diagnosis and self-acceptance have reshaped her life as both a woman and a mother. Key Topics Covered: Why ADHD in women is historically underdiagnosed Rejection sensitivity dysphoria and imposter syndrome Raising children with ADHD as a parent with ADHD If you’ve ever wondered why ADHD feels different for women—or why so many are diagnosed later in life—this conversation offers clarity, compassion, and community. Carla’s story will resonate with anyone navigating motherhood, identity, and the struggle to stop “performing life” and start living authentically. Here's where you can find Carla: www.carlaciccone.com @cciccone on IG Buy NOWHERE GIRL: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593729519 We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH ADHD in women, late ADHD diagnosis, inattentive ADHD, hyperactive ADHD, ADHD masking, rejection sensitivity dysphoria, imposter syndrome ADHD, ADHD perfectionism, motherhood and ADHD, Carla Ciccone, Nowhere Girl memoir, ADHD and generational trauma, parenting with ADHD, ADHD emotional regulation, underdiagnosed ADHD in women Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    36 min
  5. DEEP DIVE: Dr. Amber Thornton on Finding Real Balance

    22 SEPT

    DEEP DIVE: Dr. Amber Thornton on Finding Real Balance

    We've all felt the guilt that comes with taking time away from our kids to do something we enjoy. But if we're always being told how liberating it is to do things for ourselves, why do we have such complicated feelings about? Dr. Amber Thornton tells us how we can successfully balance our lives both as women and as mothers. ⁠Dr. Amber Thornton⁠ is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Millennial Motherhood Wellness Coach. She is the Founder of Balanced Working Mama, with a mission to completely change the narrative of what is possible for millennial mothers by helping them to better balance work, motherhood, and wellness. She's also the host of the ⁠BALANCED WORKING MAMA podcast⁠. Dr. Amber resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband and 2 little ones.  Dr. Amber, Margaret, and Amy discuss: What it means to set a boundary successfully What's really behind mom guilt The perils of secondary expectations It's important to remember that our feelings about our situation don't necessarily reflect the reality that's happening around us. Our guilt about taking time for ourselves as mothers is a commentary on the society we live in, not our actual abilities as parents. Here's where you can find Amber: ⁠www.balancedworkingmama.com⁠ @dramberthornton on IG/FB/YT/TikTok @balancedworkingmama on IG Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Joshua Ziesel for The Washington Post: ⁠"I wanted to be a better husband. So I planned my kid's birthday party."⁠ We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH ⁠⁠⁠⁠invisible workload, default parent, household equity, household equality, gender household equality, gender household equity, mental load, cognitive load, cognitive labor, emotional labor, second shift, work life balance Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    30 min
  6. Do Our Friendships Have to Be This Complicated?

    17 SEPT

    Do Our Friendships Have to Be This Complicated?

    Have female friendships become more complicated than they need to be? Amy and Margaret dig into the dynamics of their own female-female friendships and what the research says: why some friendships last decades, why others drift apart, and why friendship “breakup texts” have become a thing. In this episode you'll learn: Why women expect more intimacy and reciprocity from friends than men do Why conflict styles play a big role in how friendships evolve The six categories of friendship that women and men look for, but with different priorities How to reconnect with old friends (without the awkwardness) Why it’s okay for different friends to meet different needs Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in this episode: Olga Khazan for The Atlantic: Why Do We Break Up With Friends? Emine Saner for The Guardian: Drifting away from your friends? Here are 10 questions to bring you closer Heather Havrilesky for The Cut: Why Do My Friendships Always Fade Away? Lilly Dancyger for Elle Magazine: We Need to Talk About Our Ex-Best Friends Fresh Take: Kat Vellos On Friendship and Connection Leigh E. Elkin and Christopher Peterson for Sex Roles Journal: Gender Differences in Best Friendships Dr. Jeffrey Hall et. al for The Journal of Personal and Social Relationships: Friendship standards: The dimensions of ideal expectations Michelle Ellman: BAD FRIEND Fresh Take: Norah Lally We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH female friendships, friendship breakups, adult friendships, friendship drama, friendship conflict, why friendships end, complicated friendships, friendship boundaries, friendship vs marriage, friendship stereotypes, friendship expectations, male vs female friendships, how to reconnect with friends, friendship advice for moms, low-conflict friendships, friendship categories research, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    42 min

About

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

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