774 episodes
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson
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- Kids & Family
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 and Margaret, 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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Fresh Take: Danielle Bayard Jackson on "Fighting for our Friendships"
Are female friendships really more complicated than male friendships? Does that make our friendships more valuable?
Danielle Bayard Jackson is a female friendship coach and educator on the science of women’s platonic connections. In her new book FIGHTING FOR OUR FRIENDSHIPS, Danielle explains what makes female friendship strong as well as tips for making and keeping great friends.
In this interview, Danielle and Amy discuss:
The three central affinities that bring women together: secrecy, symmetry, and support
How to compassionately approach friends who are flaky
Scripts for navigating common issues in friendships
Here's where you can find Danielle:
www.betterfemalefriendships.com
@daniellebayardjackson on IG
@thefriendshipexpert on TikTok
Listen to the "Friend Forward" podcast
Buy FIGHTING FOR OUR FRIENDSHIPS: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780306830617
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, friendships, female friendships
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MAY BONUS TEASER: Our Myers-Briggs Personality Tests!
This month, we take the Myers-Briggs personality test live on air—Margaret answers with her first instinct and Amy parses every question within an inch of its life. The results will and will not surprise you...
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What Fresh Hell Is Mother's Day?
Is one morning of runny eggs and burnt toast really fair payback for 364 days of work? Does "Mother's Day" have to mean packing the kids for a two-hour drive to see your mom and/or mother-in-law? Why does Mother's Day often feel like it's more trouble than it's worth?
Margaret and Amy discuss:
Anna Jarvis and the rather tragic origins of Mother's Day
"minor Mother's Day" vs "major Mother's Day," and how to deliver that message
How to ask for—and get—the Mother's Day that feels right for you
Margaret mentions "The Lanyard" by Billy Collins in this episode.
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/
Mother's Day, making mom feel special 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, toddler, baby, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, mothers day, mother's day gift ideas
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DEEP DIVE: Ditching Mom Guilt
This month, we're doing a deep dive series into mom guilt—why it's so pervasive and what we can do about it. You can find the playlist with all of the episodes in the series here.
"Mom guilt" is shorthand for what we think are two pretty different things:
the universal, low-grade feelings of inadequacy that our soccer snacks aren't as good as Monica's
the intense, deeply personal shame that we are definitely the only horrible parent who has ever allowed their baby to roll off the changing table
Yes, we take on these feelings of guilt and shame—but society is pretty quick to hand them to us. In this episode we discuss
why there isn't such a thing as "dad guilt"
why mom guilt might serve as a sort of magical thinking
if we can at least skip the feeling guilty about HAVING mom guilt part
Here are links to some studies and other writing on this topic that we discuss in this episode:
Lara Bazelon for The Atlantic: The End of Mom Guilt
Amy Paturel for The Washington Post: Why we feel 'mom guilt'—and how to stop
Fresh Take: Dana Dorfman on When Worry Works
Fresh Take: Carla Naumburg on Why You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent
Fresh Take: Sara Petersen on "Momfluencers"
Fresh Take: Susan Linn on How 'Big Tech' Targets Our Kids
Batram-Zantvoort, Stephanie et al, Frontiers in Global Women's Health: "Maternal self-conception and mental wellbeing..."
Subscribe to our newsletter! Once a month you’ll get our favorite recent episodes, plus links to other things to read and watch and listen to, and upcoming special events: http://eepurl.com/h8ze3z
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,
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Fresh Take: Dr. Alok Kanojia on Parenting a Healthy Gamer
How can we tear our kids away from the increasingly addictive video games they can't get enough of? Dr. Alok Kanojia, author of the book HOW TO RAISE A HEALTHY GAMER, explains how to talk to kids about their video game addiction.
Dr. Kanojia is a former gaming addict and a Harvard-trained psychiatrist who has developed evidence-based programs that helped tens of thousands of gamers overcome their addiction.
Margaret and Dr. Kanojia discuss:
Signs that someone is addicted to something and why gaming can fill a void
How to talk to your gamer about healthy habits
Enforcing boundaries around gaming and dealing with resistance to those boundaries
Here's where you can find Dr. Kanojia:
Follow Dr.K's podcast HealthyGamerGG https://open.spotify.com/show/6VaJwyS2KXxiXqR77jqzmP
Check out Dr.K's Book, How to Raise a Healthy Gamer https://bit.ly/4c8BNkr
Healthy Gamer Website https://www.healthygamer.gg/
Instagram: @healthygamergg
X: @dralokkanjia
YouTube: @healthy gamer GG
TikTok: @healthygamer.gg
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, toddler, baby, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, gaming, gaming addiction, video games, video game addiction, kids gaming addiction
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How To Deal With Picky Eaters
Follow us on YouTube!
Are you worried your picky eater will never eat a vegetable as long as they live? Here are some parenting tips for picky eaters—and some updates on Amy and Margaret's own picky eaters since recording our very first episode 8 years ago! (It's good news.)
Amy and Margaret discuss:
Why it's helpful to make food the least interesting thing at the dinner table
How to maintain your own sanity around mealtimes by meeting kids where they are
Why dinnertime is actually the worst time of day to get kids to try new foods
How pairing and "food chaining" can help expand your picky eaters' palates
Here is a link to one of the resources mentioned in the episode:
Benioff Childrens Hospitals: Picky Eaters
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/
manifest reality, positive thinking, toxic positivity, magical thinking, 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,
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