749 episodes

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

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson

    • Kids & Family
    • 4.8 • 877 Ratings

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

    DEEP DIVE: Getting Your Kids To Talk To You

    DEEP DIVE: Getting Your Kids To Talk To You

    We're doing a "Deep Dive" into our past episodes about "getting our kids to...," from listening to what we say the first time, to talking to us about what matters most to them. Find the rest of the episodes in this deep dive series in this Spotify playlist.
    Getting your kid to talk to you is never easy (unless you’re standing with car keys in hand, front door ajar, 15 minutes late for an appointment). Here are some parenting strategies that work to get kids talking at every age.
    Based upon empirical evidence, “How was school today?” is the most annoying question a mom could ever ask. So why bother trying?
     Because Jennifer Kolari, author of Connected Parenting: How to Raise a Great Kid, says getting our kids to open up is part of our job description:
    It’s our job as parents to help our kids sort through and process the things that happen to them during the day. “They don’t have the higher-order thinking to do it on their own yet.
    In this episode we lay out what gets our kids to talk– at every age and stage.
    Margaret says you have to “talk the talk that arrives.”
    But Amy comes at it armed with research; if her ninth-grader wants to talk NBA draft, she’s ready to lean in.
    Both of us plan to work on what Marie Roker Jones calls “listening with the intent to understand.”
    Here’s links to some research and hilarious takes on this topic that we mention in this episode:

    Alice Bradley for Lifehacker Offspring: Stop Asking Your Kid About Their Day


    Marie Roker-Jones for Good Men Project: 10 Ways to Get Your Son to Open Up and Talk to You


    Clare Gagne for Today’s Parent: Age-By-Age Guide To Getting Your Kid To Talk


    Liz Evans for Huffington Post: 25 Ways to Ask Your Kids ‘So How Was School Today?’ Without Asking Them ‘So How Was School Today?’



    The Ungame 

    …and some perfect viewing for you and your teenager: Maddie Corman’s wonderful short film How Was Your Day?



    How do you get your kids to open up? Let us know!

    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, talking to your kids, talking to my kid,
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 50 min
    Fresh Take: Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike on the Montessori Child

    Fresh Take: Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike on the Montessori Child

    How can we make the parent-child relationship peaceful and enjoyable? Simone Davies and Junnifa Uzodike, authors of THE MONTESSORI CHILD, explain Montessori parenting strategies and why they're useful for raising independent children.
    Simone Davies hosts the blog The Montessori Notebook, and Junnifa Uzodike sits on the executive board of the International Montessori Association and runs a school in Abuja, Nigeria.
    Simone, Junnifa, and Margaret discuss:

    The core tenets of the Montessori parenting philosophy

    What it means to be a parental guide to our children

    How Montessori parenting differs from other parenting styles


    Here's where you can find Simone and Junnifa:

    @themontessorinotebook

    @montessori_nduoma

    Buy THE MONTESSORI CHILD: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781523512416



    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, montessori school, montessori parenting
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 32 min
    Getting Unstuck (with Blaire and Molly from "Unsticking It")

    Getting Unstuck (with Blaire and Molly from "Unsticking It")

    Is creativity the domain of artists and artists alone? How do we get unstuck when we haven't picked up a paintbrush in decades? Blaire Brooks and Molly Lloyd, former hosts of "Toddler Purgatory" and now co-hosts of "Unsticking It," discuss why creativity is accessible to and crucial for everyone, no matter who they are.
    Blaire, Molly, Amy, and Margaret discuss:

    How to disentangle yourself from the "hamster wheel" of everyday life

    How famous artists have found inspiration for their great works

    The overlap between creativity and motherhood


    Here's where you can find Blaire and Molly:

    Listen to Unsticking It with Blaire and Molly

    @unsticking_it_podcast on IG

    Watch Molly in her State Farm commercial with Ludacris!


    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, creativity, creative rut, creative inspiration, artist, artistic inspiration
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 41 min
    DEEP DIVE: Getting Kids to Cooperate

    DEEP DIVE: Getting Kids to Cooperate

    We're doing a "Deep Dive" into our past episodes about "getting our kids to...," from listening to what we say the first time, to talking to us about what matters most to them. Find the rest of the episodes in this deep dive series in this Spotify playlist.
    How do we get our kids to listen to us and do as we ask, without too many tears on either side? Here are some parenting tips for encouraging cooperation in kids (and modeling it ourselves.)
    Our listener Alison asked:
    I would love some insight into engaging the cooperation of my two boys, 5 and almost 3 years old. At what age is it reasonable to expect them to put away their toys, stay seated for meals, get in the bath without mind games, and get ready for bed in less than 60 minutes? They are capable, but rarely willing, and 8 out of 10 times it's an ordeal. We have routines, we announce transitions in advance, we give them choices and even try to make it fun, but I feel like I am either haranguing them constantly or seething with resentment or both. Do I just accept this is the season of my life? Is cooperation 2 out of 10 times a victory? 
    Getting kids who are younger than three to "do their share" without a lot of coaxing and singing and clapping is pretty tough. Then when they're about six, kids' "fairness radar" kicks in, and they're much less focused on loading the dishwasher than on complaining about who is not currently helping. 
    So there are roadblocks to kids' cooperation, to be sure, and in this episode we discuss:

    whether "whistling while they work" might be too much to ask

    how "connecting before directing" works for older kids

    how we can model cooperation and hope our kids get the hint. (It's worth a shot.)


    Here are links to some other writing and books that we discuss in this episode:

    Our Fresh Take with Michaeleen Doucleff

    Cameron Kleimo for Motherly: How to get your kids to listen—without yelling


    Shelley Phillips for Lifehack: 6 Secrets to Getting Kids to Cooperate


    Terry Orlick: Cooperative Games and Sports 


    Frank McCourt: Angela's Ashes

    Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events


    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
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 42 min
    Fresh Take: Gwenna Laithland, "Momma Cusses"

    Fresh Take: Gwenna Laithland, "Momma Cusses"

    What is the happy parenting medium between raising our kids with zero boundaries, and yelling until we're blue in the face? Gwenna Laithland is creator of the wildly popular @mommacusses on TikTok and Instagram, and author of the new book Momma Cusses: A Field Guide to Responsive Parenting & Trying Not to Be the Reason Your Kid Needs Therapy.
    Gwenna explains in this interview how she eventually found her way to what she calls "responsive parenting." We also discuss:

    why there's no such thing as a "parenting expert"

    how responsive parenting helps parents become more intentional, empathetic, and emotionally available

    how helping kids regulate their emotions has to start with our modeling how to regulate our own .


    Here's where you can find Momma Cusses:

    @mommacusses on TikTok and Instagram

    @thismommacusses on Facebook


    Pleasant Peasant Media on YouTube

    buy the MOMMA CUSSES book! https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781250882660



    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, gentle parenting, responsive parenting
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 40 min
    Two Things Can Be True

    Two Things Can Be True

    In a disagreement two things can feel like opposites—but it can still be a fact that both things are true.
    You wish they'd listen; they wish you'd not get so angry.
    Your kid isn't going to that unsupervised sleepover; your kid is going to be furious about that for weeks.
    When we start allowing for coexisting differences of opinion—when we stop feeling like the other person can only be super-wrong before we get what we want—something like change can start to occur. The idea that two things can be true dates back to the ancient Greeks, and in this episode, we discuss

    the history of dialectical thinking

    why our lizard brains love to overcategorize

    how we can use the "two things can be true" script in our parenting


    We're still figuring out how this works for ourselves, but the effort seems well worth it.

    Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

    Dr. Becky on Instagram: How to Respond to Pushback With Firmness and Connection


    Raising Good Humans with Dr. Aliza Pressman: Two Things Can Be True


    Paul Sonderegger for Quartz: Forget the Turing Test—give AI the F. Scott Fitzgerald Test instead



    Steven Reidbrd M.D. for Psychology Today: "Dialectics in Psychotherapy"


    Oakwise Counseling: "Two Opposing Things Can Be True"


    The poem "Good Bones" by Maggie Smith


    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, dialectic thinking, two things can be true
    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    • 42 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
877 Ratings

877 Ratings

HannahGlennWriter ,

Got me through a lot

The humor and humanity of this podcast has seen m through a lot. Living far away from family and with no friends with kids around, Margaret and Amy have been my surrogate mom friends through the pandemic and beyond. Genuinely funny and insightful, I look forward to every new episode.

Kp50005 ,

Best parenting podcast

Funny and relatable. Fun topics and helpful topics made enjoyable. Something for every parent

Jenn Qq ,

The Mom Friends You NEED

I can’t say enough wonderful things about this show! Margaret and Amy talk about motherhood how it really is - the highs and the lows. I love the balance of personal anecdotes with experts talking about diverse topics. Plus, a little break in the middle for some comedy. Highly recommend!

Top Podcasts In Kids & Family

Greeking Out from National Geographic Kids
National Geographic Kids
Good Inside with Dr. Becky
Dr. Becky Kennedy
Circle Round
WBUR
Wow in the World
Tinkercast | Wondery
Raising Good Humans
Dear Media, Aliza Pressman
Stories Podcast: A Bedtime Show for Kids of All Ages
Starglow Media / Wondery

You Might Also Like

The Mom Hour
Mom Hour Media
The Girl Next Door Podcast
Kelsey Wharton and Erica Ladd
Didn't I Just Feed You
Stacie Billis and Meghan Splawn
Edit Your Life | Simplify + Declutter Your Home, Time, and Mental Space
Christine Koh
Best of Both Worlds Podcast
iHeartPodcasts
The Lazy Genius Podcast
Kendra, The Lazy Genius