Shows
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Jessica N. Turner on Rising from Grief and DisappointmentWhen we're faced with difficulties, how can we put them into perspective and move forward? Jessica N. Turner, author of the new book I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN THIS, discusses the experiences that led her to look at life differently and how she has learned to make "imperfect choices." Jessica N. Turner has spent the last two decades as a content creator and tastemaker for busy moms looking for hacks to live life with more intention and less stress. Jessica, Amy, and Margaret discuss:
What led...2025-05-0237 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Mom RageThis Deep Dive series is all about why motherhood is so gosh darn hard. Turns out there are sociopolitical forces at play that make motherhood way harder than it needs to be. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify. "Mom rage" is a thing, and it feels shameful because it feels so far from where we are supposed to be as mothers and as women. Writer Anne Lamott called it "a closely guarded secret, as if the myth of maternal bliss is so sacrosanct that we can't even admit these feelings to ourselves." 2025-04-2845 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Tamron HallHow can we show kids that their neighborhoods are wonderful places to explore, learn, and grow? Tamron Hall, author of the NYT-bestselling book HARLEM HONEY, discusses why fostering hometown curiosity in kids is so important. Tamron Hall is a two-time Emmy Award-winning television host and executive producer of syndicated talk show Tamron Hall. Tamron and Margaret discuss:
Becoming a mom later in life
Navigating anxiety in our kids
Why Mom going off to work at the beginning of HARLEM HONEY is so important
Here's...2025-04-2540 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Why Do Moms Get All The Blame?This Deep Dive series is all about why motherhood is so gosh darn hard. Turns out there are sociopolitical forces at play that make motherhood way harder than it needs to be. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify.Mothers have long been held at fault for anything that might occur in their children's lives, from autism ("refrigerator mothers") to colic, and everything in between. Why is there such a long history of blaming everything on Mom?In this episode, we discuss how mom blame has manifested in both...2025-04-2143 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Jessica Slice on Parenting While DisabledHow does disability affect parenting, and what can disabled parents teach us all about parenthood? Jessica Slice, author of the new book UNFIT PARENT, discusses her journey as a disabled parent and the incredible joy she's found along the way. Jessica Slice is a disabled author, speaker, and essayist. She has been published in Modern Love, The New York Times and The Washington Post among many others. Jessica and Margaret discuss:
Her journey towards accepting her disabled status
How her disability prepared her for parenthood in an unexpected...2025-04-1839 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsIs Gentle Parenting "Too" Gentle?There's a reason "gentle parenting" has become synonymous in some circles—and on social media—with never ever telling a child "no," even in the most extreme circumstances. But where did "gentle parenting" begin, what does the research really say about it, and what can it actually offer parents in the way of making their lives easier? Amy and Margaret discuss:
The original definition of "gentle parenting"—and how it leaves the door open for broad interpretations
What research has actually shown about the effects of gentle parenting—and how those who consider themselv...2025-04-1640 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Things That Should Be Fun... But Aren'tThis month's Deep Dive series is all about how much fun we are—or aren't—having while raising our kids. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify. There are some things in life that sound more fun in the planning stage than they are in the execution, and those things are statistically proven to be done more frequently by parents.We asked our listeners to tell us their lists of things that should be fun, but aren't. As the record will show, our listeners are sadly, completely correct. Don't say you weren't warn...2025-04-1440 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson on the Healing Power of Shared StoriesIn this conversation, Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson, author of the new book HELD TOGETHER, shares her experiences as a family medicine physician specializing in women's and children's health, focusing on her journey through pregnancy complications and losses. She discusses the importance of storytelling in healing, the interconnectedness of personal and professional experiences, and the collaborative nature of her book, 'Held Together.' Through the stories of herself and others, she emphasizes the complexities of motherhood, the medical profession, and the shared struggles that unite us all.2025-04-1127 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsShould Your Family Get a Pet?Are your kids steadily wearing you down on the topic of getting a puppy? Are you convinced that a "low-maintenance" pet like a turtle or fish will be a happy compromise for everyone? Here are some important points to consider if you are thinking about getting a family pet. Amy and Margaret discuss:
Their soon-to-be-patented "pet decision matrix"
Why smaller, "lower maintenance" pets are NOT less work than bigger ones
How having a pet affects things like family travel, budget, and household labor
Here are links to some of...2025-04-0946 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: When Is This Going to Be Fun Again? Lighthearted ParentingThis month's Deep Dive series is all about how much fun we are—or aren't—having while raising our kids. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify. We all fall into the trap of thinking that every day with our kids has to contain a “snow globe moment,” a social media-worthy image of perfect joy for our entire family.And even if part of us knows that’s not realistic, another part of us thinks that it’s all supposed to be fun. That there must be something wrong with us if we don’t love every sin...2025-04-0748 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Kate Swenson, Carrie Cariello, and Adrian Wood on Parenting Kids with AutismEven though there is more awareness about neurodivergence in today's world, there's still a lot most people don't know about what it's like parenting neurodivergent children. Kate Swenson, Carrie Cariello, and Adrian Wood, authors of the new book AUTISM OUT LOUD, discuss their individual journeys parenting a child with autism from diagnosis to young adulthood. Kate, Carrie, Adrian, and Margaret discuss:
Figuring out what success looks like for your child with autism
How an autism diagnosis affects family dynamics
Processing the grief that accompanies an autism diagnosis
Kate Swenson i...2025-04-0443 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsExtremely Achievable Self-CareLet's face it—we moms need self-care options that don't cost a lot, take a lot of time, or require any childcare. The members of our Facebook group came through again with some excellent, easy, no-cost/low-cost forms of self-care that will help you take back a little bit of your day—and your sanity! Amy and Margaret discuss:
Their favorite forms of easy self care
Their opinions on pickles
Stores that are extra fun even if you're only window shopping
We love the sponsors that make...2025-04-0245 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Is This Supposed to Be More Fun?This month's Deep Dive series is all about how much fun we are—or aren't—having while raising our kids. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify. When parenting feels like all work and no play, we may resignedly think "Well, that's the way it's supposed to be." But if you feel like parenting is more draining than fulfilling, there are ways to bring more presence, joy, and fun into the mix.Amy and Margaret discuss:
Why having fun as a family usually means doing what kids think is fun, which is not the same...2025-03-3135 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg on Friendship DynamicsWhen we're the kinkeeper in our friend group—aka the one who organizes the get-togethers, remembers the birthdays, and sends out availability polls—it can get overwhelming, and we can even find ourselves resentful over it. Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg, hosts of the podcast "How to Be Fine," discuss how to approach conversations with friends about sharing the kinkeeping burden more evenly.Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg host the podcasts "By The Book" and "How to Be Fine." The current season of How to Be Fine is all about the loneliness epidemic and friendship quandaries, from jeal...2025-03-2842 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsHow to Be Connected (But Not Too Connected) with Our KidsWe want to build a family that feels close and connected, but how do we know when the boundaries in our relationships are too porous? Here's what family enmeshment means, what it looks like, and how to look for signs of enmeshment in our relationships with our kids. Amy and Margaret discuss:
The family systems theory and how it relates to enmeshment
How clear boundaries create safety in relationships
How enmeshment in family dynamics affects stress tolerability
Here are links to some of the resources mentioned...2025-03-2642 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Does Having Kids Make Us Happy?This month's Deep Dive series is all about how much fun we are—or aren't—having while raising our kids. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify. The world wants us to believe that having kids will bring us untold happiness. It's a love you've never known! Your life will never be the same! The reality is a little more complicated, and that can be quite confusing. As psychologist Jean Twenge points out, "Parents might believe that it's their fault when the transition to parenthood is difficult, rather than seeing it as something that everyone experiences."So...2025-03-2443 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Jenny WoodHow can moms feel empowered to make progress towards their personal and professional goals? Jenny Wood, author of the new book WILD COURAGE, offers tips for applying courage in your daily life, balancing personal ambitions with family responsibilities, and setting healthy boundaries.In her 18 years at Google, Jenny Wood grew from entry-level to executive. Jenny’s writing has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Inc., and Forbes. Jenny and Margaret discuss:
The nine negative adjectives women are often labeled as and how Jenny flips them in her book
How to differentiate between the "trut...2025-03-2143 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFamily Meetings (and Why You Should Do Them)Does your quality time with your spouse sometimes/always devolve into discussions about finances, kids, or future plans? Here's how focused weekly meetings—both for our partnerships and for our families—can strengthen, deepen, and save the sanity of our relationships.Amy and Margaret discuss:
How marriage/family check-ins improve the day-to-day health of relationships
Best practices for successful marriage/family check-ins
How they tailor their own marriage/family check-ins to work for them
Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:
MARRIAGE MEETINGS FOR LASTING LOVE by M...2025-03-1944 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Is There Just Too Much Information?This month's Deep Dive series is about parenting through uncertainty. Listen to all of the episodes in the series with this Spotify playlist.“Information overload” is defined as the tipping point when the input of information exceeds an individual’s capacity to process it all. When we begin to feel overwhelmed and stressed by the amount of information that is available, we can end up feeling more stressed and overwhelmed than knowledgeable.For parents, the urge to find certainty through online research—only to end up feeling even less certain—is particularly common. How can we make th...2025-03-1734 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Mary Catherine Starr on Truly Sharing the Mental Load in MarriageWomen take on the lion's share of housework in heterosexual partnerships, and that gap in labor becomes a chasm once a child is born. Once Mom is the default parent, it becomes very difficult to even out the distribution of housework and parenting more equally.Mary Catherine Starr, author of the new book MAMA NEEDS A MINUTE, has renegotiated the distribution of labor in her own marriage post-kids and has tips for how other women can do the same.Mary Catherine Starr is an artist, graphic designer, and author. Her hugely popular Instagram account @momlife...2025-03-1435 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsHow to Feel Less Starved for TimeAs moms, it feels like we're always crunched for time without a moment to ourselves in a given day. And that really takes its toll on our mental health. Here are some tips for getting more "time affluence" in your day—and no, it's not about being more productive! Time affluence is about structuring your to-do list so it feels more manageable and working time for yourself into the fabric of your day-to-day so that you're not going months without any me-time.Margaret and Amy discuss:
The difference between "time famine" and "time poverty"
Why modern co...2025-03-1242 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Dealing With Uncertainty as a ParentThis month's Deep Dive series is about parenting through uncertainty. Listen to all of the episodes in the series with this Spotify playlist.How do we prepare for a future that isn’t clear? How do we prepare our kids for their future when what that might look like is also unclear? Uncertainty is an unavoidable part of the parenting journey, but in this episode we’re talking about those really uncertain times: the “this might be nothing, but we’d like to run more tests” times. The “we actually aren’t sure what’s happening here” t...2025-03-1041 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Nicole Graev LipsonHow can women grapple with society's unattainable standards for beauty, femininity, and motherhood? Nicole Graev Lipson, author of the new book MOTHERS AND OTHER FICTIONAL CHARACTERS, discusses how she has started to divorce herself from these ideas and get more comfortable with uncertainty.Nicole Graev Lipson's essays have appeared in The Best American Essays 2024, The Sun, Virginia Quarterly Review, The Gettysburg Review, River Teeth, Fourth Genre, The Boston Globe, and more.Nicole, Amy, and Margaret discuss:
The role that mothers are expected to play
How society treats aging women as invisible
How Nicole learned...2025-03-0736 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsBEST OF: So What Do You Do All Day?If you're a stay-at-home parent, how do you answer to the people who frequently– and annoyingly– ask, "So, what do you do all day?"A listener in our Facebook group posted?"During Covid, I quit my job and I’ve been home. I drive my kids to school, work out, and manage the house and family. I’m very happy and fulfilled, especially knowing that my eldest will be leaving for college soon, I’m soaking up this time. My problem is trying to explain this to others. I have a good college degree and worked in...2025-03-0546 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Brave Parenting in a Scary WorldThis month's Deep Dive series is about parenting through uncertainty. Listen to all of the episodes in the series with this Spotify playlist.Gloria DeGaetano, parenting expert and founder of the Parent Coaching Institute, recently wrote: "There's almost not a word to express the stress parents are under right now. 'Overwhelmed' doesn't cut it. It's beyond anything we've ever experienced."This really is a strange and scary moment for all of us, and parenting through our own anxiety is proving a special challenge.In this episode we discuss how to parent bravely–which doe...2025-03-0339 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Melanie ShankleHow do we navigate raising children when we were not set a good example by our parents? Melanie Shankle, author of the new book HERE BE DRAGONS, discusses how we can disrupt the harmful parenting patterns that we grew up with and do better by our own children.Melanie Shankle is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, co-host of the podcast, The Big Boo Cast, and creator of The Big Mama blog.Melanie, Amy, and Margaret discuss:
What Melanie's relationship with her own mother taught her about parenting
When to know...2025-02-2838 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsWhat We Call "People Pleasing" Might Really Be Something Else"People pleaser" is usually both a gendered and pejorative term. Some people really do love taking on the lion's share of work in a given situation. Some people do it but are secretly resentful that they always have to spearhead endless event planning, committees, and get togethers. Here's what "people pleasing" really means and how to unwind yourself from it if it's getting to be too much.Amy and Margaret discuss:
The actual definition of people pleasing versus how it's commonly used
Demand sensitivity and how it relates to people-pleasing
How to differentiate between people-pleasing and...2025-02-2643 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Renee Reina, "The Mom Room"How do social media influencers themselves manage their expectations around parenting and their consumption of parenting content online? Renee Reina, creator and host of the "Mom Room" podcast, discusses how her ADHD diagnosis, her PhD in psychology, and her social media presence all shape her parenting.Renee, Amy, and Margaret discuss:
How parenting norms have changed since they were children
How Renee's ADHD diagnosis has impacted her work and her parenting
How Renee manages her consumption of social media as a content creator herself
Renee Reina is the creator and host of...2025-02-2140 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsWe Settle Your Arguments (Part 2)Did you know? Happy to Help is available on Audible- with Amy doing the narration! Should you brush your teeth with hot or cold water? Do you cut sandwiches horizontally or diagonally? How tightly should you screw on jar lids?We asked our listeners for their most longstanding, totally low-stakes disagreements with their spouse or parenting partner. And there were just too many juicy arguments for one episode! Here's part two of our final rulings on important topics.Join our Facebook group and be part of our next episode!We love...2025-02-1943 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Changing the Stories We Tell OurselvesThis Deep Dive series is about reflecting on our trajectories as mothers - looking back, reflecting on where we are now, and thinking about the future. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.We are the protagonist in our own story, but what happens when we become the antagonist in stories we weren't even aware of? Or when we assign antagonist roles to unsuspecting partners or kids? Amy and Margaret discuss why we as humans need to tell ourselves stories, when the stories we tell ourselves might stop serving us, and how we can change the stories...2025-02-1743 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Ashley Graber and Maria Evans on Raising Calm KidsAnxiety is diagnosed much more frequently than it used to be; that goes for our kids as well. Our parental instincts are usually to reassure them, but as it turns out, that actually isn't the solution to making them worry less.Ashley Graber and Maria Evans, child and family psychotherapists and authors of the new book RAISING CALM KIDS IN A WORLD OF WORRY, explain how to have tough conversations with your child, and how to teach your child coping skills for their anxiety.In this episode Ashley, Maria, and Margaret discuss:
Why kids...2025-02-1443 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsWe Settle Your Arguments (Part 1)Did you know? Happy to Help is available on Audible- with Amy doing the narration! Should ketchup be refrigerated? Is dryer-lint cleaning a before or after job? We asked our listeners for their most longstanding, totally low-stakes disagreements with their spouse or parenting partner.In this episode, we render judgments. People, we're calling balls and strikes. Our determinations are final. Join our Facebook group and be part of our next episode!We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our...2025-02-1242 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Is This a Midlife Crisis?This Deep Dive series is about reflecting on our trajectories as mothers - looking back, reflecting on where we are now, and thinking about the future. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.What does it mean to have a midlife crisis? What exactly counts as "midlife," and (yikes) are we already in it? Can we avoid the disenchantment and the rash decision-making that stereotypically accompany such times in our lives?A listener in our Facebook group asked:"Who has been thru their midlife crisis and how did you deal? Turning 40 next week...2025-02-1043 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Neha Ruch, "The Power Pause"So many women feel that when they leave the workforce to become a stay-at-home parent, "Mom" becomes their primary and only identity. But Neha Ruch, author of the new book THE POWER PAUSE, reframes the shift from paid work to stay-at-home parenting—and sometimes back to the workforce— in a way that expands identity and possibilities for women going through these transitions. Neha, Amy, and Margaret discuss:
Why the period of "stay at home momness" can be a great challenge to identity
How the Power Pause stands in contrast to the way moms are seen when they...2025-02-0743 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsMultitasking: Turns Out We’re ALL Bad At ItWe're talking about some of the topics in Amy Wilson's new book HAPPY TO HELP. Get it in our Bookshop bookstore, or wherever you buy books! Ask most people if women are "just better" at multitasking, and they'll probably agree. Didn't some study say that at some point? Aren't women from Venus and men from Mars? Aren't our brains completely different?Here's what the research really says about multitasking. Turns out we may have been bamboozled into doing more work all this time WITHOUT being any better at it.Amy and Margaret discuss:2025-02-0542 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: When It's Time To PivotAmy Wilson's book Happy to Help is out now and available wherever you buy books!Join Amy and Margaret in Philadelphia and San Antonio in February 2025 for their latest "What Fresh Hell Live!" shows. For tickets, head to bit.ly/whatfreshhelltour.This Deep Dive series is about reflecting on our trajectories as mothers - looking back, reflecting on where we are now, and thinking about the future. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.For moms who want to make a change, whether it's returning to an old career after a break, or fo...2025-02-0344 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Norah LallyHow do our experiences in our families of origin shape our own parenting style? Norah Lally, author of the new book BACK TO BAINBRIDGE—and Margaret's best friend!—discusses her own experiences of becoming a mother to three children, born in very different circumstances.Norah Lally is a New York-born, Los Angeles-based writer. Her debut novel, Back to Bainbridge, was selected as an Editor’s Pick by BookLife at Publishers Weekly.Here's where you can find Norah:
www.norahlally.com
@norahlallywrites on IG
@BacktoBainbridge on FB
Buy BACK TO BAINBRIDGE: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781647048723
...2025-01-3147 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsOur 2/1 "Back-to-Ones" for 2025You can find Amy's new book HAPPY TO HELP in hardcover, paperback, Ebook, and audiobook (read by Amy !) at bit.ly/happytohelpamazon or wherever you buy books!Have you already failed at achieving your lofty New Year's Resolutions that you set for 2025? The problem isn't you. It's that year after year we resolve to fix the same things about ourselves once and for all, rather than accept that what we really need are gentle resets—consistent, continuous, and without the feeling bad about ourselves part.In this episode Amy and Margaret discuss:
where "back-to-ones" co...2025-01-2945 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: How Motherhood Changes UsAmy Wilson's book Happy to Help is out now and available wherever you buy books!Join Amy and Margaret in Philadelphia and San Antonio in February 2025 for their latest "What Fresh Hell Live!" shows. For tickets, head to bit.ly/whatfreshhelltour.This Deep Dive series is about reflecting on our trajectories as mothers - looking back, reflecting on where we are now, and thinking about the future. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.Becoming a mother changes everything about us. Literally: the very structure of our brain changes during pregnancy, along with...2025-01-2744 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Nancy Reddy on "The Good Mother Myth"Many of us grew up believing in that women are particularly biologically designed to nurture—which means that a mother will immediately and instinctively know how to parent, be better at it than the other adults around her and the baby, and that she'd really prefer to do the caretaking work on her own.Nancy Reddy says all of that is THE GOOD MOTHER MYTH, and in her new book, uncovers the shoddy and old-fashioned science beneath our bad ideas about how to be a good mom.In this interview, Nancy and Amy discuss:
wh...2025-01-2440 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms400 Just-Us Episodes! Looking Back, Looking ForwardHappy to Help is available wherever you buy books, and at bit.ly/whatfreshhellamazon. Did you know Amy narrates the audiobook?This episode marks number 400 of Amy-and-Margaret conversations on "What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood." (There are also hundreds of "Fresh Take" interviews with experts and guests!)We're here this episode to reflect on the lessons learned and challenges faced along the way. We discuss:
Our biggest parenting takeaways from eight years of this podcast
How parenting has changed since we started observing it closely
The things we thought were true...2025-01-2245 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Mallory Thomas on How to Get Off Our PhonesWe've been talking about it on the podcast a ton recently: we need to spend less time on our phones. But willpower doesn't work, at least not for long. Writer and influencer Mallory Thomas, author of the romantic novel SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, explains the science behind our phone addiction and the strategies she put in place that actually worked.In this episode Mallory, Amy, and Margaret discuss:
The "aha" moment when Mallory realized she had to decrease her screen time
Understanding the dopamine rush behind endless scrolling
Strategies that didn't work, and then what actually...2025-01-1740 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms"Are You Mad at Me?" When Kids Live to PleaseGet Amy Wilson's new book HAPPY TO HELP at bit.ly/happytohelpamazon or wherever you buy books!It's a good thing to be aware of the emotions and needs of the people around us. For some kids, it can tip into hypersensitivity to others' emotions, people-pleasing behaviors, and asking if people are mad at them approximately twenty times a day. How can we help? (And is it way worse for girls?)In this episode, hosts Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables discuss:
What empirical studies of gender differences in emotion really show
How empathy can...2025-01-1543 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Minor, Life-Changing TipsThis month's Deep Dive series is all about useful tips we've acquired over the years! Listen to the whole series on this Spotify playlist. We asked our listeners what minor and yet life-changing advice they have to offer. From bringing Sharpies everywhere, to cleaning the shower in the shower, to milkshakes after doctors' appointments, our lives just got a whole lot better!Margaret and Amy discuss:
The correct way to boil corn
What really goes in the glove compartment (not gloves)
Amy's meet-cute with her husband
"Let's Make a Deal"
...2025-01-1339 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Tyler Moore, "Tidy Dad"Where do we even start when we feel like we're drowning in too much stuff? Tyler Moore, better known on Instagram as @tidydad, and author of the new book TIDY UP YOUR LIFE, discusses tips on dealing not only with clutter, but with the emotions that accompany it.Tyler and Amy discuss:
Keeping only what supports your current life, freeing up space for what matters
How to divide decluttering into seasons
Why "easily tidied," and not "always tidied," is the real goal
Here's where you can find Tyler:
www.thetidydad.com
@t...2025-01-1046 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAmy Wilson, "Happy to Help"In celebration of the launch of her new book, HAPPY TO HELP, in this episode Margaret gives Amy the interview treatment!Amy tells all about the process of writing this book, the hard times that really put her parenting to the test, and her eventual discovery that putting our own needs lower and lower down our list of priorities will never work well enough to forever-fix everything around us.You can find HAPPY TO HELP in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook (read by Amy !) at bit.ly/happytohelpamazon or wherever you buy books!...2025-01-0844 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: The Most Important Things We've Learned (So Far)This month's Deep Dive series is all about useful tips we've acquired over the years! Listen to the whole series on this Spotify playlist. Happy 6th Anniversary to What Fresh Hell! In six years of doing this podcast, we've learned a lot, changed our minds, and watched our kids grow. This week we're talking about the most important things we've learned over the last six years, and what a privilege it is to be part of this incredible podcast community. Thanks for listening!Here are some things we talk about in this episode:
Fresh...2025-01-0642 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsBEST OF: Fresh Take: Amanda Montell and the Age of Magical OverthinkingCognitive biases are self-deceptive thought patterns we all use to make sense of the world. In a world that makes less and less sense, Amanda Montell argues, humans have become more irrational than ever. In her new book THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING, Montell explains how our brains' coping mechanisms have become overloaded—and how to slow down our panic responses when the world becomes too overwhelming.Amanda, Amy, and Margaret discuss:
How magical overthinking has manifested from the modern age of mass information overload and an epidemic of loneliness
The types of cognitive biases that co...2025-01-0339 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsBEST OF: What We're Taking Into The New Year (with Life Coach Ann Imig)How can positive psychology help us create more of what we want for ourselves in this new year? Life coach Ann Imig takes Margaret and Amy through some of her coursework and tells us how to connect our already-existing personality strengths to more joy and well-being.Ann Imig is an award-winning writer, speaker, and performer, currently working as a certified positive psychology life coach. In 2010 she created the nationwide storytelling series and book titled Listen to Your Mother.Ann, Amy, and Margaret discuss:-taking stock of the previous year and using that knowledge to...2025-01-0143 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsBEST OF: Fresh Take: Erin and Stephen Mitchell, "Too Tired To Fight"Do you and your partner find yourselves talking past each other when arguing? Erin and Stephen Mitchell, authors of the new book TOO TIRED TO FIGHT, discuss how parenting can impact relationships (including their own!) and strategies to manage conflict and stay connected. Erin and Stephen Mitchell are the cofounders of Couples Counseling for Parents, a company focused on providing access to research-informed, psychologically sound online education for couples.Amy, Erin, and Stephen discuss:
Why fighting between couples often increases once kids come into the picture
What conflict in a relationship really signifies—and why...2024-12-2743 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsBEST OF: When Typical Parenting Advice Just Doesn't FitWhat happens when the usual parenting advice feels zero-percent applicable to our own situation? The first step is to let go of any "second arrow" self-blame that that is the case. The second step is to chart our own paths.Amy and Margaret discuss:
What types of kids may not benefit from the one-size-fits-all parenting advice
Why the concept of default parenting advice is harmful
Why kids "irritating behaviors" are signs that they are growing and learning appropriately
Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:
Sarah...2024-12-2543 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsHOLIDAY BEST OF: Holiday FailsWe’re rerunning some of our favorite holiday episodes to keep you company while you do all the things this season. Listen to all of our holiday episodes in this Spotify playlist. Experts say happiness is often purer in the anticipation of an event. The reality can be a little more messy. And at no time of year is that sentiment more true than during the holiday season.We asked our listeners to tell us their holiday worsts, and in this episode we discuss them all, plus a few of our own. Hams glazed with no...2024-12-2349 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, "The Disengaged Teen"Are teenagers destined to be bored by high school, or are we missing an important piece of the puzzle? Jenny Anderson and Rebecca Winthrop, authors of THE DISENGAGED TEEN, explain what's behind the teen disengagement crisis and how parents can act.Jenny Anderson is an award-winning journalist, author, and speaker with more than 25 years of experience. Rebecca Winthrop is the director of the Center for Universal Education at Brookings and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University.Jenny, Rebecca, and Margaret discuss:
The four different modes of learning that teens tend to engage in
What...2024-12-2046 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsHow To Yell LessSHOULD we yell at our kids? No. Do we? Yes. Some of us perhaps a little too often. Kids are hardwired to push our buttons to get attention, and none of us are saints.But while verbal abuse is definitely horrible, hollering “you are about to miss the bus again” is perhaps a little more forgivable—and fixable, as it turns out. And it is definitely better to yell less, not just because you’ll have a more peaceful home, but because the more yelling your household has in it, the more it is likely to have.In this episode...2024-12-1845 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsHOLIDAY BEST OF: It's the Most Everything Time of the YearWe’re rerunning some of our favorite holiday episodes to keep you company while you do all the things this season. Listen to all of our holiday episodes in this Spotify playlist. Are you juggling “dress as your favorite reindeer” day at preschool with frantic texts from your sister-in-law asking what your spouse wants for Christmas? Are you feeling like hiding under the covers instead of hitting the office holiday party? It’s the most everything time of the year, and women report the holidays as being far more stressful than men do. In this ep...2024-12-1643 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Emily and Jason Morrow, "Really Very Crunchy"Does being a crunchy mom mean milling your own flour and sending your kids to school barefoot? Emily and Jason Morrow, creators of Really Very Crunchy, discuss what inspired them to both embrace and riff on the crunchy lifestyle.Emily Morrow is a stay-at-home mom who created the social media channel "Really Very Crunchy" with her husband Jason in 2022.Emily, Jason, and Margaret discuss:
What the crunchy lifestyle entails and why it's a spectrum
How Emily and Jason got the inspiration to start Really Very Crunchy
How to balance your own crunchiness with the...2024-12-1341 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsShould Kids Do Chores?Engaging in regular household chores is a great way for kids to develop important life skills. But how can we take the time to teach kids how to do these chores while not making laundry day any more hectic than it already is?Amy and Margaret discuss:
How regular chores help kids develop important skills
Why "noticing" what needs to be done is just as important as actually doing it
How to pick your battles when it comes to involving little kids in chores
Here are links to some of the resources...2024-12-1144 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Are You the 'Good Parent' or the 'Bad Parent' In Your Home?This month's Deep Dive series is all about family dynamics. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.Are you the “bad parent” in your home? The enforcer of bedtimes, the keeper of deadlines, the stern shusher in the church pew? Or are you the “good parent,” the authority figure more likely to agree that time is a construct and that ice cream not only can, but should, be what’s for dinner?This week we’re breaking down
how this dynamic plays out in each of our homes
whether the primary caregiver has to always be stu...2024-12-0943 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Vanessa Cornell on Putting Ourselves FirstWhat happens when mothers engage in the radical act of putting themselves first? Vanessa Cornell is the founder of NUSHU, a women’s community grounded in wellness and empowerment. In this interview she explains the importance of self-care for mothers, overcoming mom guilt, and nurturing children's independence.Vanessa and Amy discuss:
The burnout that led Vanessa to found NUSHU
Rejecting the "shoulds" as mothers (and women) and how to stay true to your authentic self
How you can foster independence in your kids
Here's where you can find Vanessa:
www.vanessacornell.co...2024-12-0643 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsHoliday Goals: Less Doing, More MagicToday Parents is tackling this same topic this week—and our listeners' advice is quoted! Moms are challenging the idea that they are the sole keepers of holiday ‘magic’It's hard not to feel like we've got to be doing ALL the things at the holidays, especially when social media tells us we should be. Here are some tips for taking perspective at the holidays and operating in "high magic, low effort" mode.Co-hosts Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables discuss:
pre-gaming with your (older) kids about the preferred responses to less-preferred gifts
starting with what f...2024-12-0448 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Two Kinds of People: Family DebatesThis month's Deep Dive series is all about family dynamics. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.What are the consistent and ongoing family debates in your household? Our Facebook group came through with their most heated family debate topics, and this week we give the ultimate answer for questions like:
Should dishes be rinsed clean before they go in the dishwasher?
Is it acceptable to call someone after 8 pm?
Is a garage for storing stuff, or for storing cars?
When you're making a bed, which side is up for the flat sheet?
What is the...2024-12-0246 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Charles Bock on Parenting Through LossHow do we parent when we suddenly find ourselves doing it without our partner? Charles Bock, author of the memoir I WILL DO BETTER, discusses his experiences with fatherhood, grief, and finding strength through monumental challenges.Charles Bock is the New York Times-bestselling author of the novels Beautiful Children and Alice & Oliver, and a creative writing professor at New York University.Charles and Amy discuss:
Charles's initial reluctance towards fatherhood and how his perspective changed over time
The roles friends and family played in supporting him and his daughter through their first years without...2024-11-2937 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsThe Psychological "Effects" That Shape Our ThinkingWhy do we think the way we think? How susceptible are we to influences we don't perceive? In the case of psychological effects, there are proven changes in thinking that occur in individuals or groups that can be attributed to particular causes. In this episode, hosts Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables get into some of their favorites, including:
placebo (and "nocebo" effect
near-miss effect
Martha Mitchell effect
observer expectancy effect
name-letter effect
online disinhibition effect
Eaton-Rosen effect (Amy always knew this one deep in her bones)
Dunning-Kruger effect
Zeigarnik effect
Get monthly bonus episodes...2024-11-2745 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsDEEP DIVE: Pushing Kids the Just-Right AmountThis month's Deep Dive series is all about helping our kids through hardships like making mistakes, getting rejected, and facing competition. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.Do you worry about finding the balance between forcing your kid to keep doing activities that are good for them (that you already paid for) and not letting them be miserable all the time? How do you keep them on track academically without having to run flashcards with them about the Peloponnesian War for the billionth time? Here's what the research says about when to push our kids...2024-11-1140 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Amy Betters-Midtvedt on What No One Tells You About Parenting TeensYou hear that parenting teens is a wild ride. But as Amy Betters-Midtvedt, author of the new book YOU'LL MAKE IT (AND THEY WILL TOO), says, it can also be baffling:“So much weirdness comes when they go back-and-forth between staying their old selves and becoming their new ones. Conflict will suddenly flow out of nowhere over nothing.”But you'll make it. And they will too.Amy Betters-Midtvedt is a Today Parenting contributing author with more than a million readers and twenty-five years of experience working with adolescents and families. In this episode, she...2024-08-0931 min
Edit Your Life | Simplify + Declutter Your Home, Time, and Mental SpaceSeasonal Subtraction Tactics (with Amy Wilson & Margaret Ables)We know that less can be more. And sometimes it takes serious intention to subtract. Christine chats with Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson about the importance of subtraction tactics, especially in chaotic seasons.Edit Your Life is an award-winning podcast that offers tips, recommendations, and expert advice to simplify and declutter your home, schedule, to-do list, relationships, and mental space. Connect with host Christine Koh at edityourlifeshow@gmail.com or DM @edityourlifeshow or @drchristinekoh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2024-06-1342 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Amy Shoenthal on "The Setback Cycle"If setbacks are so common, especially in the trenches of motherhood, how can we learn useful lessons from them? Amy Shoenthal, author of the new book THE SETBACK CYCLE, offers a framework for navigating setbacks and becoming stronger because of them.Amy Shoenthal is a journalist, marketing consultant and a contributor to Forbes Women and Harvard Business Review.Shoenthal and Margaret discuss:
Why our brains learn more from setbacks than successes and why people who have setbacks are better at problem solving
Shoenthal's four-phase framework for navigating setbacks
The "motherhood penalty" that women in...2024-04-0536 min
Modern Dadhood | Unpacking Fatherhood + Parenting for Dads (and Moms!)Parenting Podcast Collab | Margaret Ables + Amy Wilson of What Fresh HellWhat fresh hell is this episode all about? Well, it's a collaboration with our new friends Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables, hosts of the popular momhood podcast What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood. The four parenting podcasters waste no time digging into why there are so many more motherhood podcasts than fatherhood podcasts, the value of gaining new perspectives, and how the role of the father has dramatically shifted over the decades... and could stand to continue evolving!Episode 97 of Modern Dadhood kicks off with Adam ribbing Marc for neglecting to call or...2024-02-0259 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsFresh Take: Amy Palanjian of Yummy Toddler FoodAre picky eaters a reflection of their parenting? How in control are moms and das when it comes to kids' willingness to eat a variety of foods? Amy Palanjian, creator of yummytoddlerfood.com and author of the NYT bestselling book DINNERTIME SOS, is here to reframe our parental anxieties around feeding our kids every single day. Amy and Margaret discuss: -where to start when it comes to feeding your picky eater -why we shouldn't expect kids to "make healthy choices" -how to make dinnertime less stressful for everyone2023-12-1536 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsPushing Kids the Just-Right AmountDo you worry about finding the balance between forcing your kid to keep doing activities that are good for them (that you already paid for) and not letting them be miserable all the time? How do you keep them on track academically without having to run flashcards with them about the Peloponnesian War for the billionth time? Here's what the research says about when to push our kids - and when to let sleeping (Peloponnesian) dogs lie.A listener in our Facebook group asks:"How do you decide when to push your kids? Like when...2023-02-1540 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret: Help! I Have Mom FOMODoes it feel like everyone else's child is petting golden retrievers in flowered fields while yours are crying in a pile of Cheerios on the floor? Mom FOMO - the fear that you're not giving your kids the positive experiences that all of their peers are getting - is real. Here are some concrete ways to address it.This week's question comes from Amy in our Facebook group:"Ok moms how do you all handle FOMO? Avoid social media? Any advice? This is mainly pertaining to things my kids might be missing out on. Experiences, a...2023-01-0908 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret: Dealing with Losing a Parent While You're Raising KidsParenting through grief can be isolating, overwhelming, and debilitating all at the same time. Margaret shares some helpful tactics, both from research and from her own experience, for processing a parent's terminal diagnosis while simultaneously helping your children understand the situation.A listener wrote in to say:"Good morning! I found your podcast in 2020 and love listening to you both. I am a 39-year-old mom of 2 girls (6 and 4). My mother was recently given a terminal diagnosis (specifically ALS). Margaret, you have spoken about the loss of your mother on the podcast. I was wondering if...2022-12-2607 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret: My Kid Won't Stop SpittingThree-year-olds will do a lot of things to get attention– sometimes including spitting in your face. A listener wrote in to say:"My almost 3-year-old spits. He doesn't respond well to time-outs, losing toys/treats/etc., explaining that it's rude and hurtful. He spits in my face during church, at his older siblings, or any time he doesn't get his immediate way. He does it when he's getting attention, when he's not getting attention, when he's happy, when he's mad...I'm at a loss. I cannot find the pattern and it is really starting to get to me...2022-10-0307 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret: What Should Kids DO After School?This week, listener Katie says:Hi, Margaret and Amy. I am a longtime listener of the show and I've gained so much wisdom, comfort, and humorous perspectives on parenthood from you both. I am a parent of two boys, ages five going into kindergarten and nine going into fourth grade. Currently I am a full-time working-from-home mom. After school has always been my kryptonite. My boys tend to be grumpy and typically want to do different things. One wants to play with friends in the neighborhood, and one wants to veg and be on screens until dinner...2022-09-0507 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret: How Do I Get My Kids to Help Keep the House Clean?Each week Margaret or Amy answers a listener's most pressing question. This week Margaret answers listener Jessica's question:How do you get your kids to keep their rooms clean? What about a playroom? And is it reasonable to take away ALL the toys if they never stay cleaned up?As a parent of "three non-cleaners," Margaret shares the rules in her house that help keep it reasonably clean.Got a question you'd like answered? Email us: questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2022-08-2205 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret: How Can I Keep My Kid Safe While He's Gaming?This week Margaret answers the question:I know Margaret has talked about giving in to Fortnite at her house. Well, I have too. My question is how do I discuss internet safety with my son (7) who wants to play online with his friends when I have no clue what playing online entails? I have never been a gamer and neither has my husband and I feel like we are flying blind. I don’t want to hold him back from socializing with friends, but I don’t want him to get into a bad situation either. Thank you...2022-07-2508 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret: Picky Eater Update!We've talked a lot about picky eating on the podcast but if you're looking less for advice and more for 'how does it all turn out?' then this is the episode for you!This week Kristina asks,"I was listening to an episode where Margaret described her extremly picky son and the anxiety she felt. She was basically describing my daughter. That episode is from 2016 so I'm curious does anyone know if he's expanded his diet or does anyone have any uplifting stories about extremely picky kids who improve over time? Honestly I'd be...2022-06-1308 min
Shameless LeadershipMargaret Ables and Amy Wilson: What Fresh Hell - Laughing in the Face of MotherhoodMargaret Ables and Amy Wilson, are comedians, mothers, and hosts of the podcast What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood. What Fresh Hell regularly ranks at the top of the Parenting and Kids and Family charts on Apple Podcasts, and has over five million lifetime downloads. In each episode Margaret and Amy discuss a parenting topic from their usually-completely opposite perspectives.Amy Wilson is the author of When Did I Get Like This? The Screamer, The Worrier, The Dinosaur-Chicken-Nugget Buyer, and Other Mothers I Swore I’d Never Be (HarperCollins) and of Mother Loa...2022-03-0954 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - Will I Always Be This Tired?Each week Amy or Margaret answers a listener's most pressing parenting question. Lindsey wrote in to ask: Do kids zap your energy forever? Or are toddlers just especially good at sapping your energy? Looking for hope!Two pieces of excellent news! Not only will you not always be this tired but it is likely you will actually not even clearly remember how tired you are now!When your kids are little being under-slept is kind of a constant - but there are some things that you can do to make small improvements. If y...2021-11-2905 min
What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - When Your Parent-Teacher Conference Doesn't Go So WellThis week Margaret’s talking about parent-teacher conferences, after writing about her own most recent conferences on our social media. At one of the conferences, Margaret heard amazing things: her child is thriving, reading above grade-level, adored by all. But she's also had conferences when she heard her kids were struggling, not sitting still, NOT performing at grade level.(Amy has also had both kinds of parent-teacher conferences, by the way.)Some kids are built for school, and they will thrive in that environment. Others will find it much harder. But you...2020-12-1407 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - How Can I Keep My Kid Safe While He's Gaming?This week Margaret answers the question:I know Margaret has talked about giving in to Fortnite at her house. Well I have too. My question is how do I discuss internet safety with my son (7) who wants to play online with his friends when I have no clue what playing online entails. I have never been a gamer and neither has my husband and I feel like we are flying blind. I don’t want to hold him back from socializing with friends, especially now, but I don’t want him to get into a bad situation eith...2020-10-2608 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - Is There Any Way to Get My Kid to Stop Throwing Stuff?Margaret answers a question from a mom who is pretty freaked out by her 20-month-old's habit of throwing stuff when he's angry.If you have a question you'd like Margaret or Amy to answer submit to: questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-08-0307 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Amy - How Can a New Mom Make Friends Right Now?Each week Amy or Margaret answers one listener's most pressing question.This week Amy answers the question, "How can an introvert make new friends especially during the complicated social limitations of coronavirus?"Check out our Finding Your Mom Tribe episode:https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/2019/06/finding-your-mom-tribe-episode-110/Here's the link to the Catherine Price's Screen/Life Balance site Amy mentions in this episode. http://screenlifebalance.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-07-2706 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - I'm So Worried About Being Away From my KidEvery week Margaret or Amy answers one listener's most pressing question.This week Margaret answers the question, "I know it's silly but I'm really worried about being away from my child for three nights. How I can deal with this?"Submit your questions to: questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-07-0608 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - My Husband is a Terrible Gift Giver!Each week Margaret or Amy answers one listener's most pressing question.Today Margaret answers the question, "What can I do about my husband who gives terrible gifts?"Submit your questions to: questions@whatfreshhellcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-06-2208 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - Dealing With My Kids' Coping MechanismsEach week Margaret or Amy answers one listener's most pressing question.Today Margaret answers the question, "What should I do about my kids' troublesome coping mechanisms during the coronavirus outbreak?"Submit your questions to: questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-06-0808 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - The Bedtime Routine is Out of Hand!Each week Amy or Margaret answers one listener's most pressing question.This week Margaret answers the question, "What Do I Do With a Four Year Old Who is Making Bedtime Last Forever?"Send your questions to questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-05-2508 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - Should I Sleep-Train During the Pandemic?Every week Margaret or Amy answers one listener's most pressing question.Today Margaret tackles the question, "Should I sleep-train my baby while we're all stuck at home?"Submit your questions to: questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-05-1106 min
Minimalist Moms Podcast | All Things Minimalism, Intentionality & Simple LivingEP118: Children, Small Spaces and Too Much Stuff with Margaret Ables and Amy WilsonToday I bring you my conversation with Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson, comedians, mothers, and hosts of the podcast What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood. What Fresh Hell regularly ranks at the top of the Parenting and Kids and Family charts on Apple Podcasts, and is nearing two million lifetime downloads. In each episode Margaret and Amy discuss a parenting topic from their usually-completely opposite perspectives. Today, we discuss a variety of minimalist topics: from older children, toys, living in small spaces and just the weight of having 'too much'.Find all the resources mention...2020-04-3043 min
Minimalist Moms PodcastEP118: Children, Small Spaces and Too Much Stuff with Margaret Ables and Amy WilsonToday I bring you my conversation with Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson, comedians, mothers, and hosts of the podcast What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood. What Fresh Hell regularly ranks at the top of the Parenting and Kids and Family charts on Apple Podcasts, and is nearing two million lifetime downloads. In each episode Margaret and Amy discuss a parenting topic from their usually-completely opposite perspectives. Today, we discuss a variety of minimalist topics: from older children, toys, living in small spaces and just the weight of having 'too much'. Find all the resources mention...2020-04-3043 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - I'm Burnt Out on Trying to Get My Kids to FaceTime with RelativesEach week Amy or Margaret answers one listener's most pressing question.This week Margaret tackles the question, "What Can I Do About Relatives Who Constantly Want to FaceTime with My Kids?"Send your questions to: questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-04-2708 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Amy - My Teenagers Are So Done With Quarantine Life!This week Amy answers a question from a listener whose 17 and 15-year-olds who are "finally starting to lose their minds" with this extended no-school lock down, and time away from their peers.Dr. Lisa D'Amour did an excellent interview on the NYT Book Review podcast on how to help teens through this moment- you can find it here: https://www.drlisadamour.com/2020/04/05/april-2020-parenting-under-stay-at-home-orders/Amy also mentions Bark as a good way to monitor your teens' online activity without snooping- here is our affiliate link: Bark.us/?ref=2R4XYRK...2020-04-2007 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - My Kid Won't Play AloneEach week Amy or Margaret answers a listener's most pressing question.This week Margaret answers the question, "What Should I Do When My Kid Won't Play Alone?"Send your questions to questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-04-1305 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - How Seriously Should I Take This Homeschooling Thing?Each week Amy or Margaret answers a listener question.This week Margaret tackles the question, "How Seriously Should I Take This Homeschooling Thing?"Submit your question- we might answer yours next! questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-03-3006 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - How Do I Get My Kids to Help Keep the House Clean?Each week Margaret or Amy answers a listener's most pressing question.This week Margaret answers the question, "How Do I Get My Kids to Help Keep the House Clean?"Submit your questions to questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-03-1605 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - Should I Take My Child to a Funeral?Each week Amy or Margaret answers a listener question.This week Margaret tackles the question, "Should I take my child to a funeral?"Submit your question- we might answer yours next! questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-03-0205 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - How Should I Deal With Potty Talk?Each week Amy or Margaret answers a listener question.This week Margaret tackles the question, "Should I try to put a stop to my kids' constant potty talk?"Submit your question- we might answer yours next! questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-02-1706 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - How Can I Increase My Child's Self-Esteem?Each week Amy or Margaret answers a listener question.This week Margaret tackles the question, "How can I increase my child's self-esteem?"Submit your question- we might answer yours next! questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-02-0306 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Margaret - How Can I Help My Kids Care About Things I Think Are Important?Each week Margaret or Amy tackles a listener's most pressing question.This week Margaret answers the question, "How can I get my kids to care about things I think are important?"Submit your questions at questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2020-01-0606 minWhat Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny MomsAsk Amy- How Early Should Kids Learn How To Share?Each week Margaret or Amy tackles a listener's most pressing question.This week Amy answers the question, "How can we teach our three-year-old son that he has to share his toys with his soon-to-crawl baby sister?"Amy mentions this article by Sarah S. MacLaughlin for Zero to Three- it's full of great suggestions on this topic:http://https://www.zerotothree.org/resources/1964-helping-young-children-with-sharingSubmit your questions at questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices2019-12-3006 min