What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making Life Better, with Two Funny Moms cover art
Podcast · 197 episodes

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making Life Better, with Two Funny Moms, page 7

by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson · English

When you're a parent, every day brings a "fresh hell" to deal with. In other words, there's always something. Think of us as your funny mom friends who are here to remind you: you're not alone, and it won't always be this hard. We're Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables, both busy moms of three kids, but with completely different parenting styles. Margaret is a laid-back to the max; Amy never met a spreadsheet or an organizational system she didn't like. In each episode of "What Fresh Hell" we offer lots of laughs, but also practical advice, parenting strategies, and tips to empower you in your role as a mom. We explore self-help techniques, as well as ways to prioritize your own needs, combat stress, and despite the invisible workload we all deal with, find joy amidst the chaos of motherhood. If you've ever wondered "why is my kid..." then one of us has probably been there, and we're here to tell you what we've learned along the way. We unpack the behaviors and developmental stages of toddlers, tweens, and teenagers, providing insights into their actions and equipping you with effective parenting strategies. We offer our best parenting tips and skills we've learned. We debate the techniques and studies that are everywhere for parents these days, and get to the bottom of what works best to raise happy, healthy, fairly well-behaved kids, while fostering a positive parent-child relationship. If you're the default parent in your household, whether you're a busy mom juggling multiple pickups and dropoffs, or a first-time parent seeking guidance, this podcast is your trusted resource. Join our community of supportive mom friends laughing in the face of motherhood! whatfreshhellpodcast.com

All episodes, page 7

Why Kids Get Obsessed—And Why It's a Good ThingWhy kids develop “extremely intense interests” (obsessions) and why they’re usually developmentally normal and beneficial; when they may need support; how parents can expand interests while…29 Oct 2025 · 39 min · 20 chapters
DEEP DIVE: Kendra Adachi (The Lazy Genius) on Compassionate Time ManagementKendra Adachi (The Lazy Genius) discusses compassionate time management in her new book The Plan: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius, arguing that time-management culture pushes guilt, “rise and…27 Oct 2025 · 45 min · 13 chapters
Fresh Take: Irin Carmon, UNBEARABLEIrin Carmon discusses her book Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America, arguing that U.S.24 Oct 2025 · 43 min · 19 chapters
How Kids Spend Their Time (And How They Should)How parents should rethink how kids spend their time—prioritizing sleep, limiting screens, increasing outdoor time, and protecting unstructured play (defined as play without adult-run rules).22 Oct 2025 · 45 min · 17 chapters
Dr. Natasha Bhuyan Introduces Amazon One Medical Pay-Per-VisitLaughing in the Face of Motherhood21 Oct 2025 · 22 min
DEEP DIVE: Laura Vanderkam on "Tranquility By Tuesday"Laura Vanderkam discusses her book Tranquility by Tuesday and how “productivity” can create serenity and joy in busy lives by making mindful choices about time.20 Oct 2025 · 35 min · 13 chapters
Fresh Take: Kate Rope, STRONG AS A GIRLIn this episode of "What Fresh Hell," hosts Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables interview Kate Rope, an award-winning journalist and author of *STRONG AS A GIRL: Your Guide to Raising Girls Who Know, Stand…17 Oct 2025 · 36 min
When Stress Becomes Burnout (and How to Tell the Difference)In this episode, Amy and Margaret delve into the important distinction between stress and burnout, two experiences that can often be confused in the hectic world of parenting.15 Oct 2025 · 45 min
DEEP DIVE: 8 Ways to Make Better Decisions The “A Fresh Hell” hosts discuss 8 decision-making “razors/laws” (Occam’s, Hanlon’s, Hitchens’, Chesterton’s fence, Parkinson’s, Hofstadter’s, Hawthorne effect, Gall’s law) to help parents and others…13 Oct 2025 · 47 min · 19 chapters
Fresh Take: Jean Twenge, 10 RULES FOR RAISING KIDS IN A HIGH-TECH WORLDDr. Jean Twenge discusses her research linking smartphone/social media/gaming use (especially around 2012) to rising teen loneliness and depression, and outlines “10 Rules for Raising Kids in a…10 Oct 2025 · 39 min · 15 chapters
Mom Worsts“Mom worsts” (the worst, bottom-of-the-barrel parenting moments), framed as one-off disasters and relentless daily stressors.8 Oct 2025 · 45 min · 17 chapters
DEEP DIVE: What Can We Add? What Can We Take Away? The parenting problem-solving bias toward adding solutions instead of subtracting them, framed as “What can we add? What can we take away?”6 Oct 2025 · 43 min · 20 chapters
Fresh Take: Suzanne Warye, THE SOBER SHIFTSuzanne Warei discusses her book The Sober Shift and reframes alcohol use as a “narrative shift” from deprivation to abundance.3 Oct 2025 · 43 min · 17 chapters
When Does "Typical" Behavior Become Something More? How “typical” kid behavior becomes a problem, emphasizing that labels (on a spectrum) can reduce shame and guide support.1 Oct 2025 · 44 min · 16 chapters
DEEP DIVE: Why Women Have Less Free TimeLaughing in the Face of Motherhood29 Sep 2025 · 44 min
Fresh Take: Carla Ciccone, NOWHERE GIRLFresh Take episode with Carla Ciccone about her late ADHD diagnosis (age 39) and what it means for women, mothers, and “masking”/imposter syndrome.26 Sep 2025 · 36 min · 13 chapters
The Craziest Things We've Done for Our KidsParents share the “craziest” lengths they’ve gone to for their kids—everything from medical advocacy to extreme pet rescues and over-the-top birthday themes—framed as love, persistence, and sometimes…24 Sep 2025 · 44 min · 27 chapters
DEEP DIVE: Dr. Amber Thornton on Finding Real BalanceDr. Amber Thornton discusses “real balance” for millennial mothers—reframing balance as joy/fulfillment/health rather than equal time for everything.22 Sep 2025 · 30 min · 14 chapters
Fresh Take: Kate Mason, POWERFULLY LIKABLEDr. Kate Mason discusses her book Powerfully Likeable: A Woman’s Guide to Effective Communication, arguing that “powerful vs likable” is a false binary.19 Sep 2025 · 41 min · 16 chapters
Do Our Friendships Have to Be This Complicated? Whether female friendships are more complicated/higher-conflict than male friendships, and how to handle “friendship breakups” without sending long breakup texts or escalating drama.17 Sep 2025 · 42 min · 18 chapters
DEEP DIVE: Natalie Mayslich and Blessing Adesiyan on the Future of Remote WorkCare.com and Mother Honestly’s Modern Workplace Report on how remote work affects working families, especially caregivers, and what “remote work done right” should look like (trust, flexibility,…15 Sep 2025 · 31 min · 18 chapters
Fresh Take: Trevor Hanson on Healing Our Attachment StylesAttachment theory as “internal programming” shaping how people feel about themselves and connect in relationships; focus on anxious attachment and how to become more secure through “attachment…12 Sep 2025 · 39 min · 11 chapters
Even More Husband Crimes (Part 2) “What Fresh Hell?” mailbag episode focused on “husband crimes” (and a few in-law crimes), using listener-submitted examples about parenting/household annoyances, especially husbands’ habits that…10 Sep 2025 · 41 min · 18 chapters
DEEP DIVE: Ericka Sóuter on How to Have a Kid and a LifeThe “myth of modern motherhood” and how to keep your identity, happiness, and agency while raising kids; includes guidance for working moms and practical annual self-check questions.8 Sep 2025 · 36 min · 10 chapters