

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

May 4, 2020 • 6min
Ask Amy - How Can I Help My Child Who is Having Nightmares?
Each week Amy or Margaret answers a listener's most pressing question.This week Amy answers the question, "How can I help my three-and-a-half year old daughter who is having nightmares?"Submit your question to quesitons@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 29, 2020 • 49min
Maintaining Momentum (Or Not)
Six weeks in, and most of us are having a lot of trouble with what one of our listeners called this "very strange limbo."That listener asked in our Facebook group what she might do to make herself get off the couch, stop looking at her phone, maintain momentum.Because that is the usual goal: we all know that once we stop running and rest, we won't be able to run as far when we try again. A body at rest tends to stay at rest.But here's the thing: when you run a marathon, and mile 19 gets really hard, you know what mile you're in. You know how much farther you have to go. And the people on the sidelines aren't small children yelling at you.Do the usual ideas we have about productivity and energy and momentum even apply in this moment?And if not, what are the new strategies we can put in place to help us make it to the next lamppost?Here are links to research and other things we discuss in this episode:our own Episode 142: Letting People Into Our MessBrené Brown's podcast Unlocking UsThe Lancet: The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidencePaul Ollinger for Forge: Your Only Goal Is To ArriveJudson Brewer for Harvard Business Review: Anxiety Is Contagious. Here’s How to Contain It. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 27, 2020 • 8min
Ask Margaret - I'm Burnt Out on Trying to Get My Kids to FaceTime with Relatives
Each 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/adchoices

Apr 22, 2020 • 48min
What Kind of Monster? Quarantine Edition!
Back by popular demand: an all-new Quarantine Edition of What Kind of Monster?What kind of monster decides to go keto during a pandemic?Trades away toilet paper for sourdough starter?Finishes Mom’s chocolate stash, her razor-thin tether to sanity?Slices an avocado horizontally?Our listeners weigh in with the straws that will break their quarantine backs.It goes without saying that during these unprecedented times, we must greet other humans- particularly those with whom we share close quarters- with our maximum generosity.But THEN... come and vent about #WKOM is ruining your quarantine in our Facebook group!https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatfreshhellcastAnd if you'd like to download Margaret's quarantunes playlist, it's here:https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/covid-19/pl.u-78dpTpN1MZ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 20, 2020 • 8min
Ask 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=2R4XYRKSubmit your question- Amy or Margaret might answer yours next! questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 15, 2020 • 48min
Stay-At-Home Revelations: Things We've Learned
As we round the curve into what’s been a full month of Uno, math worksheets, and never going anywhere, we’ve all learned a few things. Here are our stay-at-home revelations about our homes, our cooking, our relationships, and our kids.We’re undergoing a Big Reset about what our families “need,” whether it’s another box from Amazon, family dinner conversations, or maternal interference in sibling squabbling. The head of school at Amy’s daughter’s elementary school called this moment a “semi-colon for their childhoods.” Some parts of it have been pretty good, actually. Some parts horrible. It’s okay. We don’t have to pretend that this isn’t significant; we just have to do what we can to make it all a little easier. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 13, 2020 • 6min
Ask Margaret - My Kid Won't Play Alone
Each 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/adchoices

Apr 8, 2020 • 48min
What's Working Right Now
Don't get us wrong: in most ways, we've gone feral. But here’s what’s actually working during this stay-at-home time, for us and for our listeners:
for our anxiety
for our family chore buy-in
for our kitchen ennui
for laughter
for exercise
and for our senses of hope.
Above all, we offer you this: never interrupt a happy quarantined family member while they are doing... whatever it is that is making them happy. We love this quote from our listener Shannon:“Instead of having a schedule for your day, consider having a routine. If you have a nice routine of activities you do each day, you get into a comfortable rhythm. If you try to stick with a time to schedule, you might miss out on some lovely moments. Five minutes before we were supposed to be starting schoolwork, my kids built a blanket fort where my son read to my daughter. What a gift! School will start, but this moment is more important for their relationship and this mama's heart.”Here are links to things we mention in this episode:Power Within Fit family workouts on FacebookCosmic Kids YogaSibling Revelry Project5-4-3-2-1 Grounding TechniqueLazy Genius on Instagram: Become an Energy DetectiveHelen Dodd for The Conversation: Coronavirus-just letting children play will help them, and their parents, cope Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 6, 2020 • 6min
Ask Amy - How Do I Talk to My Kids About Missing Milestone Events?
Each week Amy or Margaret answers a listener question.This week Amy tackles the question, "How Do I Talk to My Kids About Missing Milestone Events?"Submit your question- we might answer yours next! questions@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 1, 2020 • 47min
It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint!
We’re still collecting data, but from our limited household samples, the realization that we’re all in this for somewhat longer than we had bargained for is having some ramifications.Homeschooling feels doable when it’s a snow-day novelty. It feels different when you’re relearning middle school math while also learning how to work from home and provide three meals a day instead of two. On the plus side, a lot of things we usually spend our precious bandwidth on have become blessedly hypothetical. Anything that isn't this doesn't matter. Anything that is this? Is not something for which we are yet required to have any perspective at all.In the meantime, here's how we're coping and keeping it going. As always, laughter is helping, and that's why, more than ever, we're so grateful for this podcast community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices


