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

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

Copyright: Copyright © 2016-2023 What Fresh Hell, LLC

Latest Episodes:

When One of Our Kids Takes Up All of Our Bandwidth Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, Margaret and Amy tackle a commonplace parenting issue: when one child consumes the majority of your bandwidth—whether that's your time, your energy, or your attention.

Some bandwidth-hogging situations are temporary, some are more this-is-how-it-is. Some are for positive reasons, some distinctly less so. Whatever the cause, when one kid takes up all your parenting bandwidth, it's hard for the rest of the family not to be affected as well.

In this conversation, we explore:

The many ways our bandwidth can feel inconsistently applied
Strategies for recalibrating the family ecosystem
Why awareness, honesty, and small course corrections matter

Whether you’re navigating chronic illness, disruptive behavior, or the demands of elite youth sports, this episode is here to help you name it, understand it, and—most importantly—not feel alone.

And don't forget to buy HAPPY TO HELP if you haven't yet!

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

Leigh Anderson for Lifehacker: What to Do If Your Child's Behavior Is Ruining Your Relationship With Your Partner

Antoinette Deavin, Pete Greasley, Clare Dixon for Pediatrics: Children’s Perspectives on Living With a Sibling With a Chronic Illness

Dean E. Murphy for NYT: Watching Them Watching Me

Lisa Rapaport for Reuters: Healthy kids with sick sibling may hide emotions

Nicole Schwarz for imperfectfamilies.com: It’s not fair, and that’s ok. Supporting your children when a sibling is struggling.

Andrew Sullivan for NYT: How Do You Raise a Prodigy?

Parent Child Interaction Therapy (this is what Margaret talked about)

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,

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BEST OF: Dumb Things We Thought When We Were Kids Jul 14, 2025

Show notes

Amy thought The Love Boat was filmed in real time, at sea. Margaret's grandfather had all the kids convinced his dining room light switch controlled the Tappan Zee Bridge. We asked our listeners for all the silliest things they fully believed as children, and in this episode, we highlight all of the absolute dumbest.

We got all of these answers from our Facebook group! You can join in on the fun here: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatfreshhellcast⁠

We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:

⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/⁠

mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent,

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Fresh Take: Danielle Bettmann on Positive Discipline Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

Amy and Margaret talk with parenting coach Danielle Bettmann, host of the Failing Motherhood podcast. Danielle specializes in helping parents of strong-willed and neurodivergent kids implement positive discipline—a proven, research-based approach that’s both kind and firm.

Danielle breaks down:

What “positive discipline” really means (and what it’s not)
Why traditional approaches like time-outs, yelling, and sticker charts backfire with sensitive or strong-willed children
How to mirror your child’s emotions and validate without giving in
How to co-parent with consistency, even when you and your partner are on different pages
What boundary-seeking behavior tells us—and how to set limits that make kids feel safe
How to respond when relatives say “Back in my day…”

If your kid seems to only melt down for you, if you’re Googling parenting solutions at 3 a.m., or if you’ve tried everything and nothing’s working—this episode will give you practical strategies and a whole lot of validation.

Learn how to avoid becoming your kid’s emotional punching bag, why saying “and” is more effective than “but,” and how to intentionally indulge without reinforcing bad behavior. Here's where you can find Danielle:

www.parentingwholeheartedly.com
@parent_wholeheartedly on IG
@thatparentcoach on Tiktok
Listen to "Failing Motherhood" here: https://www.parentingwholeheartedly.com/podcast

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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Conversations to Have with Your Kids This Summer Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

In this episode, we break down five essential conversations parents should be having with their kids this summer. From online safety and media limits to emotional health and growth mindset, Amy and Margaret offer practical ways to open meaningful dialogue with your kids—without cornering them for awkward lectures.

You'll learn how to talk about:

📱 Digital Life & Safety: Scam-proofing kids, screen time sanity, and talking tech boundaries.

🧠 Emotions & Mental Health: Helping kids name emotions, normalize asking for help, and express what they're feeling.

🚫 Respect, Consent & Boundaries: From the sandbox to social situations, how to model and enforce personal boundaries.

🌎 Kindness & Inclusion: Embracing diversity, talking openly about difference, and reinforcing family values.

💪 Growth Mindset & Resilience: Teaching kids how to face challenges, recover from failure, and develop a sense of possibility.

Here are the themed playlists we've curated for each of these topics:

Here is Angela Duckworth's advice to the graduates of Bates College about phone usage.

Here is an example of the pre-recorded conversations Amy mentioned that kids can use during ride shares.

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, inclusive, inclusivity , transgender, trans kids, transgender kids, support for trans kids, trans rights, queer kids, respect, consent, teaching kids consent, digital safety, online safety, media literacy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BEST OF: Best Mom Lies Ever Jul 07, 2025

Show notes

Some people say parents should never lie to their kids. We are not those people.

We asked our listeners to tell us all the lies that totally worked for their kids– or worked on them when they were kids. Whether it's the ice cream truck's jingle indicating they're fresh out, the goldfish who was "just sleeping," or the unfortunate catastrophic fire at the macaroni and cheese factory, these are all the mom fibs you want in your repertoire.

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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Best of: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Raising Antiracists Jul 04, 2025

Show notes

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi⁠ is the author of many highly acclaimed books including STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Dr. Kendi was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant. In this interview, we are discussing his book HOW TO RAISE AN ANTIRACIST. His latest book for young readers is called MALCOM LIVES and you can buy it here.

In this interview, Dr. Kendi explains:

why caregivers cannot protect young people from racism by ignoring what’s happening to our children
why teaching antiracism is the best way to protect our children from racism's harms
why children have an easier time understanding these ideas than we might think
how putting off conversations about race, or giving kids the message that racism is unmentionable, can make our children prey to more sinister messaging

It is never too early, or too late, to start raising our kids to be antiracist.

Get ⁠How To Raise An Antiracist⁠ in our Bookshop store: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593242537

and find out more on Dr. Kendi's website: https://ibramxkendi.com

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, inclusive, inclusivity , anti-racism, racism, race, anti-racist education

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

BEST OF: Grudges Held, Grudges Kept Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

Is it rational to still be mad about that time in second grade when the kid right in front of you took the last sprinkles at the ice cream social?

Is it reasonable to think just a little less of your childhood friend for serving Chex Mix at his wedding?

Ours is not to reason why. This episode isn't here to tell you whether you all should be maintaining these grudges so carefully. It's here to hold space for them all. Stay angry, Hellions!

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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DEEP DIVE: Francesca Royster on "Choosing Family" Jun 30, 2025

Show notes

How do we find support when our family of origin is no longer around or has otherwise rejected us? Francesca Royster, author of the new memoir ⁠Choosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance⁠, explains the concepts of chosen family, finding joy in the everyday, and the resistance that is part of telling hard stories.

Margaret and Francesca discuss:

What inspired Francesca to write her memoir
What it's like to enter motherhood at an older age
The process of adopting her daughter

Taking pleasure in the reality of everyday life can really help you connect with loved ones in your family, chosen or blood-related. And telling stories about hardship and tragedy can actually help us gain perspective and have more hope about the world, not less.

Here's where you can find Francesca:

⁠Her faculty page on the DePaul University website⁠
@roysterfrancesca on IG
@francesca.royster.1 on FB
Buy Francesca's book:⁠ https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781419756177⁠

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, inclusive, inclusivity , transgender, trans kids, transgender kids, support for trans kids, trans rights, queer kids,

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fresh Take: Ramit Sethi, "Money for Couples" Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

How do we start a conversation about finances with our partners, especially when each of our households of origin might have thought about money quite differently?

Ramit Sethi, host of Netflix’s hit show, How to Get Rich, and author of MONEY FOR COUPLES, offers practical tips for productively discussing money with your partner.

Ramit and Margaret discuss:

Why money conversations are so hard

The four money types: Avoider, Optimizer, Worrier, or Dreamer

How the messages we heard (or didn’t hear) about money growing up shape our adult decisions—and how to teach kids better.

Age-appropriate ways to talk to your kids about money, build financial literacy, and model strong values.

Here's where to find Ramit:

www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com

Buy MONEY FOR COUPLES: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781523523689

Listen to the Money for Couples podcast: https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/podcast/

Watch Ramit's Netflix show

@ramit on IG and X

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Things Most People Think Are Hard (But Aren't) Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

There are plenty of things that seem intimidating but are actually not that hard to do! From power hedge trimmers to cooking a whole fish, we (and our listeners) are here with the things that most people seem to think are hard—but actually aren't.

View the full list of things our listeners said are actually pretty simple.

Plus, the two things we promised to include in the show notes:

an actually-easy way to create Power of Attorney forms for kids off to college

an actually easy and attractive way to store sets of sheets

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 podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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