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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:

DEEP DIVE: Ellen Kahn On Supporting Our LGBTQ Kids Jun 23, 2025

Show notes

Ellen Kahn⁠ is the Senior Director of Programs and Partnerships at the Human Rights Campaign. In her role, Ellen provides national leadership and expertise in public education and advocacy efforts on behalf of LGBTQ youth and families. Ellen is nationally recognized as an expert on LGBTQ family life and LGBTQ youth. She's also a proud mom of two teenage daughters.

In this interview, Ellen explains how parents can create a home environment that affirms and accepts LGBTQ children, and how to advocate for LGBTQ kids in the larger world– whether they're our own children or not. As Ellen explains: "It's all of us together, chiseling away at the reason parents can be fearful when they find out their child is LGBTQ. Let's just not raise bullies anymore."

Here are a few additional resources mentioned in this episode:

Human Rights Campaign's ⁠welcomingschools.org⁠
⁠pflag.org⁠
"Serendipitydodah- Home of the Mama Bears" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Serendipitydodah

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, lgbtq kids

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Fresh Take: Dr. Morgan Cutlip on Redistributing the Mental Load Jun 20, 2025

Show notes

Amy chats with Dr. Morgan Cutlip about her new book A Better Share, which offers practical, research-based strategies for managing the mental load in relationships. They discuss how default parenting, gender socialization, and communication missteps can create resentment—and how couples can reconnect through clarity and shared responsibility. You’ll hear why the mental load is the real relationship villain, not your partner— and how to invite your partner into the solution .

Amy and Morgan discuss:

why our invisible labor is so hard to talk about without sparking defensiveness
why curiosity offers a secret to lasting connection
how being the default parent impacts one's desire for intimacy
how to help kids develop initiative, not just complete chores
the power of “gracious interpretations” and the ultimate compliment formula

Here's where you can find Morgan:

https://drmorgancutlip.com
Listen to Morgan's podcast "Love Thinks"
@drmorgancutlip on IG
Buy A BETTER SHARE: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781400239672

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, household equity, household equality, gender household equality, gender household equity, maternal mental health, postpartum health,

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Trad Moms and Trad Wives Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

We dive into the world of #tradwives and trad moms—mothers who embrace their traditional gender roles and showcase homemaking all over social media, usually with a heavy dose of curated perfection, aspiring to a bygone ideal that may never exactly have actually existed.

Amy and Margaret discuss:

what actually defines a trad wife
the influence of social media algorithms in boosting—and polarizing—this content
the aesthetic fantasy of cottagecore, nap dresses, and homesteading versus the messy reality of modern motherhood

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

Sophie Elmhirst for The New Yorker: ⁠The Rise and Fall of the Trad Wife⁠
Maddie Garfinkle for People Magazine: ⁠What Is a Tradwife? All About the Controversial Lifestyle — And Why It's Having a Viral Moment⁠
Amy X. Wang for The New York Times: ⁠Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Tradwife?

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, household equity, household equality, gender household equality, gender household equity, trad wives, trad moms

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Fresh Take: Jessica Zucker on Normalizing Miscarriage Jun 16, 2025

Show notes

Why is there still so much shame and silence surrounding women's experiences with miscarriage in the modern age? Jessica Zucker, author of the new book NORMALIZE IT, discusses her personal experience with miscarriage and its profound impact on her life and career.

Jessica Zucker is a Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in reproductive health and the author of the award-winning book I HAD A MISCARRIAGE: A Memoir, a Movement.

Jessica, Amy, and Margaret discuss:

How storytelling is a powerful tool for healing and community building.

Why open conversations about women's health are crucial for emotional well-being.

How the lack of information about women 's health makes milestones harder to navigate.

Here's where you can find Jessica:

www.drjessicazucker.com
@ihadamiscarriage on IG
Buy NORMALIZE IT: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781683738145

If you are in mental health distress or have a suicidal crisis, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential support.

Call ⁠1-833-TLC-MAMA⁠ (⁠1-833-852-6262⁠) for 24/7 free confidential support for pregnant and new moms.

Here are additional resources of support for pregnant and new moms:

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, #normalizeit #ihadamiscarriage #pregnancyloss #tfmr #grief #loss

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Fresh Take: Meagan Francis, THE LAST PARENTING BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ Jun 13, 2025

Show notes

Amy chats with parenting writer and The Mom Hour podcaster Meagan Francis about her new book, The Last Parenting Book You'll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next. Together, they reflect on the identity shift that comes with parenting an emptying nest, the emotional complexity of "lasts," and why transitioning out of the "hands-on" years of parenting requires the same patience with ourselves that entering those years did.

Listen to the Substack Live Amy and Meagan did recently to discuss Amy's book HAPPY TO HELP!

🎧 Amy and Meagan discuss:

Why "arms full to hands-free" parenting isn't so bad
How to navigate the emptying nest without feeling a loss of identity
Why cherishing every moment is overrated—and impossible
The truth about staying close to your adult kids
The importance of maintaining our own friendships and identity as our kids grow

Here are all the places you can hear more from Meagan:

The Mom Hour Podcast

Meagan's solo podcast, The Kettle

Follow Meagan on Substack: https://meaganfrancis.substack.com

@momhour and @meaganfrancis on IG

Buy THE LAST PARENTING BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ: ⁠https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781464225161⁠

https://meaganfrancis.com

And Meagan’s and Sarah's new podcast, "Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits," just launched! Listen here.

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, empty nest, adult children, parent of teens

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There's a New Study on Moms' Mental Health...and It's Not Great Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

A study released this month examined the state of mothers' mental health in the U.S. from 2016 to 2023. Using data from 200,000 mothers, the study reveals a "significant decline" in emotional and physical well-being for mothers in all age groups and demographics.

Margaret and Amy break down the data, the implications, and the causes—which certainly include the pandemic, although there are many other social, economic, and cultural forces contributing to the stress of modern motherhood.

Amy and Margaret discuss:

What a major national study reveals about maternal mental health trends
Why the decline in mental health extends far beyond the postpartum period
The role of pandemic-related stress, financial pressures, and lack of support
How parents can prioritize their own well-being—even in small, actionable ways
Why maternal mental health impacts the whole family system

Mothers' mental health is showing up as a true crisis, and not just in the postpartum months, but throughout the parenting journey. The clear connection between children’s mental health and that of their caregivers makes maternal well-being an imperative public health priority.

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

Catherine Pearson for the New York Times: Study Finds a Steep Drop in Mothers’ Mental Health

Daw JR, MacCallum-Bridges CL, Admon LK: Trends and Disparities in Maternal Self-Reported Mental and Physical Health. JAMA Intern Med.

Sara Moniuszko for CBS News: Moms in the U.S. report large decline in mental health in recent years, study finds

Elizabeth Tenety for Motherly: Just 1 in 4 moms say they’re doing well mentally—new study reveals a growing crisis

Reddit/Health: Moms in the U.S. report large decline in mental health in recent years, study finds

Pooja Lakshmin MD on Substack: Mental health is personal — and political

Our Fresh Take with Pooja Lakshmin on Burnout and Mom Guilt

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, household equity, household equality, gender household equality, gender household equity, anxiety, maternal mental health, postpartum health, PPD, PPA, PPOCD

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

DEEP DIVE: Amber Briggle on Supporting Trans Kids Jun 09, 2025

Show notes

This episode was originally recorded in 2022. For more about the Briggle family, watch the 2024 New Yorker short documentary "Love to the Max."

Amber Briggle and her family live in Texas. Amber is the mom of two kids, Max and Lulu, and on her website "Love To The Max," Amber shares the family's real stories and experiences as a trans-inclusive family.

Amber describes herself as "just a mom," but the events of the last few years have made her a powerful advocate for the rights of kids and families like her own. She was a founding member (and former national co-chair) of the ⁠“Parents for Transgender Equality Council”⁠, part of the Human Rights Campaign. Amber currently serves as the “Equal Opportunity Issue” Chair for the ⁠League of Women Voters of Texas⁠.

In this moving and illuminating episode, Amber talks about her experience parenting her transgender son and the breadth of emotions and experiences that come with it.

In this episode, Amber, Amy, and Margaret discuss:

Amber's son Max's transition journey
The best ways to support trans kids
The anti-trans legislation currently in effect and under consideration in the U.S.

NOTE: Since we recorded this episode, a lawyer for the state of Texas confirmed that the ⁠child abuse investigation into the Briggle family has been lifted.⁠

Here's where you can find Amber:

Her website: ⁠https://lovetothemax.net/⁠

⁠Facebook⁠: /amberbriggle

⁠Twitter⁠: @mrsbriggle

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

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

Fresh Take: Melinda Wenner Moyer on "Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times" Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

How do we raise compassionate and well-adjusted kids when their anxiety is at an all-time high, and so is ours? Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of the new book HELLO CRUEL WORLD, discusses actionable and easy-to-implement steps we can take to prepare our children for the realities of today's complicated world while acknowledging our own uncertainty.

Melinda Wenner Moyer is an award-winning contributing editor at Scientific American, a regular contributor to The New York Times, and a former faculty member at NYU's Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute.

Melinda, Amy, and Margaret discuss:

the issues affecting today's kids that parents didn't grow up dealing with, like social media, climate change, and political polarization
how to prepare more than you protect, listen more than you lecture, and comfort more than you chide
the power of narrating our own actions out loud to our kids
socializing both boys and girls about when it's okay to rest

Here's where you can find Melinda:

www.melindawennermoyer.com
@Lindy2350 on X
@melindawmoyer on IG
@melindawennermoyer on FB
Buy HELLO CRUEL WORLD: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593719367

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

Creating Systems That Work Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

Can better systems make running our households easier? There's only so much work a whiteboard can do, but in this episode, Margaret and Amy discuss how they have set up effective systems to manage their kids' lives, their homes, and their work.

Amy and Margaret discuss:

Creating a central source of "parenting truth"
The importance of touching base regularly with your parenting partner
The need for self-compassion and flexibility in managing the demands of motherhood

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

Marika Lindholm for Harvard Business Review: Creative Strategies from Single Parents on Juggling Work and Family
Kate Hayes for Central Mass Mom: How I Stay Organized as a Working Mom

Our episode "Solo Parenting Seasons and How to Get Through Them"

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: Can We Be More Inclusive Parents? Jun 02, 2025

Show notes

Can we become more inclusive as parents? Inclusivity has great benefits for everyone involved. We loved this explanation from Bright Horizons:

"Too often, inclusiveness is described as something we should do to benefit others. Being inclusive is more than a moral obligation—although this alone is enough reason to practice it. When we are inclusive we aren’t divided. Instead, our world becomes enlarged. We gain relationships and experiences that enrich us. We recognize that we are all different, and that those differences bring joy to living."

In this episode, we talk about how to get "wider" (more intentionally inclusive) in our family lives and in our communities and how to bring our kids into that conversation.

Here are links to some writing on topic (plus our own episodes) that we refer to in this episode:

Melissa Hart for Parents: ⁠5 Ways to Help Children Be More Inclusive of Other Kids⁠
Bright Horizons: ⁠Raising An Inclusive Child⁠
⁠welcomingschools.org⁠
⁠www.diversebooks.org
⁠Fresh Take: Judith Warner⁠
⁠Talking With Our Kids About Race: Deborah Porter⁠
⁠Fresh Take: Ellen Kahn ⁠
⁠Fresh Take: Radha Agrawal⁠

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

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

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