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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:

BEST OF: Family Holiday Traditions: The Good, The Bad, The Elf on the Shelf Dec 18, 2023

Show notes

’Tis the season for traditions— most of that holiday work shopped for, planned, and generally upheld by moms.

And for some of us, sending 300 holiday cards or creating a new tableau for a six-inch elf every night before bed really gets us in the holiday spirit.

But most of us, at this time of year, have more to do than hours to do it. Many of us think we’re done shopping and only then remember Aunt Doris who is impossible to buy for (and has expressed specific disappointment in giftcards). Many of us have kids at whom we may have raised our voices after the fifth or sixth question about when we were going to make all the Christmas cookies this year.

So we asked our listeners:

What are the holiday traditions that you love and work great for your family? What are the things you’d rather never do again but feel like you can’t stop now?

In this episode, we discuss your responses, plus:

-how to get out from under the traditions you wished you never started

-what to consider before letting a new tradition take root (keeping in mind that anything that happens at this time of year will immediately be deemed “something we do every year”)

-why the Elf on the Shelf might be a slippery slope to the full-on surveillance state

-why the joy of anticipation is at least as good as the moment anticipated

-how the Danish concept of hygge factors in to all of this

-easy holiday traditions like “Christmas Adam,” which as far as we can tell mostly involves holiday pajamas and Rankin-Bass specials

Lean into the hygge this holiday season. Push back against the incremental spend, the just running out for one more thing.

Lean into the anticipation, because that’s the sweet spot.

Oh, and Christmas lights. Lots of them. (They do wonders for Seasonal Affective Disorder.)

Special thanks to our guest comedy bit reader for this week: Sean Conroy of The Long Shot 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/

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Santa, Elf on the Shelf, gift exchange, 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, toddler,

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Fresh Take: Amy Palanjian of Yummy Toddler Food Dec 15, 2023

Show notes

Are 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 everyone

Here's where you can find Amy:

-@yummytoddlerfood

-yummytoddlerfood.com

-Buy DINNERTIME SOS: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593578506

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, toddler,

baby, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent

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The Most Useful Parenting Tips We Learned in 2023 Dec 13, 2023

Show notes

We look back on our favorite parenting tips and takeaways we learned this year. Here's the Spotify playlist with all of our favorite episodes from 2023!

Here are the parenting experts who changed our thinking the most, the listeners who made us laugh the most, and what we're going to carry with us into the new year.

We also shout out the fantastic small team that makes What Fresh Hell and our podcast network, Adalyst Media, run so smoothly. All women, all amazing.

Our listeners are amazing, too. Thank you for being part of our funny, fun, supportive community. If you haven't yet, join our Facebook group, the last good place on the internet: 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, toddler,

baby, 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

HOLIDAY BEST OF: Handling the Holiday Craziness as a Mom Dec 11, 2023

Show notes

We’re in Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa Countdown! To keep you company while you slowly lose your mind, we’re re-running some of our favorite holiday episodes. This week we're revisiting "Handling the Holiday Craziness" — need we say more?

Each December 25th, most moms look at a living room full of scattered wrapping paper and vow to do less next year. Then Black Friday rolls around. But can you really downshift on how much Santa brings once a baseline has been established?

This week Amy and Margaret talk about managing the holiday craziness. (Disclaimer: for both of us, that does mean Christmas, although we feel the pain of the Hanukkah Harriets out there, we really do).

Here’s some of what’s discussed in this episode:

-how to get your kids more involved in holiday preparations— at any age

- the very appealing “three kings, three gifts” rule

-how to carefully consider any new holiday “traditions” before instating them (we’re looking at you, Elf on the Shelf)

-how the Laws of Holiday Attrition can work in your favor

-how Amy uses this cookie recipe every December and it’s easy and amazing

-what to do when your spouse gives you a Pajamagram

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, toddler, baby, 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

Fresh Take: Ed Center of Village Well Parenting Dec 08, 2023

Show notes

How does our cultural upbringing influence the way we parent? Ed Center, founder of Village Well Parenting, discusses how culturally grounded positive parenting can bring connection, joy, and healing to both kid-raisers and educators.

Ed has spent his career supporting low-income, underrepresented youth and adults by helping them gain access to the resources necessary to thrive. He started The Village Well to bring more connection, joy, and healing to families of color.

In this interview, Amy and Ed discuss:

-The lack of attention to diverse cultures and traditions in traditional parenting courses and literature

-How generational wisdom can sometimes come from the same source as generational trauma

-How to stay calm when your children are not

Here's where you can find Ed:

-https://www.villagewellparenting.com

-IG: @villagewellparenting

-FB: @thevillagewell

-TikTok: @queerbrowndad

-Sign up for First Fridays with Ed on this page

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/

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

Decision Fatigue- And Why It's Especially Bad For Moms Dec 06, 2023

Show notes

The average adult makes 35,000 decisions a day. The average "default parent" makes a lot more than that. No wonder we suffer from decision fatigue. The more decisions we have to make, the more fatigue we develop, and the more difficult it can become to function.

So how can we combat the frustration, apathy, and resentment that result from having to make all the decisions in the family?

In this episode we discuss:

-how decision fatigue manifests—and how it differs from burnout

-the best time of day to make hard decisions

-why "going with the flow" is not actually a thing

Sign up for What Fresh Hell Plus on Supporting Cast to get all episodes ad-free, plus monthly bonus episodes. Supporting Cast works right where you already listen! Go to whatfreshhell.supportingcast.fm to subscribe in two taps for just $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year.

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

-Sara Berg for the American Medical Association: "What doctors wish patients knew about decision fatigue"

-Michelle Adelman for HowStuffWorks: "When's the Best Time of Day to Make a Decision?"

-Lauren Barth for The Bump: "Why the Decision-Fatigue Struggle Is (Still) Real for Parents"

-Frank Graff for PBS North Carolina: "How Many Decisions Do We Make In One Day?"

-Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco for The Washington Post: "For parents, everything feels like a high-stakes decision now. Here’s how to lower the anxiety."

-Ashley Stahl for Forbes: "How Burnout Affects Your Decision-Making Process—And How To Fix It"

-Eva M. Krockow for Psychology Today: "How Many Decisions Do We Make Each Day?"

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/

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

HOLIDAY BEST OF: Susan Katz Miller on Interfaith Families at the Holidays Dec 04, 2023

Show notes

We’re in Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa Countdown! To keep you company while you slowly lose your mind, we’re re-running some of our favorite holiday episodes. This week we're revisiting our interview with Susan Katz Miller, author of THE INTERFAITH FAMILY JOURNAL.

The holidays are always intense, and if your family is an intersection of multiple traditions, it can really ratchet up the pressure for perfection times two. Which is when it’s time to maintain perspective. As Susan explains:

“I try to help people to understand that if they're having conflict often, it's not about religious difference. It's not about theology. It's not about whether there was an actual physical resurrection or not. It's usually about whether to put the fried onions on the green bean casserole or not.”

In this episode we discuss

-why every family is an interfaith family

-how to reduce conflict about traditions with your spouse’s extended family

-how to help your spouse when the hard feelings are on your family’s side

-how to push back on the pressure to do “both” traditions perfectly

-how to help your kids navigate being of a different faith than most people in your community

-how to handle it when you’re observant but your spouse is not (or vice versa)

-the resentment that can occur when the mom in a family is expected to carry the weight of passing on a religious tradition that's not even hers

It’s worth it to have the conversations, do the work, and delineate a “sacred circle” that works for your immediate family. As Susan explains, when you and your spouse come from different traditions, “you’re going to be doing the work anyhow.” But challenging your own mindset and context is also an incredible opportunity for growth– even if the way your spouse’s family opens their holiday gifts is completely and totally wrong.

Here are links to some other writing on the topic we discuss in this episode:

-Pew Research Center: Why America’s ‘nones’ don’t identify with a religion

-Stina Kielsmeier-Cook: Blessed Are the Nones: Mixed-Faith Marriage and My Search for Spiritual Community: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780830848270

-Buy THE INTERFAITH FAMILY JOURNAL: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781558968257

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/

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

Fresh Take: Amanda Montei on "Touched Out" Dec 01, 2023

Show notes

What does it mean to be "touched out" as a mom? And once we know it's a thing—as anyone who's experienced it firsthand can attest—is there anything we can actually do about it?

Amanda Montei, author of the popular Substack Mad Woman and the new book TOUCHED OUT, has studied the phenomenon of "maternal touch aversion" in both the literal and metaphorical senses. In this interview, Amanda, Margaret, and Amy discuss:

-what being "touched out" really means—and why guilt and shame often accompanies it

-the "very not normal" conditions of today's American parenting

-how can we can begin to claim the space we want for our own selves, and model that for our children

Here's where you can find Amanda:

-https://www.amandamontei.com/

-Mad Woman Substack: https://amandamontei.substack.com/

-@amontei on IG

-@amanda.montei on Facebook

-Buy TOUCHED OUT: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780807013274

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/

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

What Fresh Hell Is the Holiday Season? Nov 29, 2023

Show notes

We all have things we dread about the holiday season, whether we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or a combination of the above. In this episode we are here to list all the "fresh hells" of this time of year, like:

the terrors of Santa's lap
the people who are impossible to buy for
the grandparents who take all of our best gift ideas
the approaching storm system as you check in for your flight to Nana's

We do love the holidays, though. Really, we do. Remind us of that.

This episode was inspired by this discussion on our Facebook page: What do you dread most about the holiday season?

Join the fun: https://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/

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

HOLIDAY BEST OF: It's the Most Everything Time of the Year Nov 27, 2023

Show notes

We’re in Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa Countdown! To keep you company while you slowly lose your mind, we’re re-running some of our favorite holiday episodes. This week we're revisiting "The Most Everything Time of the Year" and how the intensity really ratches up as soon as Thanksgiving is behind us.

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 episode we discuss how to manage the holiday stress, how to accept the non-cozy feelings that may arise, and why it’s okay to dial back if you’re really not feeling the holiday spirit.

Here are links to some of the writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode:

Pooja Lakshmin on Instagram @womensmentalhealthdoc
Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research: Holiday Stress
Harvard Medical School: A holiday advisory for your emotions
Cedars-Sinai Hospital: Depression and Anxiety Around the Holidays

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/

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

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