What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From 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

Episodes

Fresh Take: Dr. Allison Alford, GOOD DAUGHTERING

February 20, 2026 • 43 mins
Amy and Margaret talk with Dr. Allison Alford, communication scholar and author of the new book Good Daughtering: The Work You’ve Always Done, the Credit You’ve Never Gotten, and How to Finally Feel Like Enough. Dr. Alford explains the concept of daughtering—the emotional, logistical, and mental labor adult daughters perform to assist their parents and to hold families together. Drawing on more than a decade of qualitative resear...
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Why Are Some Kids Shy?

February 18, 2026 • 42 mins
Why are some kids shy? Is there harm in giving a kid's personality that label? In this episode, we explore the differences between shyness, introversion, and behavioral inhibition, and why fear—not preference—is often at the heart of shy behavior. We also discuss when shyness becomes a concern, and when it’s time to seek extra support. Finally, we share practical strategies for helping shy or slow-to-warm-up kids feel safe withou...
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DEEP DIVE: Julie Lythcott-Haims on Becoming An Adult

February 16, 2026 • 41 mins
Based on a recent listener question about how to start to let go as our kids get older, this "Deep Dive" series highlights some of our past interview episodes on the topic. Julie Lythcott-Haims is the author of the parenting bestseller How to Raise an Adult, which opened the minds of loving but hovering parents everywhere. In this episode, we discuss her follow up book ⁠Your Turn: How To Be An Adult⁠, which Julie calls "a compassi...
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Fresh Take: Dannah Eve, STREET SMARTS

February 13, 2026 • 32 mins
Margaret and Amy talk with safety expert and digital creator Dannah Eve, author of the new book STREET SMARTS, about the steps women can take to be safer in our daily lives—and how to teach age-appropriate techniques to our children. Drawing on her background in criminology and her experience as a parent, Dannah shares practical strategies for trusting your instincts, recognizing red flags, and navigating both physical and digital...
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Our Moms Were Totally Right About This

February 11, 2026 • 43 mins
It's time to confront one of life’s most uncomfortable truths: how our moms were often right—especially when we were convinced they were totally wrong. From dead-end relationships to to coat-free winters, Amy and Margaret reflect on the advice they might have once ignored, but now repeat to their own kids. We also discuss our listeners' own versions of mom wisdom: trusting your intuition about friends and partners, wearing sunsc...
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DEEP DIVE: Lisa Damour on the Emotional Lives of Teenagers

February 9, 2026 • 32 mins
Based on a recent listener question about how to start to let go as our kids get older, this "Deep Dive" series highlights some of our past interview episodes on the topic. There's a mental health crisis among teens. Teens are also highly emotional creatures by design. Adolescent psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour thinks the two are starting to get conflated– and that means parents and educators can sometimes overcorrect in their respon...
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How Do We Talk About What's Happening in Minnesota? (with Erin Cox)

February 6, 2026 • 40 mins
We welcome back family counselor Erin Cox to talk about how we talk about the immigration raids and ICE detentions taking place in the United States, the children who are being detained, and the fear all children are absorbing from the news, social media, and their communities. We discuss what’s happening on the ground in places like Minnesota, Texas, and Portland; why it's making so many of us feel frightened and disoriented; an...
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February Is the New January!

February 4, 2026 • 39 mins
Still not feeling that new-year excitement? That's because forcing productivity during the darkest months is a losing battle. Would it make you feel better to learn that January and February were once considered such black holes of nothingness that they did not appear on the calendar *at all*? In this episode, we're declaring that February is the new January. We discuss the history of the calendar, why January is the worst time ...
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DEEP DIVE: Peer Pressure

February 2, 2026 • 40 mins
When we imagine peer pressure, we imagine coming to the rescue by slapping drugs and alcohol out of our kids' hands after their friends undoubtedly tell them they should definitely try some. But peer pressure--who feels it, why, and exactly WHAT kids are being pressured to do--is a complex issue. In this episode, Amy and Margaret discuss: The biological imperative adolescents have to take risks in front of their peers What ...
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Fresh Take: Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Dr. Roberta Golinkoff

January 30, 2026 • 39 mins
Amy talks with developmental psychologists Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek and Dr. Roberta Golinkoff, authors of the newly revised parenting classic EINSTEIN NEVER USED FLASHCARDS, about why today’s parents feel more pressured than ever to optimize every moment of childhood—and why research shows that approach often backfires. From academic preschools to AI toys, screen time to early reading, Kathy and Roberta explain what actually support...
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Watch Your Story: Becoming Aware of the Narratives We Live By

January 28, 2026 • 47 mins
Why do some moments feel enormous while others vanish from memory? Why do two people experience the same event and walk away with completely different interpretations? And why do we so often repeat stories about ourselves that keep us stuck? In this episode, we explore narrative identity—the science-backed idea that who we are is shaped not just by what happens to us, but by the story we tell about what happens. But small shifts...
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DEEP DIVE: Helping Kids Manage Their Friendships

January 26, 2026 • 47 mins
What do we do as parents when our kids aren't great at making friends, or their friends are outgrowing them, or we feel that their friends are a bad influence? Sometimes, we're not supposed to do anything at all. Sometimes our kids really need our support. How can we tell the difference? In this episode, Amy and Margaret discuss: what might contribute to trouble making friends the skills kids can develop to become better f...
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Fresh Take: Meredith Elkins, PARENTING ANXIETY

January 23, 2026 • 44 mins
Margaret talks with clinical psychologist Dr. Meredith Elkins, author of the new book PARENTING ANXIETY, about how anxiety really works—and how parents can stop unintentionally reinforcing it in themselves and their kids. Dr. Elkins, a faculty member at Harvard Medical School and director of the McLean Anxiety Mastery Program, shares insights from her new book Parenting Anxiety: Breaking the Cycle of Worry and Raising Resilient Ki...
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Tween and Teen Crimes

January 21, 2026 • 44 mins
From socks-and-slides footwear to mysteriously disappearing spoons and phone chargers, teens and tweens can really rack up the infractions. In this episode, Amy and Margaret break down the baffling behaviors that define life with older kids—tween and teen “crimes"—as reported by parents in the What Fresh Hell community. Paradoxical and criminal behavior further includes having “nothing to wear” despite a full closet, hoarding per...
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DEEP DIVE: When Our Kids Are Bad at Making Friends

January 19, 2026 • 45 mins
When we have a kid who just doesn't seem to fit in—or who is a loner, if a fairly content one—it can be hard for parents. But putting our own anxiety about it aside, and getting clear on the lagging skills and social cues that may not quite be in place, is the best way to help kids get on a better path. This episode is full of specific and useful advice! Amy and Margaret discuss: all the reasons kids can have trouble making (a...
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Fresh Take: Dr. Greg Hammer on the Winter Blues—and How Mindfulness Can Help

January 16, 2026 • 31 mins
Why does winter affect our mood—and why are teens especially vulnerable? Amy talks with Dr. Greg Hammer, author of the book A MINDFUL TEEN, about the science behind the winter blues, teen mental health, and how simple mindfulness practices can help families feel better. Dr. Hammer explains how reduced sunlight, disrupted sleep, less physical activity, and holiday stress all contribute to seasonal mood changes—and why teens, who ar...
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How to Make Better Decisions (And Stress Less About Them)

January 14, 2026 • 44 mins
Why does deciding what’s for dinner every night feel way harder than making major decisions at work? Here's why decision-making can feel so overwhelming—and what actually helps. You'll learn the psychology behind choice overload, decision fatigue, and regret aversion, and how too many options, depleted mental energy, and fear of future regret can lead to avoidance, default choices, or endless second-guessing. Amy and Margaret sh...
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DEEP DIVE: When Your Kid is Being Bullied

January 12, 2026 • 46 mins
Most of us hear “bullying” and picture a sand-kicking, lunch-money-stealing menace. But today’s bullying can take other forms. Research by Dr. Charisse Nixon shows that about 7% of kids report experiencing physical aggression once a week— but that HALF of kids report experiencing relational aggression at least once a month.  On the other hand, as bullying expert Signe Whitson explains, some things get termed “bullying” that are mo...
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Fresh Take: Amil Niazi, LIFE AFTER AMBITION

January 9, 2026 • 38 mins
What happens when the ambition that once fueled your identity no longer fits your life? Margaret talks with writer and producer Amil Niazi about her new book, LIFE AFTER AMBITION, and the complicated relationship between work, motherhood, and meaning. Amil shares how her understanding of ambition evolved—from a bottomless pursuit shaped by hustle culture, immigrant expectations, and meritocracy myths, to a more honest reckoning wi...
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Why Kids Act Differently at School Than at Home

January 7, 2026 • 44 mins
Why do kids often act so differently at school than they do at home? In this episode, you'll learn how skills like adaptability and “theory of mind” develop over time, why younger kids struggle more with behavior shifts, and how structure, transitions, and social pressure shape school-day behavior. We explore concepts like afterschool restraint collapse, social battery depletion, and masking—and why post-school meltdowns are usua...
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