“What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood” is a hilarious podcast exploring the joys and challenges of parenthood and adulting in general. Join hosts Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables as they navigate motherhood, careers, relationships, and the ever-changing landscape of women’s lives with a little research, a big dose of relatable stories, and a whole lot of laughter.
“What Fresh Hell” is a Webby-honored podcast with 12 million downloads and hundreds of episodes. Use the search function in the upper-right corner to find the topics you want to hear more about. From toddlers to teens, from toxic positivity to rejoining the workforce, we’ve talked about it.
Recent episodes
494
Nov. 11, 2026
Who Are We "Performing" For?
Why do we walk around with the weird sensation that we're performing our daily lives for judgmental audiences? How does being a parent intensify that pressure, and how is that parenting in turn affected by this feeling that we need to perform it?
Nov. 9, 2026
Deep Dive: Dr. Robyn Silverman on "How to Talk to Kids About Anything"
Research suggests that kids really do want to talk about difficult subjects with their parents. So where do we start? Dr. Robyn Silverman, author of the bestselling book How to Talk to Kids About Anything, has ideas.
Nov. 6, 2026
Fresh Take: Ellen Skrmetti on What Happens When Life Goes "Cattywampus"
When life goes a little sideways, Ellen Skrmetti says that's "cattywampus," and believes that humor is the best coping strategy. Ellen tells us about her new memoir, CATTYWAMPUS, and how to keep laughing in the face of midlife.
493
Nov. 4, 2026
How to Do a Reset When Your Household Has Gone Off the Rails
When family routines fall apart, how do you reset without going right from chaos to crackdown? We share practical ways to evaluate what’s not working, rebuild routines, set clear expectations, and tackle one problem at a time.
Nov. 2, 2026
Deep Dive: Does Having Kids Ruin Your Marriage Forever?
Are our relationships with our partners ruined after kids enter the picture? Partnerships change when our kids are born, but those changes aren't forever, and fixing it doesn't have to begin and end with "date night."
Oct. 30, 2026
Fresh Take: Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley of "I Mom So Hard" on Surviving Middle School Parenting
What fresh hell is middle school? Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley of I Mom So Hard share how to survive middle school parenting, from phones and peer pressure to boundaries, mistakes, and academic pressure—and how moms can navigate the whole experience, too.
492
Oct. 28, 2026
Weaponized Incompetence—and Weaponized Passivity
How do weaponized incompetence and weaponized passivity show up in our homes, at work, and in our relationships? And how can we start to notice and shift these patterns that have left women doing the lion's share of emotional and cognitive labor for so long?
Oct. 26, 2026
Deep Dive: Is It Sometimes Easier When Our Spouses Aren't Around?
Is it easier to run the house when our spouses are out of town? A good number of our listeners said yes. Can we embrace that feeling, instead of feeling guilty?
Oct. 23, 2026
Fresh Take: Meg Stone on Campus Sexual Violence and Empowerment Self-Defense
How can institutions like Cornell still be protecting rapists instead of victims? How do we teach our children to protect themselves from sexual violence on campus if those institutions are going to continue to fail them? Guest Meg Stone explains that when it comes to preventing sexual violence on campus, compliance does not make us safer. But resistance does.
491
Oct. 21, 2026
Conflict Resolution: How to Fight Fair and Repair Relationships
How do you tend to handle conflict? With avoidance, anger—maybe a little of both? Amy and Margaret explore conflict styles, family-of-origin patterns, “red brain,” and practical tools for resolving disagreements without damaging your relationships.
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