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What Fresh Hell

What Fresh Hell

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 and Margaret, both busy moms of three kids, but with completely different parenting styles. Margaret is 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.

Recent episodes

Sept. 6, 2024

Fresh Take: Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein on Raising Resilient Girls

How should we prepare our daughters for the sexism and bias they will encounter out there in the world? Dr. Jo-Ann Finkelstein, author of SEXISM AND SENSIBILITY, tells us how to give our girls a sense of agency.
Sept. 4, 2024

What Happened to My Sweet Child?

What happened to your formerly sweet and agreeable child, who woke up on the wrong side of the bed one day and never stopped whining? How does one try to restore equilibrium?
Sept. 2, 2024

BEST OF: Back to School Back-to-Ones

It's back to school, back to morning insanity, back to seventeen different after-school activities per kid! We asked our listeners for their best back-to-school tips - or their biggest complaints.
Sept. 1, 2024

You Might Also Like: In It: Raising Kids who Learn Differently, from Understood.org

Today we’re sharing an episode from another parenting podcast called “In It: Raising Kids who Learn Differently.” This podcast offers perspective, stories, and useful takeaways for parents of kids with learning differences l…
Aug. 30, 2024

BEST OF: Esau McCaulley, "How Far To The Promised Land"

What does it mean to “escape poverty” in the U.S.? In his new book HOW FAR TO THE PROMISED LAND, Esau McCaulley questions the narrative of exceptionalism that he, and other Black survivors, are conditioned to give when they …
Aug. 28, 2024

When Kids Ask Tough Questions

Kids have a knack for asking questions that are tricky, painful, or impossible to answer. How can we answer our kids' tough questions effectively, especially when the answers are hard—or don't exist?
Aug. 26, 2024

DEEP DIVE: Might Seem Crazy. Works for Me.

From packing the laundry to eating the same lunch every day for five years to toothbrushes in the kitchen, these are our listeners' ideas that don't sound so crazy, come to think of it.
Aug. 23, 2024

Fresh Take: Jill Castle, "Kids Thrive at Every Size"

How do we set our kids up to have a healthy relationship with food and with their bodies, no matter what they look like? Jill Castle, author of KIDS THRIVE AT EVERY SIZE, tells us how to raise kids that eat healthy and love …
Aug. 21, 2024

Randomest Claims to Fame

What celebrity-in-waiting did you once hang out with at summer camp? What state fair championships did you achieve as a 10-year-old? We asked our audience about their various claims to minor fame—here's what they said.
Aug. 19, 2024

DEEP DIVE: Rule Breaker Or Rule Follower: Which Are You?

Are you a rule breaker or a rule follower? Are you married to your opposite? In this episode we discuss how these two kinds of people bump up against each other– especially in our own families– and how we try to find a littl…
Aug. 16, 2024

BEST OF: Judith Warner on What Grownups Get Wrong About Middle School

Judith Warner’s book AND THEN THEY STOPPED TALKING TO ME: MAKING SENSE OF MIDDLE SCHOOL investigates what can be a truly painful period. Our parenting of tweens can also be affected by our memories of that time, and Warner e…
Aug. 14, 2024

Helping Kids Face Their Fears

Fear is an uncomfortable, but healthy—and necessary—human emotion. How can we help our kids face their fears in healthy and age-appropriate ways?