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PODCAST

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making Life Better, with Two Funny Moms

Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson

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

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

43:16

How Parenting Advice Has Changed Over the Last 125 Years

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/05/21

Is parenting today genuinely more difficult—or are we just overthinking it? Amy and Margaret explore the evolution of parenting over the last 125 years, tracing shifts from the rigid, hierarchical households of the early 1900s to today’s emotionally intense, overanalyzed parenting culture. These trends beg the question: What’s the real cost of trying to "optimize” every moment of our children's lives? In this episode: How parenting norms have changed since 1894 The impact of attachment

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50:06

DEEP DIVE: Decision Fatigue—And Why It's Especially...

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/05/19

This Deep Dive series is all about why motherhood is so gosh darn hard. Turns out there are sociopolitical forces at play that make motherhood way harder than it needs to be. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify. 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

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41:10

Fresh Take: Anna Fader and Amelia Eigerman

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/05/16

How can we get buy-in from our kids when we go on vacation, whether it's a half-hour down the road or the other side of the world? Anna Fader and Amelia Eigerman, the mother-daughter team behind the MOMMY POPPINS TRAVEL JOURNAL AND ACTIVITY BOOK, have devised practical tips for really including our kids on family adventures. Anna Fader and Amelia Eigerman are a mother-daughter team. Mommy Poppins is recognized as a leading authority on family activities and travel, cited in publications including

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47:58

Moms and Anxiety

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/05/14

Moms are usually low-level anxious about their kids at all times. But it's exhausting. How much of this anxiety we feel is normal and how much of it may require medical intervention? Here's how moms specifically feel anxiety and some tips for making it a little less intense. Amy and Margaret discuss: Anxiety symptoms that can be specific to moms How clinical anxiety is different from everyday anxiety necessary for human survival How to actively work against your anxiety as a

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42:35

DEEP DIVE: Making the "Invisible Workload" Visible

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/05/12

This Deep Dive series is all about why motherhood is so gosh darn hard. Turns out there are sociopolitical forces at play that make motherhood way harder than it needs to be. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify. What should we do when all the work we do to run our family's lives is done so successfully that they not only don't acknowledge it—they don't even understand it? How do we help our partners understand that saying "I left the doctor a message, but they didn't call back" does not really

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40:46

Fresh Take: Susan Dominus

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/05/09

What do high-achieving families have in common, and what are some good lessons from them we can replicate in our own parenting? Susan Dominus, author of the new book THE FAMILY DYNAMIC, discusses the forces at play in families with multiple successful members and how we can encourage our kids to succeed in the ways that make sense for them. Susan Dominus is a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine. In 2018, Susan was part of a team reporting on workplace sexual harassment that won a

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44:01

Finding Summer Camps

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/05/07

What are we going to do with our kids all summer? Gone are the days when kids can just play outdoors unsupervised from sunup to sundown. Now certain summer camps are sold out within a matter of minutes on January 1st. So how can we keep our kids affordably occupied all summer long? Here are some helpful tips and resources where you can find reasonably priced camps and activities for your kids this summer. Amy and Margaret discuss: How they spent their own summers as kids The most

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45:21

BEST OF: What Fresh Hell Is Mother's Day?

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/05/05

Is one morning of runny eggs and burnt toast really fair payback for 364 days of work? Does "Mother's Day" have to mean packing the kids for a two-hour drive to see your mom and/or mother-in-law? Why does Mother's Day often feel like it's more trouble than it's worth?Margaret and Amy discuss: Anna Jarvis and the rather tragic origins of Mother's Day "Minor Mother's Day" vs "Major Mother's Day," and how to deliver that message How to ask for—and get—the Mother's Day that feels right for

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40:03

Fresh Take: Jessica N. Turner on Rising from Grief...

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/05/02

When we're faced with difficulties, how can we put them into perspective and move forward? Jessica N. Turner, author of the new book I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN THIS, discusses the experiences that led her to look at life differently and how she has learned to make "imperfect choices." Jessica N. Turner has spent the last two decades as a content creator and tastemaker for busy moms looking for hacks to live life with more intention and less stress. Jessica, Amy, and Margaret discuss:

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47:00

Maternal Gatekeeping: Is It a Thing?

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/30

"Maternal gatekeeping" usually shows up in pop culture as an overbearing, overprotective mother preventing everyone else from even touching the baby. But maternal gatekeeping is a multidimensional phenomenon that isn't as simple as anxious mothers needing complete control over their newborn's schedule. Here is what the studies on maternal gatekeeping say and how it can manifest in two-parent households. Amy and Margaret discuss: The three dimensions of the term "maternal gatekeeping" and what

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48:42

DEEP DIVE: Mom Rage

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/28

This Deep Dive series is all about why motherhood is so gosh darn hard. Turns out there are sociopolitical forces at play that make motherhood way harder than it needs to be. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify. "Mom rage" is a thing, and it feels shameful because it feels so far from where we are supposed to be as mothers and as women. Writer Anne Lamott called it "a closely guarded secret, as if the myth of maternal bliss is so sacrosanct that we can't even admit these feelings to ourselves."

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43:37

Fresh Take: Tamron Hall

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/25

How can we show kids that their neighborhoods are wonderful places to explore, learn, and grow? Tamron Hall, author of the NYT-bestselling book HARLEM HONEY, discusses why fostering hometown curiosity in kids is so important. Tamron Hall is a two-time Emmy Award-winning television host and executive producer of syndicated talk show Tamron Hall. Tamron and Margaret discuss: Becoming a mom later in life Navigating anxiety in our kids Why Mom going off to work at the beginning of HARLEM HONEY

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44:21

I Wish I'd Done This Sooner

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/23

What's something in your life that's made such a difference you wish you'd done it earlier? That's what we asked our listeners, and they came up with a range of excellent ideas, from big changes to tiny tweaks. Amy and Margaret discuss: Ideal coffee/tea temperatures Meal planning strategies that actually work Margaret's two recurring dreams and what they mean We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current

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46:19

DEEP DIVE: Why Do Moms Get All The Blame?

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/21

This Deep Dive series is all about why motherhood is so gosh darn hard. Turns out there are sociopolitical forces at play that make motherhood way harder than it needs to be. Listen to the full playlist on Spotify. Mothers have long been held at fault for anything that might occur in their children's lives, from autism ("refrigerator mothers") to colic, and everything in between. Why is there such a long history of blaming everything on Mom? In this episode, we discuss how mom blame has manifested

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42:41

Fresh Take: Jessica Slice on Parenting While Disabled

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/18

How does disability affect parenting, and what can disabled parents teach us all about parenthood? Jessica Slice, author of the new book UNFIT PARENT, discusses her journey as a disabled parent and the incredible joy she's found along the way. Jessica Slice is a disabled author, speaker, and essayist. She has been published in Modern Love, The New York Times and The Washington Post among many others. Jessica and Margaret discuss: Her journey towards accepting her disabled status How her

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43:39

Is Gentle Parenting "Too" Gentle?

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/16

There's a reason "gentle parenting" has become synonymous in some circles—and on social media—with never ever telling a child "no," even in the most extreme circumstances. But where did "gentle parenting" begin, what does the research really say about it, and what can it actually offer parents in the way of making their lives easier? Amy and Margaret discuss: The original definition of "gentle parenting"—and how it leaves the door open for broad interpretations What research has actually shown

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43:37

DEEP DIVE: Things That Should Be Fun... But Aren't

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/14

This month's Deep Dive series is all about how much fun we are—or aren't—having while raising our kids. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify. There are some things in life that sound more fun in the planning stage than they are in the execution, and those things are statistically proven to be done more frequently by parents. We asked our listeners to tell us their lists of things that should be fun, but aren't. As the record will show, our listeners are sadly, completely correct. Don't say you

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30:09

Fresh Take: Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson on the Healing...

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/11

In this conversation, Dr. Rebecca N. Thompson, author of the new book HELD TOGETHER, shares her experiences as a family medicine physician specializing in women's and children's health, focusing on her journey through pregnancy complications and losses. She discusses the importance of storytelling in healing, the interconnectedness of personal and professional experiences, and the collaborative nature of her book, 'Held Together.' Through the stories of herself and others, she emphasizes the

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49:04

Should Your Family Get a Pet?

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/09

Are your kids steadily wearing you down on the topic of getting a puppy? Are you convinced that a "low-maintenance" pet like a turtle or fish will be a happy compromise for everyone? Here are some important points to consider if you are thinking about getting a family pet. Amy and Margaret discuss: Their soon-to-be-patented "pet decision matrix" Why smaller, "lower maintenance" pets are NOT less work than bigger ones How having a pet affects things like family travel, budget, and household

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51:40

DEEP DIVE: When Is This Going to Be Fun Again?...

What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making... ·

2025/04/07

This month's Deep Dive series is all about how much fun we are—or aren't—having while raising our kids. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify. We all fall into the trap of thinking that every day with our kids has to contain a “snow globe moment,” a social media-worthy image of perfect joy for our entire family. And even if part of us knows that’s not realistic, another part of us thinks that it’s all supposed to be fun. That there must be something wrong with us if we don’t love every single

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