x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

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

kids & family parenting

All Episodes

45:09

BEST OF: Dumb Things We Thought When We Were Kids

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/07/14

⁠A note from Margaret: My family was visiting Kerrville, TX when the flood occurred. Having seen the devastation to the Hill Country first hand, it is impossible to put into words the scope of the disaster. These losses are close to home for my family and I know they have touched so many of you as well. Please join us in donating to the relief efforts by using the following trusted link: ⁠https://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201⁠ Amy thought The Love Boat was

en

42:58

Fresh Take: Danielle Bettmann on Positive Discipline

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/07/11

A note from Margaret: My family was visiting Kerrville, TX when the flood occurred. Having seen the devastation to the Hill Country first hand, it is impossible to put into words the scope of the disaster. These losses are close to home for my family and I know they have touched so many of you as well. Please join us in donating to the relief efforts by using the following trusted link: ⁠https://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201⁠ Amy and Margaret talk with

en

44:55

5 Conversations to Have with Your Kids This Summer

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/07/09

A note from Margaret: My family was visiting Kerrville, TX when the flood occurred. Having seen the devastation to the Hill Country first hand, it is impossible to put into words the scope of the disaster. These losses are close to home for my family and I know they have touched so many of you as well. Please join us in donating to the relief efforts by using the following trusted link: https://cftexashillcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4201 In this episode, we break down five

en

47:53

BEST OF: Best Mom Lies Ever

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/07/07

Some people say parents should never lie to their kids. We are not those people. We asked our listeners to tell us all the lies that totally worked for their kids– or worked on them when they were kids. Whether it's the ice cream truck's jingle indicating they're fresh out, the goldfish who was "just sleeping," or the unfortunate catastrophic fire at the macaroni and cheese factory, these are all the mom fibs you want in your repertoire. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can

en

33:16

Best of: Dr. Ibram X. Kendi on Raising Antiracists

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/07/04

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi⁠ is the author of many highly acclaimed books including STAMPED FROM THE BEGINNING: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Dr. Kendi was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant. In this interview, we are discussing his book HOW TO RAISE AN ANTIRACIST. His latest book for young readers is called

en

48:19

BEST OF: Grudges Held, Grudges Kept

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/07/02

Is it rational to still be mad about that time in second grade when the kid right in front of you took the last sprinkles at the ice cream social?Is it reasonable to think just a little less of your childhood friend for serving Chex Mix at his wedding? Ours is not to reason why. This episode isn't here to tell you whether you all should be maintaining these grudges so carefully. It's here to hold space for them all. Stay angry, Hellions! We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You

en

39:17

DEEP DIVE: Francesca Royster on "Choosing Family"

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/30

How do we find support when our family of origin is no longer around or has otherwise rejected us? Francesca Royster, author of the new memoir ⁠Choosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance⁠, explains the concepts of chosen family, finding joy in the everyday, and the resistance that is part of telling hard stories. Margaret and Francesca discuss: What inspired Francesca to write her memoir What it's like to enter motherhood at an older age The process of adopting her

en

47:21

Fresh Take: Ramit Sethi, "Money for Couples"

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/27

How do we start a conversation about finances with our partners, especially when each of our households of origin might have thought about money quite differently? Ramit Sethi, host of Netflix’s hit show, How to Get Rich, and author of MONEY FOR COUPLES, offers practical tips for productively discussing money with your partner. Ramit and Margaret discuss: Why money conversations are so hard The four money types: Avoider, Optimizer, Worrier, or Dreamer How the messages we heard

en

49:20

Things Most People Think Are Hard (But Aren't)

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/25

There are plenty of things that seem intimidating but are actually not that hard to do! From power hedge trimmers to cooking a whole fish, we (and our listeners) are here with the things that most people seem to think are hard—but actually aren't.View the full list of things our listeners said are actually pretty simple. Plus, the two things we promised to include in the show notes: an actually-easy way to create Power of Attorney forms for kids off to college an actually easy and attractive

en

40:18

DEEP DIVE: Ellen Kahn On Supporting Our LGBTQ Kids

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/23

Ellen Kahn⁠ is the Senior Director of Programs and Partnerships at the Human Rights Campaign. In her role, Ellen provides national leadership and expertise in public education and advocacy efforts on behalf of LGBTQ youth and families. Ellen is nationally recognized as an expert on LGBTQ family life and LGBTQ youth. She's also a proud mom of two teenage daughters. In this interview, Ellen explains how parents can create a home environment that affirms and accepts LGBTQ children, and how to advocate

en

43:11

Fresh Take: Dr. Morgan Cutlip on Redistributing the...

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/20

Amy chats with Dr. Morgan Cutlip about her new book A Better Share, which offers practical, research-based strategies for managing the mental load in relationships. They discuss how default parenting, gender socialization, and communication missteps can create resentment—and how couples can reconnect through clarity and shared responsibility. You’ll hear why the mental load is the real relationship villain, not your partner— and how to invite your partner into the solution .Amy and Morgan

en

45:30

Trad Moms and Trad Wives

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/18

We dive into the world of #tradwives and trad moms—mothers who embrace their traditional gender roles and showcase homemaking all over social media, usually with a heavy dose of curated perfection, aspiring to a bygone ideal that may never exactly have actually existed.Amy and Margaret discuss: what actually defines a trad wife the influence of social media algorithms in boosting—and polarizing—this content the aesthetic fantasy of cottagecore, nap dresses, and homesteading versus the

en

43:37

Fresh Take: Jessica Zucker on Normalizing Miscarriage

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/16

Why is there still so much shame and silence surrounding women's experiences with miscarriage in the modern age? Jessica Zucker, author of the new book NORMALIZE IT, discusses her personal experience with miscarriage and its profound impact on her life and career. Jessica Zucker is a Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in reproductive health and the author of the award-winning book I HAD A MISCARRIAGE: A Memoir, a Movement. Jessica, Amy, and Margaret discuss: How storytelling is a

en

43:11

Fresh Take: Meagan Francis, THE LAST PARENTING BOOK...

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/13

Amy chats with parenting writer and The Mom Hour podcaster Meagan Francis about her new book, The Last Parenting Book You'll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next. Together, they reflect on the identity shift that comes with parenting an emptying nest, the emotional complexity of "lasts," and why transitioning out of the "hands-on" years of parenting requires the same patience with ourselves that entering those years did. Listen to the Substack Live Amy and Meagan did recently

en

46:53

There's a New Study on Moms' Mental Health...and It's...

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/11

A study released this month examined the state of mothers' mental health in the U.S. from 2016 to 2023. Using data from 200,000 mothers, the study reveals a "significant decline" in emotional and physical well-being for mothers in all age groups and demographics. Margaret and Amy break down the data, the implications, and the causes—which certainly include the pandemic, although there are many other social, economic, and cultural forces contributing to the stress of modern motherhood. Amy and

en

39:33

DEEP DIVE: Amber Briggle on Supporting Trans Kids

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/09

This episode was originally recorded in 2022. For more about the Briggle family, watch the 2024 New Yorker short documentary "Love to the Max." Amber Briggle and her family live in Texas. Amber is the mom of two kids, Max and Lulu, and on her website "Love To The Max," Amber shares the family's real stories and experiences as a trans-inclusive family. Amber describes herself as "just a mom," but the events of the last few years have made her a powerful advocate for the rights of kids and

en

45:44

Fresh Take: Melinda Wenner Moyer on "Raising Terrific...

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/06

How do we raise compassionate and well-adjusted kids when their anxiety is at an all-time high, and so is ours? Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of the new book HELLO CRUEL WORLD, discusses actionable and easy-to-implement steps we can take to prepare our children for the realities of today's complicated world while acknowledging our own uncertainty. Melinda Wenner Moyer is an award-winning contributing editor at Scientific American, a regular contributor to The New York Times, and a former faculty

en

51:12

Creating Systems That Work

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/04

Can better systems make running our households easier? There's only so much work a whiteboard can do, but in this episode, Margaret and Amy discuss how they have set up effective systems to manage their kids' lives, their homes, and their work.Amy and Margaret discuss: Creating a central source of "parenting truth" The importance of touching base regularly with your parenting partner The need for self-compassion and flexibility in managing the demands of motherhood Here are links to

en

41:20

DEEP DIVE: Can We Be More Inclusive Parents?

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/06/02

Can we become more inclusive as parents? Inclusivity has great benefits for everyone involved. We loved this explanation from Bright Horizons: "Too often, inclusiveness is described as something we should do to benefit others. Being inclusive is more than a moral obligation—although this alone is enough reason to practice it. When we are inclusive we aren’t divided. Instead, our world becomes enlarged. We gain relationships and experiences that enrich us. We recognize that we are all different, and

en

36:49

Fresh Take: Loryn Brantz on Finding Joy in Parenting...

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood |... ·

2025/05/30

How can we find time to be creative as busy moms of young kids? Loryn Brantz, author of the new poetry collection POEMS OF PARENTING, discusses how her creative practice informs her parenting and vice versa. Loryn is the creator of the bestselling Feminist Baby board book series and has worked as a director and illustrator for Sesame Street and Ms. Rachel. Margaret and Loryn discuss: Loryn’s creative journey from Sesame Street to Buzzfeed to publishing twelve books How motherhood and

en

281 results

Similar Podcasts

Tale Teller Kids™

Sarnia de la Mare

米克馬故事坊

咪萊

Imagination Station

Imagination Station

Die Pferde sind nicht das Problem - und du bist nicht zu blöd. Der Aha-Podcast für Pferdemenschen

Silke Jahn & Maren Diehl

Hanna fragt Papa - Der Podcast für neugierige Kinder und Eltern

Hanna und Thomas Schamberger