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

By: Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson
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  • Summary

  • 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
    Copyright © 2016-2023 What Fresh Hell, LLC
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Parenting & Families Relationships
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Episodes
  • DEEP DIVE: Changing the Stories We Tell Ourselves

    DEEP DIVE: Changing the Stories We Tell Ourselves
    Feb 17 2025
    This Deep Dive series is about reflecting on our trajectories as mothers - looking back, reflecting on where we are now, and thinking about the future. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify. We are the protagonist in our own story, but what happens when we become the antagonist in stories we weren't even aware of? Or when we assign antagonist roles to unsuspecting partners or kids? Amy and Margaret discuss why we as humans need to tell ourselves stories, when the stories we tell ourselves might stop serving us, and how we can change the stories we tell ourselves. In this episode, Amy and Margaret discuss: why our brains are willing to ignore what doesn't fit our preconceived narratives the concept of cognitive mediation, which is how stories are created "taking things less personally" and the better approach to avoid feeling wounded by others' stories how to rediscover the agency we have over the stories we tell ourselves Here are links to the resources mentioned in the episode: Esther Perel: How the Stories We Tell Ourselves Can Make or Break Us Kyle Benson for The Gottman Institute: There Are Two Views to Every Conflict and Both Are Valid Carl Alviani for Medium: The Science Behind Storytelling Kendall Haven: Your Brain on Story We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson. mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, parental stress, kids stress, brain development, mom brain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    46 mins
  • Fresh Take: Ashley Graber and Maria Evans on Raising Calm Kids

    Fresh Take: Ashley Graber and Maria Evans on Raising Calm Kids
    Feb 14 2025
    Anxiety is diagnosed much more frequently than it used to be; that goes for our kids as well. Our parental instincts are usually to reassure them, but as it turns out, that actually isn't the solution to making them worry less. Ashley Graber and Maria Evans, child and family psychotherapists and authors of the new book RAISING CALM KIDS IN A WORLD OF WORRY, explain how to have tough conversations with your child, and how to teach your child coping skills for their anxiety. In this episode Ashley, Maria, and Margaret discuss: Why kids are more anxious these days The S.A.F.E.R parenting method How to talk to your children about their worries Here's where you can find Ashley and Maria: www.ashleygrabertherapy.com/books-and-media www.mariaevanstherapy.com/book @ashleygraber1 and @mariaevanstherapy on IG Buy RAISING CALM KIDS: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780143137795 We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson. mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, parental stress, kids stress, brain development, kids anxiety, anxiety, worry, stress Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 mins
  • We Settle Your Arguments (Part 1)

    We Settle Your Arguments (Part 1)
    Feb 12 2025
    Did you know? Happy to Help is available on Audible- with Amy doing the narration! Should ketchup be refrigerated? Is dryer-lint cleaning a before or after job? We asked our listeners for their most longstanding, totally low-stakes disagreements with their spouse or parenting partner. In this episode, we render judgments. People, we're calling balls and strikes. Our determinations are final. Join our Facebook group and be part of our next episode! We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website: https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/ What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson. mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    45 mins

Featured Article: The Best Podcasts for Moms on Parenting, Lifestyle, and Beyond


If you've been searching for a podcast that speaks to your particular experience of motherhood, these listens reflect a wide range of circumstances and identities. Featuring a beautiful diversity of mothers, families, and experiences of parenthood, these podcasts range in theme, including those hosted by and for single moms, queer moms, mothers dealing with loss, Black moms, working moms, homeschooling moms, and more.

Featured Article The Best Podcasts for Moms on Parenting Lifestyle and Beyond

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

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Profile Image for Kristen

highly relatable

the hosts are always super relatable and fun to listen too. Whether you have kids or work with kids, no matter the age, there is something to takeway from ever episode. Great content!

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Great, REAL LIFE podcast for parents

I am so glad I stumbled on this podcast a year or so ago. It addresses real parenting issues in a non-judgmental and entertaining way. There is also a Facebook community with lots of moms interacting with great support and positivity. 100% recommend this podcast.

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Simply The Best!

I LOVE What Fresh Hell. Amy and Margaret have the perfect blend of parenting advice and humor. Love their research, their interviews & their enthusiasm. I am definitely a Fresh Hellion!

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Love these women

Such great topics, feels like I’m sitting with friends. They leave me feeling validated as a mom. Thank you Amy and Margaret! Keep up the great work!

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Real and funny

If you need to support as you navigate parenthood but also want a good laugh about said parenthood, please listen to What the Fresh! It is informative and fantastic. Always relevant and always informative.

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