What Fresh Hell

What Fresh Hell

“What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood” is a Webby-honored, Top 10 Apple Podcasts parenting podcast with over 8 million lifetime downloads! If you're looking for laughs, advice, and community, you've come to the right place.

We're Amy and Margaret, and we're each moms of three. We deal with the same hassles as any parent, but with completely different parenting styles. Margaret is laid-back to the max; Amy never met a spreadsheet she didn't like.

We offer three episodes each week:
"Question of the Week" on Mondays
Regular weekly episodes on Wednesdays
"Fresh Take" interview with experts on Fridays

Join us as we laugh in the face of motherhood!

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Recent episodes

Uh Oh, It's Summer!

Uh Oh, It's Summer!

May 31, 2023

Ah, summer! Time for relaxing. Just as soon as we get through the end-of-year craziness and sign each of our kids up for ten camps.

Ask Margaret: My Kid Is Afraid of Storms

Ask Margaret: My Kid Is Afraid of Storms

May 29, 2023

How do we calm our kids' fears about storms, floods, fires, and tornadoes? Here's how to help your kids process scary things in an honest way.

Best Of: Dr. Becky Kennedy on Being

Best Of: Dr. Becky Kennedy on Being "Good Inside"

May 26, 2023

Dr. Becky Kennedy, host of the "Good Inside with Dr. Becky" podcast and @drbeckyatgoodinside on Instagram, tells us how the “Good Inside” approach can reshape how we view both ourselves as parents and our children.

Things We Should Be Able to Do (But Can't)

Things We Should Be Able to Do (But Can't)

May 24, 2023

Parallel parking? Riding a bike? Estimating how many people are in a stadium? We asked our listeners what lessons they "missed in school" and never caught up on again.

Ask Margaret: When Kids Ask Embarrassing Questions

Ask Margaret: When Kids Ask Embarrassing Questions

May 22, 2023

What do we do when our kids loudly observe other people's differences in public? Curiosity may be normal, but the outcomes can be mortifying.

Fresh Take: Meg Zucker on Empowering Kids with Differences and Disabilities

Fresh Take: Meg Zucker on Empowering Kids with Differences and Disabilities

May 19, 2023

Meg Zucker is the author of the new book BORN EXTRAORDINARY: Empowering Children with Differences and Disabilities. We talk about the work all parents can do to empower all kids.

Ditching Mom Guilt

Ditching Mom Guilt

May 17, 2023

"Mom guilt" might be universal and inescapable. It's also often misplaced, and can sabotage not just our own happiness, but our ability to parent effectively.

Ask Amy: My Kid Is Learning Sassy Talk at Preschool

Ask Amy: My Kid Is Learning Sassy Talk at Preschool

May 15, 2023

Is it a big deal if your child brings salty talk home from preschool? Not necessarily. Is it a teachable moment? Absolutely. This age is the time kids first become aware of others' feelings.

Fresh Take: Laura Cathcart Robbins on Motherhood and Addiction

Fresh Take: Laura Cathcart Robbins on Motherhood and Addiction

May 12, 2023

If we feel like we're constantly performing motherhood rather than living it, how is that sustainable—or desirable? Laura Cathcart Robbins talks about her journey to authenticity in her new memoir STASH.

Our Mom Friendships Are Different Now

Our Mom Friendships Are Different Now

May 10, 2023

Have your mom friendships changed after the upheaval of the last few years? How do we get past our decreased social stamina and get back out there?

Ask Amy: My Kid Just Doesn't Want to Talk About It

Ask Amy: My Kid Just Doesn't Want to Talk About It

May 8, 2023

Some kids are more expressive than others. And a child’s ability to discuss feelings might be frustrated by their vocabulary or emotional maturity. How can we encourage kids to open up? Is there a point at which we should be…

Fresh Take: Virginia Sole-Smith on Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture

Fresh Take: Virginia Sole-Smith on Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture

May 5, 2023

The stigmatization of fat people shapes how we think about our health. Virginia Sole-Smith, author of the book FAT TALK: PARENTING IN THE AGE OF DIET CULTURE, invites us to question what it means to be “good" regarding weigh…