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“What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood” is a Top Ten Apple Podcasts parenting podcast with over 5 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!
Jan. 21, 2022
Ever felt like things are going pretty well, but that happiness is somehow missing from your parenting and your relationships? Dr. Lynyetta Willis calls that feeling “stable misery,” and explains how we can create more joyfu…
Jan. 19, 2022
What’s getting you through right now? A TV show? A candle? A coffee mug warmer? A podcast and a brisk walk? We asked our listeners for one thing that’s working for them right now, and from workouts to pets to Hallmark movies…
Jan. 17, 2022
What’s it really like to have a kid away at college? Sure, drop-off day is hard, but there are also real benefits to this shift in the parent/child relationship. If you’re dreading an upcoming transition, Amy’s perspective w…
Jan. 14, 2022
Meghan Leahy is the "On Parenting" columnist for The Washington Post and a certified parenting coach. In her work, she has found that parenting problems usually come less from a lack of awareness than from a lack of connecti…
Jan. 12, 2022
In a recent study 47% of parents reported being so stressed about the pandemic that they struggle to make basic decisions like what’s for dinner. Sound familiar? We discuss our own pandemic decision fatigue, and where we’re …
Jan. 10, 2022
If you've got boys you probably have a bathroom in your house that no one dares walk into, but this doesn't have to be a permanent state! Here are some tips and tricks for how to keep the bathrooms in your house at least pas…
Jan. 7, 2022
These days, our kids are getting the message that being selfish, obnoxious and cruel is not only okay– it’s how people in power behave. How do we teach them that it actually matters to be kind, ethical, and nice to be around…
Jan. 5, 2022
Part Two! We asked our listeners: What's something you tried thinking it would go great, and instead it spectacularly backfired?
Jan. 3, 2022
Toddlers don’t possess "theory of mind"– the ability to understand other people's mental states, and that those emotions can differ from their own. If smacking Mommy's face makes a 2-year-old feel curious, he really might no…
Dec. 31, 2021
Katherine May is the author of WINTERING: THE POWER OF REST AND RETREAT IN DIFFICULT TIMES. In this episode, which originally aired in December 2020, May explains how we can apply the lessons of nature’s actual winters to ou…
Dec. 29, 2021
We look back on the year that was and discuss the episodes that were our favorites: the ones that surprised us, taught us the most, and made us laugh. Check the show notes for the one-click playlist of all our favorites!
Dec. 27, 2021
When our kids come home and tell us about their elementary school crushes (or we find out about them from notes in their backpack) it can be exciting, confusing or hilarious. In this episode Margaret discusses how to handle …
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