What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood

Most parenting experts say being our kids’ safe space includes letting some amount of their snarkiness roll off our backs. It’s normal. Don’t take it personally. And knowing that it’s universal helps. Sometimes. A little.

But we still struggle. Shouldn’t we insist on respect from our kids? And what happens when the eye-rolling and “God, Mom, don’t you know anything?” really starts to wear us down?

In this episode we discuss why kids take things out on us as parents (spoiler alert: it gets worse before it gets better) and how we can lower our reactivity in order to respond more effectively.

Here’s links to research and other writing on the topic that we discuss:
Christa Santangelo, PhD: A New Theory of Teenagers (book)
Alice G. Walton for The Atlantic: 12 Ways to Mess Up Your Kids
Sara Bean for Empowering Parents: “I Hate You, Mom! I Wish You Were Dead!” — When Kids Say Hurtful Things
Kim Abraham for Empowering Parents: Anger, Rage and Explosive Outbursts: How to Respond to Your Child or Teen’s Anger
Janet Lehman for Empowering Parents: Do Your Kids Respect You? 9 Ways to Change Their Attitude
Stephanie Klindt: 10 Ways To Set Appropriate Boundaries With Teens
Dr. Wendy Mogel: Mothers, don’t take teen rejection personally

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode:

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Plant Package is a subscription box that sends you everything you need to get you and your family gardening. You get durable seasonal plants (we got basil and strawberries), a container, soil, plant food… you put it all together in like 15 minutes… and you’re gardening! Right now, Plant Package is offering listeners of What Fresh Hell a FREE first box! Just visit PlantPackage.com/fresh to choose a delivery option — then use promo code FRESH at checkout.

Carbona has a wide range of cleaning and home care solutions that deliver serious results for everything from laundry to carpets to washing machines. We are particular fans of the 2 in 1 Carpet Cleaner- nothing works better on our front hall rug and its hard soccer-cleat, dog-paws life. Start living your life unstained! Go to carbona.com and use the code FRESH to save 20% off your entire order.

Prep Dish is a healthy, subscription-based meal-planning service that tells you what to shop for and what to cook in order to make delicious meals for the whole week. 1 to 3 hours of weekend prep, and you’re all set. Prep Dish makes it easy for you and your family to eat gluten-free, Paleo— and now Keto! If you’ve been curious about Keto, try Prep Dish free for two weeks: prepdish.com/wfh.

Teaching Kids Empathy- Episode 112

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On June 30, 2019

In new episode, raising good kids

What is empathy, exactly? It involves both emotion and action. For our kids, it’s an acquired skill- one that needs our guidance and encouragement to be cultivated.

In this episode we discuss why empathy needs to be taught in the first place, when is the right age to start, the difference between pity and empathy, and how becoming more empathetic can benefit yourself (and your own kids) just as it benefits others.

Amy Webb says that establishing sameness is a great place to start:

Once your child has some understanding that some people are different, now is a great time to find some common ground: “I bet she likes a lot of the same toys/games/food that you like.” You can then ask the child or the child’s caregiver what they like to do. Establishing sameness is KEY. This is when the light goes on and children realize, “Oh, she’s just another kid, like me. We are more alike than different!”

Here are links to research and other writing on empathy that we discuss in this episode:

Jacqueline Woodson’s Each Kindness is an award-winning book for school-aged children about what happens when empathy is not chosen

Amy Webb for A Cup of Jo: How To Navigate a Special Needs Encounter

Katie Hurley for Scary Mommy: How Can I Teach My Child Empathy?

Sumathi Reddy for the Wall Street Journal: Little Children and Already Acting Mean

Dr. Chris McCarthy: Turn Around Anxiety

Photo by Charlein Gracia on Unsplash

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode:

Ana Luisa is bringing exceptional jewelry into the life of every woman. Its founders come from the world of high-fashion jewelry. Their mission? To offer the same high quality directly to you – without the high mark-up. Check their designs out at analuisa.com/whatfreshhell and use the code LAUGHING10 to get $10 off your first purchase!

Hopster is a subscription app for kids ages 2-6 that is safe, ad-free, and strikes a perfect balance between learning and fun. Let Hopster keep your little ones busy with over 800 TV episodes, a hundred songs and nursery rhymes, and curriculum- based learning games, all in one SAFE place. (Kids can watch offline, too!) Hopster usually offers a free week to new users, but What Fresh Hell listeners can extend that to a free month. Go to hopster.tv/register and use the code LAUGHING to get an extended 1-month free trial.

Native Deodorant is formulated with clean ingredients like coconut oil and shea butter- and without aluminum, parabens, and talc that none of us really need to be putting under our arms. We particularly love the Eucalyptus and Mint scent, but why not try them all? With free returns and free exchanges, there’s no risk to try. Go to nativedeodorant.com and enter the code laughing to get 20% off your first purchase.

Prep Dish is a healthy, subscription-based meal-planning service that tells you what to shop for and what to cook in order to make delicious meals for the whole week. 1 to 3 hours of weekend prep, and you’re all set. Prep Dish makes it easy for you and your family to eat gluten-free, Paleo— and now Keto! If you’ve been curious about Keto, try Prep Dish free for two weeks: prepdish.com/wfh.

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House Rules That Work- Episode 111

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On June 26, 2019

In getting things done, goals, raising good kids, screen time, sleep, yelling

What are your House Rules- the absolutes that keep your home life tolerable? The ones kids know so well they self-police? We asked all of you to tell us your House Rules… and we have a few of our own to share, as well.

Whether these words to live by are hanging in your kitchen written in cutesy script on a faux-weathered piece of wood (“In this house we give hugs”) or have been implanted in your children’s brains simply by your repeatedly screaming them, here are your (and our) best House Rules for

screens
fighting
pets
personal space
the dinner table
sleep
Saturdays
secrets
and being nice.

Special thanks to our sponsors for this week:

Mockingbird makes seriously the coolest stroller they’ve ever seen. It’s got all the nifty one-hand closing and smooth riding you see in the premium brands- plus new innovations like hidden storage pockets and a peekaboo window. Best of all, Mockingbird sells direct-to-consumer, which means significant savings! Go to hellomockingbird.com and use our code FRESH to save 10% off a Mockingbird stroller.

Wander Beauty makes multitasking, multipurpose essentials that you will actually use every day. The essential we love this week: the Trip for Two blush and bronzer combo. It gives you a nice natural glow with zero glitter- perfect for looking not-dead and not-crazy in your daily mom life. Everything Wander Beauty makes is cruelty-free, mess-free and stress-free! Get 20% off your purchase at wanderbeauty.com/laughing.

Plant Package is a subscription box that sends you everything you need to get you and your family gardening. You get durable seasonal plants (we got basil and strawberries), a container, soil, plant food… you put it all together in like 15 minutes… and you’re gardening! Right now, Plant Package is offering listeners of What Fresh Hell a FREE first box! Just visit PlantPackage.com/fresh to choose a delivery option — then use promo code FRESH at checkout.

Carbona has a wide range of cleaning and home care solutions that deliver serious results for everything from laundry to carpets to washing machines. We are particular fans of the 2 in 1 Carpet Cleaner- nothing works better on our front hall rug and its hard soccer-cleat, dog-paws life. Start living your life unstained! Go to carbona.com and use the code FRESH to save 20% off your entire order.

Are you expecting a baby or know someone who is? Transition To Parenthood is a ten-episode podcast covering all the key information expectant parents need about labor, birth, coping with labor pain, and the first few weeks of caring for a new baby. It’s by Janelle Durham, a mom of three, doula, childbirth educator, and author who covers research-based information in a practical, accessible way. Check out Transition to Parenthood Podcast, available on all podcasting apps.

Finding Your Mom Tribe- Episode 110

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On June 19, 2019

In mom friends, mom frustrations, new episode

Mom tribes are a thing… for some of us. Others find it harder to make and maintain fun, easygoing friendships with other parents.

But should we feel bad if we don’t have a “Sex and the City”-style group that are all equally close and whom we see three times a week?

Our listener Hester describes a mom tribe this way:

like-minded moms with similar age kids who have one another’s backs
can be one or many, depending on your comfort level
more precious than ever when the traditional support system of close family is not availableIn this episode, we discuss our listeners’ advice on how to find mom tribes, how to deepen connections with the one you may already have– plus whether online tribes count (yes). In a day and age when our siblings and parents might live far away, it’s worth investing ourselves in the communities that can happen wherever we are.

Here’s how writer Jenny Anderson explains it:

I used to think that community was as simple as having friends who bring a lasagna when things fall apart and champagne when things go well. Who pick up your kids from school when you can’t. But I think community is also an insurance policy against life’s cruelty; a kind of immunity against loss and disappointment and rage. My community will be here for my family if I cannot be. And if I die, my kids will be surrounded people who know and love them, quirks and warts and oddities and all.

By the way, our Facebook group is a tribe of really cool, funny, supportive parents- join us!

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Special thanks to our sponsors for this week:

Ana Luisa is bringing exceptional jewelry into the life of every woman. Its founders come from the world of high-fashion jewelry. Their mission? To offer the same high quality directly to you – without the high mark-up. Check their designs out at analuisa.com/whatfreshhell and use the code LAUGHING10 to get $10 off your first purchase!

Carbona has a wide range of cleaning and home care solutions that deliver serious results for everything from laundry to carpets to washing machines. We are particular fans of the 2 in 1 Carpet Cleaner- nothing works better on our front hall rug and its hard soccer-cleat, dog-paws life. Start living your life unstained! Go to carbona.com and use the code FRESH to save 20% off your entire order.

Prep Dish is a healthy, subscription-based meal-planning service that tells you what to shop for and what to cook in order to make delicious meals for the whole week. 1 to 3 hours of weekend prep, and you’re all set. Prep Dish makes it easy for you and your family to eat gluten-free, Paleo— and now Keto! If you’ve been curious about Keto, try Prep Dish free for two weeks: prepdish.com/wfh.

Pretty Litter is kitty litter 2.0. It’s shipped right to our door in a lightweight bag that lasts us all month. It’s got next-level odor protection. It even changes colors to detect underlying illnesses before urgent medical care is needed. Go to prettylitter.com and use the code FRESH for 20% off your order.

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Letting Our Kids Feel Unsafe (in a Safe Way) with guest Evangeline Lilly- Episode 109

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On June 12, 2019

In raising good kids

Studies show that risky play creates what Dr. Ellen Sandseter calls a “motivating, thrilling activation,” building self-confidence and self-esteem.

Message received: we’re supposed to allow our kids to take risks. But how risky? Like thin-ice risky? What if our kids are fraidy-cats? What if we are?

In this episode we discuss the differences between risks and hazards and how to bring healthy doses of risk into our kids’ lives. Our kids need to learn what discomfort is- and how to deal with it- in order to feel competent and confident in the world.

We also talk expanding the boundaries of what’s acceptable for our little ones with Evangeline Lilly— yes, that Evangeline Lilly!

The award-winning star of TV’s Lost and films like Avengers: Endgame and The Hobbit is also the author of The Squickerwonkers book series, which Evangeline wrote to “open a portal for children of all ages to face and talk about the darker sides of their own natures.” (Think Lemony Snicket meets Edward Gorey, with impossibly gorgeous illustrations by Rodrigo Bastos Didier.)

Here’s links to research and other writing we discuss in this episode:

Jennifer King Lindley for Parents: Science Says Let Your Kid Push Boundaries

Dr. Mariana Brussoni: Risky Play: Losing a Childhood “Right” of Passage- and a Tool to Help Protect That Right

Dr. Ellen Sandseter et all: Children’s Risky Play from an Evolutionary Perspective: The Anti-Phobic Effects of Thrilling Experiences

Susan Davis and Nancy Eppler-Wolff: Raising Children Who Soar: A Guide to Risk Taking in an Uncertain World.

Dr. Jim Taylor: Positive Pushing: How to Raise a Successful and Happy Child

Photo by Olia Nayda on Unsplash

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode:

Hopster is a subscription app for kids ages 2-6 that is safe, ad-free, and strikes a perfect balance between learning and fun. Let Hopster keep your little ones busy with over 800 TV episodes, a hundred songs and nursery rhymes, and curriculum- based learning games, all in one SAFE place. (Kids can watch offline, too!) Hopster usually offers a free week to new users, but What Fresh Hell listeners can extend that to a free month. Go tohopster.tv/register and use the code LAUGHING to get an extended 1-month free trial.

Hello Fresh offers a variety of chef-curated recipes with pre-measured ingredients that come right to your door in recyclable packaging. When you get home, you’ll have everything you need to get dinner on the table in 35 minutes or less! Right now you can get $80 off your first month of Hello Fresh by going to HelloFresh.com/laughing80 and use the promo code LAUGHING80.

Making It Work For the Long Haul (with guest Belinda Luscombe)- Episode 108

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On June 5, 2019

In making mom's life easier, new episode, relationships

The familiarity of long-term relationships is the best thing about them…and the worst.

When our spouses’ chewing or throat-clearing is enough to send us around the bend, how do we make our relationships work for the long haul?

We discuss the latest research with Belinda Luscombe, author of the informative (and hilarious) new book MARRIAGEOLOGY: THE ART AND SCIENCE OF STAYING TOGETHER. After writing about relationships for Time magazine for a decade, Belinda draws on expert advice (and twenty-seven years in the marital trenches) to explain why marriage is better for your health, your finances, your kids, and your happiness.

Luscombe argues that we don’t find our soulmates- we become them, one day at a time:

This is what love is, actually. Not a fluttery feeling… but a willingness to throw down for that person, a conscious decision to do whatever you can to make that person’s life a little better, more fun, less stressful.

We loved this book and this interview!

Here are links to some of the research and other things we discuss in this episode:

Nick North and his “number system” for avoiding misunderstandings

John Gottman’s “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” (that can threaten any marriage)

University of Georgia study which found expressing gratitude toward your spouse was most significant predictor of marital quality

and the slightly baffling how-to-not-do-relationships song I’ve Never Been To Me

Special thanks to our sponsors for this week:

Ana Luisa is bringing exceptional jewelry into the life of every woman. Its founders come from the world of high-fashion jewelry. Their mission? To offer the same high quality directly to you – without the high mark-up. Check their designs out at analuisa.com/whatfreshhell and use the code LAUGHING10 to get $10 off your first purchase!

Carbona has a wide range of cleaning and home care solutions that deliver serious results for everything from laundry to carpets to washing machines. We are particular fans of the 2 in 1 Carpet Cleaner- nothing works better on our front hall rug and its hard soccer-cleat, dog-paws life. Start living your life unstained! Go to carbona.com and use the code FRESH to save 20% off your entire order.

Harper Wilde makes bras for actual real women with better stuff to do than… shop for bras. Take their “What’s My Size?” online quiz and you can click your way to a whole new wardrobe of bras shipped right to your door. We love their “Base” everyday lightly-lined bra- it’s basically the only bra Amy wears. Comfortable, invisible under clothes- who could ask for anything more? Go to harperwilde.com/laughing and use the promo code LAUGHING to get 15% off your first purchase!

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Sleep Hacks (for All Ages and Stages) – Episode 107

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On May 29, 2019

In mom frustrations, new episode, sleep

Got kids? Got exhaustion. Every age has its sleep challenges, and in this episode we discuss the absolute best sleep hacks for getting babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and even older kids napping, sleeping, and staying asleep.

Here are just a few of the topics you will hear about in this chock-full-of-useful-advice episode:

the importance of routine for even the youngest children
the absolute essential-ness of REAL blackout shades (Amy loves this cheap and easy-to-install brand)
why the sleep sack isn’t just for babies
how to get preschoolers to stay in bed past the first crack of dawn
when co-sleeping might be the best answer
the best playlists and apps to help set the sleepytime mood
why sleep training is never a matter of “one and done”

Special thanks to everyone who sent in sleep hacks for this episode, especially:

Lori Strong and Sara Strong of Strong Little Sleepers
Dr. Sarah Mitchell of Helping Babies Sleep
Patti Smith Barrett of The Pickup Line, a daily newsletter for moms
Rachel of Cha Ching Queen
Huckleberry Sleep App

And special thanks to our sponsors for this week:

Prep Dish is a healthy, subscription-based meal-planning service that tells you what to shop for and what to cook in order to make delicious meals for the whole week. 1 to 3 hours of weekend prep, and you’re all set. Prep Dish makes it easy for you and your family to eat gluten-free, Paleo— and now Keto! If you’ve been curious about Keto, try Prep Dish free for two weeks: prepdish.com/wfh.

Carbona has a wide range of cleaning and home care solutions that deliver serious results for everything from laundry to carpets to washing machines. We are particular fans of the 2 in 1 Carpet Cleaner- nothing works better on our front hall rug and its hard soccer-cleat, dog-paws life. Start living your life unstained! Go to carbona.com and use the code FRESH to save 20% off your entire order.

Making Big Changes as a Family (with guest Jill Krause)- Episode 106

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On May 22, 2019

In goals, new episode

Have you ever considered selling the house, homeschooling the kids, and traveling for a year? Has a job or life change ever thrust a cross-country move, or other radical change, upon your family? Does the very notion strike terror in your heart?

In this episode, we discuss how to prepare for— and make— big changes as a family. Change feels huger and scarier when you have kids, in part because routine and structure and familiarity are the things that kids crave, and need in order to survive.

But our guest Jill Krause argues that structure, routine, and family togetherness can be found in all sorts of places. Jill’s Happy Loud Life YouTube channel has chronicled the travels of her family of six as they spent the last sixteen months touring the United States in an RV. With— you read that right— four children. Including a toddler.

So nobody is saying radical change is easy. If it were, there’d be no point in undergoing it. But change is possible. And it doesn’t always mean permanent. What “change” means, in fact, is entirely up to you and your family.

Here’s links to writing on this topic that we discuss in this episode:

I Miss You When I Blink, Mary Laura Philpott’s terrific new memoir on giving yourself permission to change
Carl Richards for NYT: Hesitant to Make That Big Life Change? Permission Granted
healthychildren.org- Helping Children Adjust to a Move
Peaceful Parent Institute – Helping Children Adjust to Change

Special thanks to our sponsor for this week:

Carbona has a wide range of cleaning and home care solutions that deliver serious results for everything from laundry to carpets to washing machines. We are particular fans of the 2 in 1 Carpet Cleaner- nothing works better on our front hall rug and its hard soccer-cleat, dog-paws life. Start living your life unstained! Go to carbona.com and use the code FRESH to save 20% off your entire order.

We’ve partnered with a great new iPhone app called Airr that lets you save and share the best moments of this (or any!) podcast. With one click Airr captures the moments that stand out to you while you’re listening, and then allows you to send the clips to your friends or share them on social media. Airr is a free app that’s currently in private beta, but What Fresh Hell listeners can get early access to the app by going to http://bit.ly/airr-whatfreshhell.

photo: @juanmount on unsplash

Do We Really Have To Play With Our Kids? When Parenting Feels Relentless- Episode 105

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On May 15, 2019

In making mom's life easier, mom frustrations, new episode, raising good kids, toys

According to researcher Patrick Ishizuka “intensive parenting has become the dominant cultural model.” Sounds about right.

We spend triple the time actively engaging with our kids that our own parents did with us. And even then, we all feel guilty that we’re not doing more. (Or that we kind of hate playing with LOL Surprise! Dolls, and we aren’t hiding it very well.)

But is more always better? Are our modern hyper-organized days creating children who have no idea how to occupy themselves, who need either a screen or one-on-one adult attention at all times? Do we *have* to play with our kids? Is there a way for parenting to feel a little less relentless?

Here are links to research and other writing we discuss in this episode:

Claire Cain Miller for the New York Times: The Relentlessness of Modern Parenting
Rebecca Onion for Slate: Playtime is Over
Suzanne M. Bianchi et al: Changing Rhythms of American Family Life
Janet Lansbury: RIE Parenting Basics (9 Ways to Put Respect into Action)

Special thanks to our sponsors for this episode:

Casper has a new Hybrid Collection mattress that combines the pressure relief of their award-winning foam with durable-yet-gentle springs. It’s the best of both worlds- luxurious comfort and resilient support! Plus increased airflow to keep you cool once you’re asleep. Even with springs, the Casper Hybrid mattresses still come to your doorstep in a box! And you can be sure of your purchase with Casper’s 100-night risk-free sleep-on-it trial. Go to casper.com/laughing and enter the code LAUGHING for $100 off select Casper mattresses.

Hopster is a subscription app for kids ages 2-6 that is safe, ad-free, and strikes a perfect balance between learning and fun. Let Hopster keep your little ones busy with over 800 TV episodes, a hundred songs and nursery rhymes, and curriculum- based learning games, all in one SAFE place. (Kids can watch offline, too!) Hopster usually offers a free week to new users, but What Fresh Hell listeners can extend that to a free month. Go to hopster.tv/register and use the code LAUGHING to get an extended 1-month free trial.

Hello Fresh offers a variety of chef-curated recipes with pre-measured ingredients that come right to your door in recyclable packaging. When you get home, you’ll have everything you need to get dinner on the table in 35 minutes or less! Right now you can get $80 off your first month of Hello Fresh by going to HelloFresh.com/laughing80 and use the promo code LAUGHING80.

Photo by Shitota Yuri on Unsplash

Mom Wins! (and Mother’s Day Fails)- Episode 104

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On May 8, 2019

In for laughs, making mom's life easier, new episode

Happy Mother’s Day Week! In this episode we salute YOU, Mom. Our listeners told us their biggest mom wins and we are passing out some awards- like to Francesca, who has convinced her rambunctious two-year-old that the signs in most public spaces say that all little boys have to stand right next to their mommies.

We also address the various ways that our small children’s Mother’s Day art projects have completely ratted us out. If you’ve ever stood in the hallway outside a kindergarten classroom and seen, projected in three-inch crayoned letters, the proclamation that your own favorite food is “BEER,” we are here for you!

Billy Collins’ poem The Lanyard perfectly encapsulates the insufficiency of any Mother’s Day gift to properly thank us for what we do:

Here are thousands of meals, she said,

and here is clothing and a good education.

And here is your lanyard, I replied,

which I made with a little help from a counselor.

Here is a breathing body and a beating heart,

strong legs, bones and teeth,

and two clear eyes to read the world, she whispered,

and here, I said, is the lanyard I made at camp.

And here, I wish to say to her now, is a smaller gift—not the worn truth

that you can never repay your mother,

but the rueful admission that when she took

the two-tone lanyard from my hand,

I was as sure as a boy could be

that this useless, worthless thing I wove out of boredom

would be enough to make us even.

No thanks *can* be good enough. So enjoy those lukewarm eggs benedict and hastily-purchased greeting cards! You’re worth it- and so very much more.

Special thanks to our sponsor for this episode:

Harper Wilde makes bras for actual real women with better stuff to do than… shop for bras. With their free Home Try-On, you get to pick 3 bras (in different sizes, colors, or styles) and they’re shipped right to your door without charging your credit card. We love their “Base” everyday lightly-lined bra- it’s the only one we wear! Comfortable, invisible under clothes- who could ask for anything more? Go to harperwilde.com/laughing to get started with your free at home try on- and if you go to the “Wilde Things” section and add the bra wash bag to your cart, you’ll get it free!

Bullies- Episode 103

By whatfreshhellpodcast

On May 1, 2019

In making mom's life easier, new episode

Most of us hear “bullying” and picture a sand-kicking, lunch-money-stealing menace. But today’s bullying can take other forms. Research by Dr. Charisse Nixon shows that about 7% of kids report experiencing physical aggression once a week— but that HALF of kids report experiencing relational aggression at least once a month.

On the other hand, as bullying expert Signe Whitson explains, some things can get termed “bullying” that might be more correctly described as mean or rude. Knowing the difference as parents will help our children navigate tricky situations more effectively.

In this episode we discuss how to help our children understand what bullying is, plus how to know if our kids are being bullied themselves— since it’s the kids who are truly frightened and struggling who are often the most likely not to tell us.

We also discuss whether, how much, and in what ways parents should intervene— somewhere in the middle ground between “so find new friends!” and beating the bully up yourself. (Spoiler alert: don’t do either of those things.)

Here’s links to research and resources discussed in this episode:

Katie Hurley for Washington Post On Parenting: What does childhood anxiety look like? Probably not what you think.
Katie Hurley for PBS Kids: What to Do If Your Child Is Being Bullied
Sherri Gordon for Very Well Family: 7 Tips for Helping Kids Deal With Being Ostracized
Sumathi Reddy for WSJ: Little Children and Already Acting Mean
Signe Whitson for Huffington Post: Rude Vs. Mean Vs. Bullying: Defining The Differences
Louis Sachar: There’s a Boy in The Girls’ Bathroom

And on a lighter note- in our Facebook group listeners have been extolling the virtues of the George Foreman grill to make dinnertime easier. Margaret says it’s an #oldilocksalert to even mention the Foreman out loud. Amy says it’s the best way to cook burgers, quesadillas, French toast, and grilled cheese. Call it a panini press if you must, but give it a shot!

Special thanks to our sponsors for this week:

Mother’s Day is around the corner and if you’re like us, the list of moms in your life just keeps growing! This Mother’s Day, send all of the moms in your life the perfect gift with Baked By Melissa. Baked By Melissa’s cupcakes are made by hand and perfectly bite-sized- and now Baked by Melissa has a Mother’s Day assortment that comes in the sweetest gift box! Go to bakedbymelissa.com today and use the promo code LAUGHING to get 15% off your next order. (Order by 5/9/19 for standard shipping.)

Prep Dish is a healthy, subscription-based meal-planning service that tells you what to shop for and what to cook in order to make delicious meals for the whole week. 1 to 3 hours of weekend prep, and you’re all set. Prep Dish makes it easy for you and your family to eat gluten-free, Paleo— and now Keto! If you’ve been curious about Keto, try Prep Dish free for two weeks: prepdish.com/wfh.

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood

a podcast with Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson

When Your Kids Take Everything Out On You- Episode 113

Teaching Kids Empathy- Episode 112

House Rules That Work- Episode 111

Finding Your Mom Tribe- Episode 110

Letting Our Kids Feel Unsafe (in a Safe Way) with guest Evangeline Lilly- Episode 109

Making It Work For the Long Haul (with guest Belinda Luscombe)- Episode 108

Sleep Hacks (for All Ages and Stages) – Episode 107

Making Big Changes as a Family (with guest Jill Krause)- Episode 106

Do We Really Have To Play With Our Kids? When Parenting Feels Relentless- Episode 105

Mom Wins! (and Mother’s Day Fails)- Episode 104

Bullies- Episode 103

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Iris Award Winner: 2018 Podcast of the Year!

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