What Fresh Hell

episodes

DEEP DIVE: Amber Briggle on Supporting Trans Kids
June 9, 2025

DEEP DIVE: Amber Briggle on Supporting Trans Kids

Amber Briggle is an activist, speaker, and proud parent of her transgender son. In this episode, she discusses how to support trans kids in today’s political climate as well as her own journey parenting her son through his transition.

Listen to the Episode
Fresh Take: Melinda Wenner Moyer on "Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times"
June 6, 2025

Fresh Take: Melinda Wenner Moyer on "Raising Terrific Kids in Terrify…

How can we prepare our children to navigate the ups and downs of adult life? Melinda Wenner Moyer, author of the new book HELLO CRUEL WORLD, discusses how parents can model cultivating skills for emotional intelligence and resilience to their children.

Listen to the Episode
Creating Systems That Work
June 4, 2025

Creating Systems That Work

How can we keep track of the millions of tasks that kids, work, and a household require without letting important things slip through the cracks? Amy and Margaret discuss practical systems to help families manage their daily routines and scheduling challenges.

Listen to the Episode
DEEP DIVE: Can We Be More Inclusive Parents?
June 2, 2025

DEEP DIVE: Can We Be More Inclusive Parents?

Can we become more inclusive as parents? We discuss how to get more intentionally welcoming in our family lives and communities, how to bring our kids into that conversation, and how inclusivity benefits us just as much as the one we’re welcoming.

Listen to the Episode
Fresh Take: Loryn Brantz on Finding Joy in Parenting Through Poetry
May 30, 2025

Fresh Take: Loryn Brantz on Finding Joy in Parenting Through Poetry

How can we maintain a creative practice as busy parents? Loryn Brantz, author of the new collection of poetry POEMS OF PARENTING, discusses balancing motherhood with her creative pursuits.

Listen to the Episode
Traveling as a Family
May 28, 2025

Traveling as a Family

As summer travel looms large, what can we do to keep the family chaos to a minimum as we hop in a car or on a plane? Here are some useful family travel tips from Amy, Margaret, and our listeners.

Listen to the Episode
DEEP DIVE: Do We Need to Lower Our Standards?
May 26, 2025

DEEP DIVE: Do We Need to Lower Our Standards?

Is it really our "maternal gatekeeping" and too-high standards that are preventing a more equitable distribution of household tasks? We discuss the minimum standard of care and how that can be determined.

Listen to the Episode
Fresh Take: Gretchen Rubin on Life's Simple Truths
May 23, 2025

Fresh Take: Gretchen Rubin on Life's Simple Truths

Do we have to learn life's hardest lessons over and over, or is there a way to easily access the important advice we've heard before? Gretchen Rubin, author of the new book SECRETS OF ADULTHOOD, discusses the power of the aphorism.

Listen to the Episode
How Parenting Advice Has Changed Over the Last 125 Years
May 21, 2025

How Parenting Advice Has Changed Over the Last 125 Years

Is parenting harder today—or just different? We explore 125 years of parenting trends, from strict rules to gentle parenting, and why modern moms feel more pressure than ever.

Listen to the Episode
DEEP DIVE: Decision Fatigue—And Why It's Especially Bad For Moms
May 19, 2025

DEEP DIVE: Decision Fatigue—And Why It's Especially Bad For Moms

The more decisions you have to make, the more difficult it can become to make them. Decision fatigue is cumulative, and when it happens, we get frustrated more easily. Here's how to make fewer, better decisions.

Listen to the Episode
Fresh Take: Anna Fader and Amelia Eigerman
May 16, 2025

Fresh Take: Anna Fader and Amelia Eigerman

How can we get our grumpy travelers on board with summer vacation? Anna Fader and Amelia Eigerman, authors of the new MOMMY POPPINS TRAVEL JOURNAL AND ACTIVITY BOOK, have practical parenting tips for harmonious summer travel.

Listen to the Episode
Moms and Anxiety
May 14, 2025

Moms and Anxiety

As moms, we worry pretty much nonstop about our kids. But is that normal? Should we be THIS anxious? Here's how anxiety specifically manifests in moms and some practical tips for countering it.

Listen to the Episode
DEEP DIVE: Making the "Invisible Workload" Visible
May 12, 2025

DEEP DIVE: Making the "Invisible Workload" Visible

Many of the things we take on in our family's daily lives go without notice or recognition by the people we live with. That doesn't mean it's not work. Here's how to make the "invisible workload" more visible.

Listen to the Episode
Fresh Take: Susan Dominus
May 9, 2025

Fresh Take: Susan Dominus

Do siblings have more influence on each other than parents do on children? Susan Dominus, author of the new book THE FAMILY DYNAMIC, discusses the power of parental expectations in shaping kids and what we can learn from highly successful families.

Listen to the Episode
Finding Summer Camps
May 7, 2025

Finding Summer Camps

How are we going to find affordable activities/childcare for our kids all summer long? It's a question we ask every year. Here are some tips on finding summer camps and activities that fulfill both your needs and your kids'.

Listen to the Episode
BEST OF: What Fresh Hell Is Mother's Day?
May 5, 2025

BEST OF: What Fresh Hell Is Mother's Day?

Why do moms have mixed feelings about Mother's Day? Turns out Anna Jarvis, the holiday's founder, had second thoughts. Perhaps for good reason. We talk the ups and downs of Mother's Day.

Listen to the Episode
Fresh Take: Jessica N. Turner on Rising from Grief and Disappointment
May 2, 2025

Fresh Take: Jessica N. Turner on Rising from Grief and Disappointment

How do we deal with the hard things in life that will inevitably come our way? Jessica N. Turner, author of the new book I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN THIS, discusses how she processes difficult experiences with a healthy perspective.

Listen to the Episode
Maternal Gatekeeping: Is It a Thing?
April 30, 2025

Maternal Gatekeeping: Is It a Thing?

Is maternal gatekeeping merely the manifestation of an overly controlling mother who thinks only she knows what her baby needs? Here's what maternal gatekeeping is really about and how we can all work to counter it even before children arrive.

Listen to the Episode
DEEP DIVE: Mom Rage
April 28, 2025

DEEP DIVE: Mom Rage

Mom rage engenders debilitating shame. Where did it come from? Are we actually the worst parent who’s ever parented? But mom rage has common triggers and a predictable path along which it builds- which also means there are things we can do about it.

Listen to the Episode
Fresh Take: Tamron Hall
April 25, 2025

Fresh Take: Tamron Hall

Where kids grow up, whether it's in the countryside or in the big city, has a huge impact on their sense of self. Tamron Hall, author of the new NYT-bestselling book HARLEM HONEY, discusses how kids can learn about the world at large by first exploring their own neighborhood.

Listen to the Episode
I Wish I'd Done This Sooner
April 23, 2025

I Wish I'd Done This Sooner

Most people have at least one habit or hack that they wish they had started long ago. We asked our listeners what they wish they'd done sooner, and they had a whole host of excellent ideas.

Listen to the Episode
DEEP DIVE: Why Do Moms Get All The Blame?
April 21, 2025

DEEP DIVE: Why Do Moms Get All The Blame?

Whatever goes wrong, experts have traditionally agreed: it's all Mom's fault. Why do moms get all the blame? Who and what else do we give a pass when we stop looking for other causes (and solutions)?

Listen to the Episode
Fresh Take: Jessica Slice on Parenting While Disabled
April 18, 2025

Fresh Take: Jessica Slice on Parenting While Disabled

What can the experiences of disabled parents teach everyone about raising kids? Jessica Slice, author of the new book UNFIT PARENT, discusses parenting as a disabled woman and why it makes her a better mom.

Listen to the Episode
Is Gentle Parenting "Too" Gentle?
April 16, 2025

Is Gentle Parenting "Too" Gentle?

Gentle parenting may strike some people as too permissive. But part of that stems from the fact that its definition has been warped by social media. Here's what gentle parenting originally meant and some useful parenting tips we can take away from it.

Listen to the Episode