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

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

Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson

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3 Creators

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3 Creators

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
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Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - When Can We Start Saying Yes?

When Can We Start Saying Yes?

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

play

03/24/21 • 48 min

Vaccines. Mandate-liftings. Scaled reopenings. All of these things are great and long wished for.

But we were kind of thinking there'd be a bell, or something. A hard deadline. A day when we'd all dance out into the ticker-taped streets and make out with strangers in Times Square.

Without a "you are now free to move about the cabin" announcement, how will we know when it's okay for grandparents to visit? To fly to that wedding? To toss our masks once and for all?

When is it okay to start saying yes?

Our listener Heather put it this way:

I think seeing a light at the end of the tunnel can be unsettling. We've been living in this weird way for a year now. And as much as it seems crazy, we've gotten used to it.

Psychologists call the stress this is making us feel the “third-quarter phenomenon.” For people forced to endure long stretches of isolation– astronauts, Arctic explorers, submarine sailors– the most difficult part, regardless of the length of the assignment, has been proven to be about 75% of the way through, precisely when the end of the assignment first comes into distant focus.

As things start to open up and some of us don't feel ready, or wonder if the world is ready, it's a new source of stress that we were saved from when we were all apart.

Past scientists and astronauts who suffered from the “third-quarter phenomenon" were advised to refocus on their mission- why they were doing what they were doing, and the great worth of seeing it through. Seems like great advice for the rest of us. Focusing on the mission might be what will get us through this last part of the tunnel.

Here are links to writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode:

Tara Law for Time: We're in the Third Quarter of the Pandemic. Antarctic Researchers, Mars Simulation Scientists and Navy Submarine Officers Have Advice For How to Get Through It

Robert Bechtel and Amy Berning: The Third-Quarter Phenomenon: Do People Experience Discomfort After Stress Has Passed?

Nathan Smith: The third-quarter phenomenon: the psychology of time in space

"Beautiful City" from Godspell (1973)

"Brand New Day" from The Wiz (1978)

@neilochka on Instagram

Leave us a rating or review in your favorite podcast app!

Join us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/whatfreshhellcast

Instagram: https://instagram.com/whatfreshhellcast

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WhatFreshHellPodcast

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/whatfreshhellcast

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WFHpodcast

questions and feedback: [email protected]

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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - DEEP DIVE: Two Kinds of People: Family Debates

DEEP DIVE: Two Kinds of People: Family Debates

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

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12/02/24 • 49 min

This month's Deep Dive series is all about family dynamics. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.

What are the consistent and ongoing family debates in your household? Our Facebook group came through with their most heated family debate topics, and this week we give the ultimate answer for questions like:

  • Should dishes be rinsed clean before they go in the dishwasher?
  • Is it acceptable to call someone after 8 pm?
  • Is a garage for storing stuff, or for storing cars?
  • When you're making a bed, which side is up for the flat sheet?
  • What is the correct pronunciation of "Reese's Pieces"?

Here are links to two things we discuss in this episode:

Reese's Pieces ad, 1984 (note the repeated and correct pronunciation)

"Doorbell" by Sebastian Maniscalco

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, family, family dynamics, family debate

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - The Psychological "Effects" That Shape Our Thinking

The Psychological "Effects" That Shape Our Thinking

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

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11/27/24 • 48 min

Why do we think the way we think? How susceptible are we to influences we don't perceive? In the case of psychological effects, there are proven changes in thinking that occur in individuals or groups that can be attributed to particular causes. In this episode, hosts Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables get into some of their favorites, including:

  • placebo (and "nocebo" effect
  • near-miss effect
  • Martha Mitchell effect
  • observer expectancy effect
  • name-letter effect
  • online disinhibition effect
  • Eaton-Rosen effect (Amy always knew this one deep in her bones)
  • Dunning-Kruger effect
  • Zeigarnik effect

Get monthly bonus episodes PLUS our entire catalog ad-free! Visit whatfreshhell.supportingcast.fm to subscribe in two taps for just $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year. (You can keep listening in the same app you already use.)

(and if you choose to support our show by listening to the ads, we are really grateful for that also!)

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, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, psychological phenomena

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - DEEP DIVE: It's Not "Nagging"

DEEP DIVE: It's Not "Nagging"

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

play

04/15/24 • 41 min

This month, we're doing a deep dive series into the division of household laborwhy it's often unbalanced, and what we can do about it. You can find the playlist with all of the episodes in the series here.

Want to see a mother get mad? Tell her she's "nagging" you after she's been obligated to repeat an entirely reasonable request several times over. And just why is "nagging" a word that's almost exclusively applied to women?

We need the other members of our households to show up and do their share. As the default parents, we own the lists. So do we stop caring whether others like how we ask and remind? Do we enforce a back-to-one where we're not forced to ask repeatedly in the first place?

In this episode Amy and Margaret discuss:

  • The sexism and etymology of the word "nag"
  • What Amy says are the three types of "nagging," and why we should separate them out
  • What to say when our repeated asking is framed as annoying to other people (guess to whom it's also annoying, too?)

Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the 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/

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,

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - Fresh Take: Esau McCaulley, "How Far To The Promised Land"

Fresh Take: Esau McCaulley, "How Far To The Promised Land"

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

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09/29/23 • 34 min

How can we talk about America’s ongoing legacy of racism without sliding into despair? In his new memoir HOW FAR TO THE PROMISED LAND, Esau McCaulley tells his own story—and questions why Black failure is judged collectively, while Black success is perceived as the merit of an individual.

Rev. Esau McCaulley, PhD, is an author and associate professor of New Testament at Wheaton College. His work has been published in The New York Times, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and Christianity Today.

Esau and Amy discuss:

  • Why "escaping poverty" is a misleading term
  • How experiences that set the context for heroic bravery also create the possibility for failure
  • What caused Esau to change his definition of justice

Here's where you can find Esau:

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/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - Things That Should Be Fun... But Aren't

Things That Should Be Fun... But Aren't

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

play

11/15/23 • 40 min

Sign up for "What Fresh Hell + " to get every one of our episodes ad-free, plus monthly bonus episodes. Go to whatfreshhell.supportingcast.fm to subscribe in two taps: $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year.

There are some things in life that sound more fun in the planning stage than they are in the execution, and those things are statistically proven to be done more frequently by parents.

We asked our listeners to tell us their lists of things that should be fun, but aren't. As the record will show, our listeners are sadly, completely correct. Don't say you weren't warned.

Here's the link to the episode of The Mom Hour episode a few of our listeners mentioned: We Hate Fun!

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/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - Fresh Take: Nicole Walters on "Nothing Is Missing"

Fresh Take: Nicole Walters on "Nothing Is Missing"

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

play

11/17/23 • 30 min

What can we do when life seems to be falling down around our ears? Nicole Walters, author of the new book NOTHING IS MISSING: A MEMOIR OF LIVING BOLDLY, explains how to create our own fresh starts and the joy that accompanies them.

Nicole Walters is the host of "The Nicole Walters Podcast", a motivational speaker, and the mother of three adopted daughters.

Nicole, Amy, and Margaret discuss:

  • How to pour into your community with gentleness, grace and honesty
  • How "fresh starts" can help you take control of your life
  • Why vulnerability is essential to connection

Here's where you can find Nicole:

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/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - Ask Amy: How Do I Get My Tweens to Bed?

Ask Amy: How Do I Get My Tweens to Bed?

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

play

10/10/22 • 6 min

Bedtime struggles don't end once your kids are no longer toddlers. Is bedtime at your house leaving you more exhausted than the kids?

A listener wrote in to say:

"I just re-listened to your bedtime routine podcast to get some much-needed advice. I have 8 and 11-year-olds and we are having trouble with bedtime. I am spending 2+ hours with the whole routine and it goes without saying that I’m getting burned out.

I can apply some of the tips from that particular episode which was geared towards a four-year-old, but do you have any tips for these ages? Anything is appreciated."

Amy suggests this listener hink about what she can add and what she can take away. If the song-and-dance has become part of the routine, it might be time for a "back to one." Listen on for some ideas.

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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - What Makes You a Great Parent?

What Makes You a Great Parent?

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

play

06/07/23 • 46 min

From being able to sleep anywhere to pulling loose teeth to staying calm in a crisis, our listeners are great at all kinds of things when it comes to being parents.

Amy and Margaret discuss:

Sign up for What Fresh Hell Plus on Supporting Cast to get all episodes ad-free, plus monthly bonus episodes. Supporting Cast works right where you already listen! Go to whatfreshhell.supportingcast.fm to subscribe in two taps for just $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year.

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/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms - Ask Amy: The Kids Make Me Nuts While I'm Driving!

Ask Amy: The Kids Make Me Nuts While I'm Driving!

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

play

02/28/22 • 5 min

Does your kids' chatter in the back seat work your last nerve? You may identify with this week's question:

I feel like your wisdom could help me with the dreaded evening commute. I have a job that requires me to be on. And at the end of the day, I really need a moment of silence to re-become normal. Trouble is, the kid pickup and drive home is on me. And at the exact moment I need to hear myself think, my kids have had to shut up all day at school and have not gotten the chance to tell all of the stories. Our needs at that moment are total opposites.

There's a couple things I can't do anything about, like my work schedule. I'm leaving at five when it will truly take us about half an hour to get home. No, my husband can't do the pickup.

I have tried a couple of things. "Today I brought you each a book and you'll just read no talking." That works pretty well. Or "Let's listen to this cool family podcast I found today." But given that my kids also have equally valid needs, I feel like it's not fair to make all five weekday commutes free of the endless kid stories just to accommodate me. Do you have any ideas, suggestions? I'm all ears.

Everyone needs to decompress at the end of a long day– it's just that, as this listener points out, her kids' form of decompression requires more attention than anyone should have to give as to who sat where at circle time.

Amy suggests adding rituals at other times of the day that will both give the kids chances to share and that will give this mom time to center. Making room for both things is worth it.

StrollerCoaster: A Parenting Podcast is a podcast for parents of kids of all ages created by Munchkin, the most loved baby brand in the world. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts!

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FAQ

How many episodes does What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms have?

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms currently has 949 episodes available.

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

The podcast is about Parenting, Kids & Family, Comedy and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms?

The episode title 'When Can We Start Saying Yes?' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms?

The average episode length on What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms is 36 minutes.

How often are episodes of What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms released?

Episodes of What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms are typically released every 2 days.

When was the first episode of What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms?

The first episode of What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms was released on Oct 24, 2016.

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