What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms
What Fresh Hell is a parenting podcast hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables, two busy moms of three kids each with contrasting parenting styles. They offer laughs, practical advice, and strategies for dealing with the daily challenges of motherhood. The show covers topics from toddler tantrums to teenage angst, providing insights and tips to help moms find joy amidst the chaos.
Episodes
Episode 1,000! How Doing This Podcast For a Decade Has Changed Our Parenting
What have 10 years of doing this podcast taught us about being better parents? In this, our 1,000th episode(!), we look back at the biggest parenting lessons we’ve learned from a decade of conversing with guests, listeners, and each other.
Thank you for listening and being on this parenting journey with us!
We also reference some of our favorite interviews:
our Fresh Take interview with D
Deep Dive: We Caught Our Spouses Being Awesome
This Deep Dive series revisits some of our previous episodes about dynamics with our parenting partners.
We asked the listeners in our Facebook group about all the times they caught their spouses being awesome, and here are just a few: supporting their partners through difficult career choices. Reading up on issues that affect their kids. Learning how to do their kids' hair.
Awesome parenting
Ectopic Pregnancy and the Increasing Danger to Mothers' Reproductive Health
Trigger warning: On today's episode we will be discussing pregnancy loss, abortion, and maternal death. Please be advised if those topics are difficult for you.
What happens when pregnancy complications become a life-threatening emergency? Margaret’s sister Anne joins us to share her powerful story of nearly dying from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy.
Margaret and Anne discuss:
What an ectopi
When Kids Hate Transitions
Why do some kids completely fall apart when it’s time to leave the playground, get ready for school, or switch activities? We dive into why transitions are particularly difficult for some kids and what parents can do to make them easier.
Here's what we discuss in this episode:
how anxiety, ADHD, autism, and OCD can cause unique issues with transitions
reframing a child’s behavior as a "sig
Deep Dive: Is This Battle Worth Fighting?
This Deep Dive series is all about reducing the friction between ourselves and our kids when trying to communicate with them, whether it's yelling less, finding real reasons for constant defiance, or picking our battles.
Parenting is a series of everyday battles. But which ones are truly worth fighting? In this episode we discuss the Sisyphean nature of the overuse of the word 'like', to a cleane
Fresh Take: Dr. Siggie Cohen on Setting Boundaries Without Dismissing Kids' Feelings
We want our kids to feel validated and heard. We also don't want to engage in five-hour negotiations every time they have to do something they don't want to do. Where's the happy middle?
Child development specialist Dr. Siggie Cohen, author of YOU ARE THE PARENT, explains how parents can create a balanced approach. Dr. Cohen explains why well-intentioned parents can end up overexplaining, over-f
Which Behaviors Should You Fix and Which Should You ignore?
Which kid behaviors need to be addressed in the moment—and which are better ignored? We discuss when to fix behavior and when to let it go, from whining and backtalk to tantrums and other attention-seeking behavior.
Topics include:
How to reduce power struggles while still establishing clear rules and boundaries
Why target behaviors should be specific and observable
How to set expectati
Deep Dive: When One Family Member's Moods Are Running the House
This Deep Dive series is all about reducing the friction between ourselves and our kids when trying to communicate with them, whether it's yelling less, finding real reasons for constant defiance, or picking our battles.
What do we do when one of our kid's moods is affecting everyone else in the house? Whether it's anxiety, frustration, rigidity, or plain old temper tantrums, understanding wher
Fresh Take: Fran Hauser on How to Make Time for What Actually Matters
How much of your time is actually going toward what matters most to you? Career expert and author Fran Hauser joins us to talk about her new book, 20 MINUTES IS THE NEW HOUR, and how women can rethink their relationship with time.
We discuss:
The “four Ps” that can quietly consume our time: perfectionism, people-pleasing, procrastination, and padding
Applying these ideas to family life
Transitions
We want our kids to grow and stretch their wings, but that doesn't mean every milestone is easy for parents. We talk about the complicated emotions that come with parenting transitions, from starting school to getting a driver's license to moving into a first apartment.
We discuss:
Why a child's growing independence can bring sadness, anxiety, nostalgia, and even a loss of identity for parent
DEEP DIVE: What Happened to My Sweet Child?
This Deep Dive series is all about reducing the friction between ourselves and our kids when trying to communicate with them, whether it's yelling less, finding real reasons for constant defiance, or picking our battles.
Why do formerly-sunny kids turn overnight into little tornadoes of defiance and aggression? A listener posted this question in our Facebook group:
My four-year-old daughter has
Fresh Take: Dr. Thomas Phelan on What Parents Should Know About Misophonia
Why do ordinary sounds like chewing, slurping, or pen-tapping trigger intense averse reactions in some people? And what does a parent do when it's her own kid screaming at her for having a case of the sniffles?
Clinical psychologist Dr. Thomas W. Phelan, author of STOP THAT CHEWING! joins Amy to explain the neurophysiological underpinnings of misophonia, why it can be so difficult for sufferers
Why Our Friendships Stall (and How to Fix It)
Why does it feel harder than ever to get together with our friends? Why does every "we should hang out soon!" in a group text feel destined to peter out before it actually happens?
In this episode, we explore the modern “friendship recession" that started during the pandemic and hasn't changed back.
We discuss:
the surprising finding that the quantity of one's friendships matters at least
DEEP DIVE: How to Yell Less
This Deep Dive series is all about reducing the friction between ourselves and our kids when trying to communicate with them, whether it's yelling less, finding real reasons for constant defiance, or picking our battles.
SHOULD we yell at our kids? No. Do we? Yes. Some of us perhaps a little too often. Kids are hardwired to push our buttons to get attention, and none of us are saints. But while
Fresh Take: Sona Movsesian on Being the "World's Worst Mom"
What if being a comedian is kind of great for most things, but not so much for parenthood? We talk with Sona Movsesian, co-host of Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend and author of the new book THE WORLD'S WORST MOM, about mom guilt, the mental load, and what becoming a mother taught her about her relationship with her own mom.
We discuss:
why Sona calls herself the “World's Worst Mom”
the spe
Can We Make Youth Sports Fun Again?
Youth sports used to mean riding your bike to your friend's house to play Wiffle ball in the backyard, with a tree for second base. Eventually you'd head to the rec center, maybe join the school team. But those days are long gone. Kids' sports have become so involved, specialized, and expensive that fewer and fewer kids are even able to participate— and those who do play have to opt in to grueling
DEEP DIVE: When Kids Fight You on Everything
This Deep Dive series is all about reducing the friction between ourselves and our kids when trying to communicate with them, whether it's yelling less, finding real reasons for constant defiance, or picking our battles.
We've all had times when our kids resist every. single. thing. you tell them to do. When is it part of a larger problem, and even if it's not, how do we manage the exhausting de
BEST OF: How to Make the Back-to-School Transition a Little Easier
Back-to-school season doesn’t have to be a chaotic scramble. In this "Best of" episode, Margaret and Amy share practical tips to help parents make the transition smoother—without getting caught up in the “back-to-school industrial complex.”
From resetting sleep schedules to planning meals and snacks, here's what really matters for your child’s success and well-being this fall. You’ll hear strate
Overfunctioning
Overfunctioning is usually defined as taking on excess responsibility for other people’s feelings, issues, and tasks. And it's usually presumed to be tied to anxiety. IF someone's overfunctioning, it's either a symptom of or cause of the panic assumed to be lying just underneath.
But are we "overfunctioning" when we're doing our absolutely regular amount of way-too-much as a parent? Does anxiety
DEEP DIVE: Jennifer Wallace on Achievement Pressure
This "Deep Dive" series revisits a few of our past episodes on back-to-school challenges such as the morning rush, school projects which require lots of parental oversight, and how to help our kids navigate intensifying academic pressure.
Two recent national studies underlined that there's a surprising group of children at risk for worse mental health outcomes: kids who go to high-achieving schoo
Fresh Take: Dr. Stuart Slavin on The Pressures Causing Depression, Anxiety, and Burnout in Our Kids
What if the proven decline in the mental health of today's adolescents isn't just about phones and screen time? What if academic pressure and "achievement culture" is the real driver of the increase in anxiety and depression today's teens are experiencing?
Dr. Stuart Slavin, pediatrician and author of THE SUCCESS TRAP, explains just how widespread academic pressure and "achievement culture" in
How Much Should We Share With Our Kids?
When is it useful for our kids to hear about our own life experiences—including situations caused by our own bad decision-making?
When does it become oversharing, or get too personal or inappropriate?
We discuss how to know how much to tell our kids, and how to have useful difficult conversations, including:
our own past choices around drinking, drugs, and sexual activity
the family
DEEP DIVE: Linda Flanagan on Taking Back Kids' Sports
This "Deep Dive" series revisits a few of our past episodes on back-to-school challenges such as the morning rush, school projects which require lots of parental oversight, and how to help our kids navigate intensifying academic pressure.
Linda Flanagan is a journalist, researcher, and a former cross-country and track coach. She's also a founding board member of the Positive Coaching Alliance an
Fresh Take: Dr. Lucy McBride on Advocating for Yourself at the Doctor's Office
What does it really mean to become an active participant in the care of your own health? In this episode, Margaret talks with primary care physician Dr. Lucy McBride about her new book, Beyond the Prescription: A Doctor’s Guide to Taking Charge of Your Health. They discuss how to become a more self-aware and empowered patient, as well as:
The difference between medicine and "wellness"
Wh
Outsourcing the Workload: How to Hand Stuff Over
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Feeling overwhelmed by everything that needs to get done? If you're the person who keeps track of the appointments, school forms, groceries, household repairs, gifts, kids' activities, and all the little things that seem to live permanently in your head, you may not need to get better at managing your workload—you may need to outsource some of it.
We tackle
DEEP DIVE: Are Our Kids Overscheduled?
This "Deep Dive" series revisits a few of our past episodes on back-to-school challenges such as the morning rush, school projects which require lots of parental oversight, and how to help our kids navigate intensifying academic pressure.
So many of us spend hours chauffeuring our kids back and forth to their myriad activities. Why are kids so overloaded with activities these days, and can we ge
Fresh Take: Dr. Özgür Bolat on the Real Science of Motivating Kids
We think of rewarding kids as a surefire way to get the behavior we want. But what if rewards mainly serve to underline our children's intrinsic drive to succeed? Dr. Özgür Bolat, education scientist and author of The Reward Trap: Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science for Motivating Kids, explains why rewarding kids may actually undermine their motivation in the long run.
As Dr. Bolat explai
Helping Our Kids Feel Seen
What happens when one child’s needs take up most of a family’s attention? Even when parents are doing their best, it can be easy for another child to quietly become the “easy” one—the independent kid, the high achiever, the people-pleaser who never seems to need anything.
In this episode, we discuss:
What the term glass child means and why some children can become overlooked
How hyperinde
DEEP DIVE: When School Projects Become Parents' Projects (and How to Push Back)
This "Deep Dive" series revisits a few of our past episodes on back-to-school challenges such as the morning rush, school projects which require lots of parental oversight, and how to help our kids navigate intensifying academic pressure.
Whether it’s the science fair, the pinewood derby, or a pre-K shoebox diorama, sooner or later every kid gets assigned a school project that is, without questio
Fresh Take: Michael McLeod on ADHD and Executive Function
Kids (and adults) with ADHD don't actually have a deficit of attention. Today, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is more properly understood as a deficit of executive function— and as this week's guest Michael McLeod, founder of GrowNOW ADHD and author of THE EXECUTIVE FUNCTION PLAYBOOK, explains, executive function means a whole lot more than a messy backpack.
To help kids with ADHD
People Must Be Pretending to Enjoy This
Are you certain that people are only pretending to enjoy cilantro? Or mah jongg? We asked our listeners to tell us the things they're convinced no one actually likes. From complicated board games to high school graduations, we discuss the most nominated to be overrated.
Here's the link to all of the hilarious answers people gave in our Facebook group!
What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilso
DEEP DIVE: Back-to-School Back-to-Ones
This "Deep Dive" series revisits a few of our past episodes on back-to-school challenges such as the morning rush, school projects which require lots of parental oversight, and how to help our kids navigate intensifying academic pressure.
Getting-ready playlists? Choosing outfits the night before? Bringing snacks to the pickup line? We asked our audience about their favorite back-to-school tips.
Fresh Take: Kristen McNeely on Helping Kids Overcome Anxiety and School Refusal
Childhood anxiety is on the rise. Parents are often unsure how to respond, and in their well-intentioned efforts to reassure their kids, can sometimes reinforce the anxious patterns. In this interview Kristen McNeely,
LMFT, explains how parents can start to help their kids build resilience by taking small, manageable steps toward the things that might scare them.
We also discuss school refusal
Everything You've Always Wanted to Ask A Pediatrician, with Dr. Mary Martin
All too often, we leave our kids' pediatric appointments only to remember what we really wanted to ask when we're on the drive home. Fear not: Dr. Mary Martin is in, and she's answering all our burning pediatric-medicine questions.
Margaret and Dr. Mary Martin cover all the the topics most likely fill parents' search histories and social media feeds, separating medical facts from internet misin
DEEP DIVE: Emily Cherkin on Tech-Intentional Parenting
This month, our "Deep Dive" is into some of our past episodes about screen time: the effects it has on our kids, how tech companies engineer their devices to be as addictive as possible, and how we can allow our kids to enjoy screens with supportive limits.
Is screen use a daily battle of wills in your house? Emily Cherkin, author of the new book "THE SCREENTIME SOLUTION: A Judgment-Free Guid
Fresh Take: Dan Heath on Fulfilling Careers, Better Decision Making, and What Kids Remember Most About Childhood
What does it really take to build a fulfilling life—and how do we help our kids do the same? Bestselling author and host of the podcast "What It's Like to Be..." Dan Heath joins Amy for a conversation that challenges some of the biggest assumptions parents make about success, careers, decision making, and what their kids will remember most about growing up.
Dan shares why meaningful work often c
How Can Siblings Be Such Total Opposites?
If you've ever looked at your very different children and wondered how they could possibly share the same DNA, same parents, and same upbringing, you're not alone— and you're not imagining things.
Research shows that while siblings are usually more alike in appearance and intelligence than we sometimes think, their personalities are as different from one another as they would be from a stranger
DEEP DIVE: Gaia Bernstein on Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies
This month, our "Deep Dive" is into some of our past episodes about screen time: the effects it has on our kids, how tech companies engineer their devices to be as addictive as possible, and how we can allow our kids to enjoy screens with supportive limits.
How do we untangle ourselves from technology? We give ourselves a hard time for not being able to put our screens down, but the platforms we
Fresh Take: Dr. Cassidy Freitas on How to Stay Calm When Parenting Feels Overwhelming
What if the fact that we sometimes we "lose it" as parents doesn't make us bad parents? What if those times stem from an overwhelmed nervous system, and what happens when we get curious about what's underneath?
Marriage and family therapist Dr. Cassidy Freitas, host of the "Holding Space" podcast and author of the new book MOM NEEDS A MOMENT, explains why parents "lose it," what our emotional rea
How Should We Support Our Kids' Passions?
What are the best ways for us to support our kids' interests? Should we help them become the best gymnasts and singers they can be, as soon as they show glimmers of true interest? Or are they better off exploring many interests, without all of that added pressure?
From travel sports to elite ballet training and specialized extracurriculars, childhood activities feel increasingly professionalized
DEEP DIVE: Catherine Pearlman on Kids and Phones
This month, our "Deep Dive" is into some of our past episodes about screen time: the effects it has on our kids, how tech companies engineer their devices to be as addictive as possible, and how we can allow our kids to enjoy screens with supportive limits.
The dreaded question "When should my kid get a phone?" is one we're asked often. These days "whether" is not part of the equation, and the
Fresh Take: Laura Clery on Codependency, Co-Parenting, and Starting Over
Laura Clery has built a massive digital empire, of over 25 million followers, offering her own blend of silly sketch comedy and unflinchingly vulnerable reality. In this interview, Laura tells Margaret about her new memoir, WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU MAKES YOU HOTTER , and the unraveling of a marriage shaped by sobriety, relapse, codependency, fame, and the pressure of living so much of life online.
What Fresh Hell Is... Being the Only Grownup in the Room?
You know how sometimes when you're in charge, in a really hard moment, you keep watching the door for an actual grownup to show up? Because it can't possibly be 42-year-old YOU who's in charge at this moment?
In this episode we discuss the strange experience of being the person in charge while also feeling wildly underqualified. From broken bones and dinner logistics to taxes, travel mishaps, an
DEEP DIVE: Susan Linn on How “Big Tech” Targets Our Kids
This month, our "Deep Dive" is into some of our past episodes about screen time: the effects it has on our kids, how tech companies engineer their devices to be as addictive as possible, and how we can allow our kids to enjoy screens with supportive limits.
Psychologist Susan Linn, author of WHO'S RAISING THE KIDS? BIG TECH, BIG BUSINESS, AND THE LIVES OF CHILDREN, isn't anti-technology. She's
BEST OF: What Kind of Monster?
There are these things that you just don't understand why anybody would do. But some people do them.
We aren't about judgment at the What Fresh Hell podcast, but we do sometimes have to ask: what kind of monster?
What kind of monster listens to videos on speaker?
Or keeps the keyboard clicks on their phone?
What kind of monster takes up two parking spots?
Puts empty cereal boxes back in the c
When It's Too Much Change All at Once
Have you ever felt like your life consisted of too many moving parts at the same time? In this episode, we explore why life tends to deliver too much change at once—and the difference between an actual change and the larger, more uncertain area of transition that both precedes and follows any big change.
We discuss:
Why even positive and worked-toward life transitions can feel overwhelming
DEEP DIVE: When Mom Leaves Town
This Deep Dive series is all about tips to stay sane while traveling with family —immediate or extended, kids younger or older in tow, across the state or across the globe!
Does it seem like just as much work to leave your kids behind for a couple of days as not to go in the first place? Do your instructions for family operational procedures during your absence run more than five pages?
Getti
Fresh Take: Sara Hirsh Bordo on Autoimmunity and the Threat to Women's Health
Why are autoimmune conditions so much more common in women? And does that have anything to do with the fact that those same conditions are misunderstood, under-researched, and accepted as things we just have to live with?
Sara Hirsh Bordo, author of the new book AUTOIMMUNITY AND THE GOOD GIRLS, discusses the questions that led her to examine the connection between women’s health, caregiving, st
Why Family Vacations Feel Like Work (and How to Enjoy Them Anyway)
Why is it that our own vacations never look like the perfect, happy families on the posters enjoying their destination without a sunburn, meltdown, or lost bag in sight? Here's how to manage expectations while traveling with kids and enjoy your trip, whatever it ends up looking like!
We share stories of Disney overwhelm, international travel wins and disasters, airport anxiety, and the unexpecte
DEEP DIVE: Traveling as a Family
This Deep Dive series is all about tips to stay sane while traveling with family —immediate or extended, kids younger or older in tow, across the state or across the globe!
We asked our listeners what advice they have for harmonious family traveling. Here are our favorite tips they shared, plus a few of our own, from how early to get to the airport to hitting the top kid-friendly site in Paris
Fresh Take: Why Human Connection Matters in Medicine with Dr. Alan R. Cohen
As technology improves medicine, and AI accelerates change, how do we maintain the human connection that must exist between doctor and patient?
Pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Alan R. Cohen, author of the new book COMFORT ALWAYS, explains what he's learned in four decades of working with families in extremely intense situations, and how being a "humble physician" remains the most important part of hi
Am I a Patient Mom? Or a Punching Bag?
Moms hear it all the time: kids save their worst behavior for us because we're their safe space. Understood—but where’s the line between not taking every dig personally and becoming your kids' doormat?
When kids lash out—whether it’s a preschooler kicking in a Target checkout line, or a teenager declaring you’re the worst parent in the world—when are we supposed to absorb it, or rise above? And w
DEEP DIVE: Are Vacations Worth It?
This Deep Dive series is all about tips to stay sane while traveling with family —immediate or extended, kids younger or older in tow, across the state or across the globe!
Why don't vacations feel like vacations for moms? Could it be all the prepping, packing, and traveling, with the additional pressure to make memories that will last a lifetime for our little ones?
Here's how to make vacatio
Fresh Take: Talia Kovacs on How to Teach Kids Resilience
We know that resilience is a good trait for our kids to have. But can "grit" only be achieved through hardship and repeated failure? Can a kid whose everyday life is pretty cushy still be resilient, and if so, how is that resilience taught?
We talk with resilience coach Talia Kovacs about how resilience is a skill that can be nurtured over time—even in the kid who regularly falls apart when the
This One Thing Was a Life-Changer
What's the one thing you've purchased that has delivered outsized returns in joy and ease? We asked our listeners to tell us the one thing in their lives that has really overdelivered. From travel hacks to sleep upgrades, from time-savers to towels, here are some of our favorites.
If you want links to all of the amazing products mentioned in this episode, sign up for our monthly newsletter here!
DEEP DIVE: Tips for Vacationing with Extended Family
This Deep Dive series is all about tips to stay sane while traveling with family —immediate or extended, kids younger or older in tow, across the state or across the globe!
We've both traveled with our extended families over and over again, and have loved the memories we've made together. But different bedtimes, sightseeing styles, and mealtime expectations can lead to unexpected conflict.
Laur
Fresh Take: Gillian Goddard on How Hormones Affect Our Health At All Ages
What do hormones actually do—and why are they often misunderstood? We talk with Dr. Gillian Goddard, an endocrinologist and author of The Hormone Loop: An Empowering Guide to Restoring Hormonal Harmony from Puberty to Menopause. Dr. Goddard explains how hormones affect far more than reproduction, influencing everything from metabolism and sleep to mood, stress responses, and cardiovascular health.
Do You Know Your Gen Z Slang?
What does it mean to get “mogged,” to be “chalant,” or to “put the fries in the bag”? In this episode we attempt to decode the latest Gen Z slang. (Although now that we've cracked the code, all these words are so nerfed.)
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DEEP DIVE: Giving Help That Works– And Asking for the Help We Need
This Deep Dive series revisits some of our past episodes on discerning what we need as moms, and then asking for it confidently.
Do you hate feeling unable to help people in crisis, or do you worry about getting too involved and stepping on toes? There are ways to give help to people in need that are productive and considerate, and our listeners wrote in with some excellent examples.
Amy and Ma
Fresh Take: The Custody Queens on What Parents Need to Know About Divorce and Separation
What should parents know if they're considering divorce? Margaret talks with family law attorneys Kristen Holstrom and Samantha McBride—the hosts of the "Custody Queens" podcast—about custody disputes, co-parenting conflict, child support, digital footprints, and the biggest mistakes people make during separation.
Drawing from years of experience in high-conflict custody and divorce cases, Kriste
Why Do We Love Looking Back?
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How does the powerful emotional pull of nostalgia connect to that midlife feeling of "how did I get here?" Why do we love looking back?
In this episode, we discuss:
Why nostalgia increases during periods of transition and uncertainty (aging parents, growing children, career reckonings)
The psychology and science behind n
DEEP DIVE: Mara Glatzel on Being "Needy"
This Deep Dive series revisits some of our past episodes on discerning what we need as moms, and then asking for it confidently.
If someone asked you "What do you need right now?" would you even be able to articulate it? In her new book NEEDY: How To Advocate for Your Needs and Claim Your Sovereignty, intuitive coach Mara Glatzel lays out a roadmap for how to ascertain our needs as human bei
Fresh Take: Dr. Margo Lowy on Living the Full Emotional Truth of Motherhood
We often think "ambivalence" means indifference. Its actual meaning is quite different: ambivalence means having multiple and often opposite emotions in one moment. Motherhood contains much joy—but what about the resentment, grief, anger, fear, exhaustion, and guilt that can exist alongside deep love?
Psychotherapist and researcher Dr. Margo Lowy joins us to discuss her book MATERNAL AMBIVALENC
What's the Mom Equivalent of Golf?
Why does it seem so much easier for men to claim large blocks of leisure time for themselves than it is for women? This week, based on a listener question, we are asking: What is the mom equivalent of golf?
We unpack the “leisure time gender gap,” why women’s downtime is often treated as optional, and how motherhood changes the way we think about rest, hobbies, and friendship.
We discuss:
DEEP DIVE: Asking for Big Help (And the Best Ways to Give It)
This Deep Dive series revisits some of our past episodes on discerning what we need as moms, and then asking for it confidently.
We’ve all been in moments when we have to make a Big Ask. As in: it’s 2 a.m. The baby is throwing up and spiking a high fever. Your partner is out of town. Your other kid is asleep upstairs. Who are you going to call in the middle of the night? Making that ask is never
Fresh Take: Nicholas Epley on Why Talking to Strangers Can Make Us Happier
Why do we avoid small opportunities for connection with strangers, even when humans are wired for that very connection? Behavioral scientist Nicholas Epley, author of the new book A LITTLE MORE SOCIAL, explains why modern life leaves so many people feeling disconnected—and how small social choices can dramatically improve our well-being.
Nick explains the science behind loneliness, why humans ar
What Does "Dating" Look Like For Teens and Tweens These Days?
This week we're talking about how modern teen "dating" has changed—starting with the word itself (it's called "talking" or "hanging out" these days), where today's teens are meeting romantic partners, and how they tend to communicate. We also explain how and why conversations about boundaries, consent, self-worth, and emotional safety should begin earlier than you might think.
We also discuss:
DEEP DIVE: Leslie Forde of Mom's Hierarchy of Needs
This Deep Dive series revisits some of our past episodes on discerning what we need as moms, and then asking for it confidently.
Most of us know about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, the pyramid pattern through which human needs and motivations generally move upward. We can't worry about what's at the upper levels of the pyramid until and unless the more basic needs at the bottom of the pyramid– foo
Fresh Take: Rachael Shepard-Ohta and Caitlin Wilder of "You're So Right" Podcast
Is social media a good thing for isolated mothers? Or does it just give us more to worry about? Margaret talks with Rachael Shepard-Ohta and Caitlin Wilder, hosts of the podcast You’re So Right, about parenting in the age of Instagram, postpartum mental health, identity outside motherhood, and why parenting advice can feel both helpful and impossible at the same time.
Rachael, a former special e
Is American Parenting the Problem? Or Is It Parenting *in* America?
We're often told that the American style of parenting is inferior—that we're doing it all wrong compared to, say, a laissez-faire Parisian whose kids eat whatever is served.
But is it our too intense/ too lax/ too snack-heavy parenting style that is making us (and our kids) so stressed? Or is it where we're doing that parenting?
In this episode, we explore the forces shaping parenting in Americ
DEEP DIVE: Olivia Martinez-Hauge on Special Needs Parenting
This Deep Dive series revisits some of our past episodes about the joys and the challenges that come with raising kids with differences and disabilities.
Olivia Martinez-Hauge is a marriage and family therapist specializing in the treatment of families, couples, and individuals who are caregiving for children or adults with neurodiversity. She is also a licensed occupational therapist with over
Fresh Take: Elizabeth Preston on What Animals Have to Teach Us About Parenting
Why does modern parenting feel so difficult? If a chimpanzee knows what to do without reading a hundred parenting books, why doesn't it just come naturally?
Science journalist and author Elizabeth Preston is the author of The Creatures' Guide to Caring: How Animal Parents Teach Us That Humans Were Born to Care. Drawing from animal behavior, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience, this book exp
Getting Our Kids to Help Around the House
How do you get kids to help out—ever, at all—without default resistance that makes it feel like it's not worth the trouble of your having asked?
Kids *should* contribute to their families' lives without their parents resorting to nagging or threats. Kids in other cultures, we are told, participate willingly and fully. Why does this seem so hard for so many of us?
We discuss:
Whether "chore
DEEP DIVE: Dr. Lynn Koegel on the Hidden Brilliance of Autism
This Deep Dive series revisits some of our past episodes about the joys and the challenges that come with raising kids with differences and disabilities.
What if we're looking at autism in the wrong way? Dr. Lynn Koegel, co-author of Hidden Brilliance: Unlocking the Intelligence of Autism, explains how to engage with the strengths in kids with autism rather than focusing on what they're lacking
Fresh Take: Leah Ruppanner on "DRAINED" and What the 'Mental Load' Really Means
Are women really better at all the things we do? Or are we just used to doing more?
Amy talks with sociologist and author Leah Ruppanner, author of the new book DRAINED, about her definition of the "mental load" and why so many women feel constantly overwhelmed.
Leah defines the mental load as much more than keeping track of tasks. It’s deeply emotional work tied to caring for others, anticip
Emotional Intelligence: Can It Be Taught?
What is emotional intelligence, exactly? Is it the yin to IQ's yang? Is it equally crucial to our success and well-being?
In this episode we talk about what EQ (or EI, depending on who you're asking) actually means, why it matters, and whether it can be taught to both adults and kids.
We discuss:
The four core components of emotional intelligence: self-awareness, self-management, social aw
DEEP DIVE: Kate Swenson of "Finding Cooper's Voice" on Parenting Autism
This Deep Dive series revisits some of our past episodes about the joys and the challenges that come with raising kids with differences and disabilities.
Kate Swenson writes and creates videos about her life as a mother of four and and an autism advocate for "Finding Cooper's Voice," a living, thriving community of people who not only advocate for autism, but also make the world a better place
Fresh Take: Fortesa Latifi on the Truth About Kids in Influencer Families
What happens when childhood becomes content? Journalist Fortesa Latifi, author of the new book LIKE, FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, discusses the rise of influencer families and the growing world of kid influencers. We explore how parenting content has evolved from "mommy blogs" to today’s visual and monetized social media landscape, where children are often at the center of viral content.
Fortesa explains w
Little-Known Parenting Milestones
What are the parenting milestones no one tells you about—but that completely change your daily life? We asked our listeners about the little wins of parenting that make a huge difference in reducing the day-to-day chaos, from kids pouring their own cereal to finally being able to leave them home alone.
Listen to our interview with Christina Martin here
Subscribe to our YouTube channel!
What F
DEEP DIVE: Meg Zucker on Empowering Kids with Differences and Disabilities
This Deep Dive series is about embracing the joys and acknowledging the challenges that come with raising kids with differences and disabilities.
How do we celebrate and encourage kids with disabilities and differences, without letting our fears and preconceptions dictate what we think they can do?
How do parents of kids with less understanding of differences and disabilities allow for children'
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