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

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! Amy and Margaret discuss: How to communicate effectively with your spouse before traveling Useful packing tips - ⁠here's the carry-on bag Amy loves⁠ Vacation scheduling advice How to include kids in planning vacations What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables. 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

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 his work. In this episode, we discuss: Why empathy is a skill worth intention and focus The benefits and drawbacks of electronic medical records Why parents' instincts remain a crucial part of their children's care How to advocate for yourself with a disconnected provider Why uncertainty is part of medicine—and part of life Here's where you can find Dr. Cohen: https://www.dralanrcohen.com/ Buy COMFORT ALWAYS: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9798895656198 What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables. 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

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 when do we need to set a boundary? In this episode we discuss: Why it's important for parents to allow small children to express negative emotion Why adolescents hand parents their "emotional trash" (h/t Dr. Lisa Damour) the role of "projection" in heightened emotions how parenting an adolescent often means acting as a "wall" for kids to push off—and why that push can manifest as an insult or a slammed door Strategies for responding without escalating conflict ⁠Sign up for the What Fresh Hell newsletter here!⁠ Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Lisa Damour for the NYT: Parents of Teenagers, Stuck Taking Out the Emotional Trash Jody Podl for Your Teen Mag: How Can Loving and Kind Parents Cope With Their Mean Teenagers? Jessica Gudmundson et. al for Infant Behavior Development Journal: Links between mothers' coping styles, toddler reactivity, and sensitivity to toddler's negative emotions. Sharon Selby, MA, blog: What Is Happening When A Child Projects Feelings On To You? Sharon Selby, MA, blog: What Do Parents, A Swimming Pool and Child Development Have In Common? East Bay Behavior Therapy Center Blog: Relationship saboteurs: It’s all your fault versus it’s all my fault What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables. 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

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 vacations truly fun and relaxing for the whole family. In this episode we discuss the wisdom of "taking turns being tired" why "going with the flow" is not an additive stance to vacation preparation why vacations get better as kids age Here are some links to some writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: Marie Holmes for HuffPost: ⁠Behind Every Precious Vacation Memory Stands An Exhausted Mother⁠ CafeMom: ⁠Moms Don't Get to 'Relax' on Family Vacations, For the Husbands Who Don't Get It⁠ Colleen Lanin for ⁠Travel Mamas: Ain’t Nobody Happy if Mama Ain’t Happy – Tips for Happy Travel with Kids⁠ The Onion: ⁠Mom Spends Beach Vacation Assuming All Household Duties In Closer Proximity To Ocean⁠ What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables. 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

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 chicken nuggets touch the peas. Drawing from her experience as a classroom teacher, literacy expert, and parent coach, Talia explains why today’s kids are struggling with perfectionism, fear of mistakes, and anxiety—and how parents may be unintentionally reinforcing those patterns. She shares why resilience doesn’t require hardship, how spirituality (a concept distinct from religion) can help children feel grounded, and why independent play and healthy risk-taking matter more than ever. The conversation explores the difference between raising capable kids versus constantly protecting them, why parents’ own nervous systems shape family resilience, and how changing the stories we tell about our children can help them develop confidence and self-trust. Here's where you can find Talia: https://taliakovacs.com Substack: https://substack.com/@taliakovacs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taliakovacs/ What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables. 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