What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood show

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood

Summary: Hosted by funny moms Margaret Ables (Nick Mom) and Amy Wilson (When Did I Get Like This?), “What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood” is a comedy podcast solving today’s parenting dilemmas so you don’t have to. We’re both moms of three, dealing with the same hassles as any parent, albeit with slightly differing styles. Margaret tends towards the laissez-faire; Amy’s organization verges on the obsessive. In each episode, we discuss a parenting issue from multiple perspectives and the accompanying expert advice that may or may not back us up. We talk about it, laugh about it, call out each other’s nonsense, and then we come up with concrete solutions. Join us as we laugh in the face of motherhood! Winner of the 2018 Iris Award for Best Podcast from the Mom 2.0 Summit, and the 2017 Podcast Awards People’s Choice for Best Family and Parenting Podcast. whatfreshhellpodcast.com

Join Now to Subscribe to this Podcast

Podcasts:

 How To Be a Happier Parent (with KJ Dell’Antonia): Episode 67 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 48:16

Is a mother only as happy as her unhappiest child? In our experience, yeah, pretty much. And studies (referenced below) back that up– although they also suggest many parents also derive their greatest happiness from their child-raising. So how do we separate out our own sense of well-being from our children’s struggles? And in a more everyday sense, how do we find happiness in the daily slog? We talk it out with guest KJ Dell’Antonia, former lead editor of The New York Times’ Motherlode blog and author of the brand-new book How to be a Happier Parent: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute. KJ says the key is finding simple, concrete solutions for what isn’t working– and letting go of some of the rest. As KJ puts it: When we’re not putting all our energy into getting our kids to eat and study and do everything exactly the way we want them to, we can put it into a much more positive place. Nobody’s saying that you have to live in denial of your kids’ reality. But we think disengaging from our children’s struggles just enough so that our happiness isn’t directly pegged to theirs is the key to happier, more effective parenting. Here’s links to other research and resources discussed in this episode: Jordan Schrader for Alcalde: Parents’ Happiness Linked to Their Least Happy Child’s  Claire E. Ashton-James, Kostadin Kushlev, Elizabeth W. Dunn: Parents Reap What They Sow: Child-Centrism and Parental Well-Being Julie Beck for The Atlantic: Study: Parents Only as Happy as Their Unhappiest Child “Welcome to Holland,” by Emily Perl Kingsley and Shakespearean voice teacher Patsy Rodenburg’s book The Second Circle, which Amy says has influenced her more than any book she’s ever read. Read its excerpts on parenting here. We’re giving away a copy of How to Be a Happier Parent! To enter, just tell us something you’d like to hear discussed on the show. Here’s how to tell us: * leave us a comment below * leave us a Speakpipe message (click the gray microphone button on the far right side of our website) * email us: info@whatfreshhellpodcast.com Special thanks to this week’s sponsors: Care/of is a monthly subscription vitamin service that delivers completely personalized vitamin and supplement packs right to your door. They’re personally tailored to your exact needs through an easy and fun online quiz. Based on your diet, health goals, and a few other guidelines, care/of tells you what vitamins and supplements you should be taking to get back on track. For 25% off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins,

 When Kids Talk Back: Episode 66 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

How are we supposed to respond when our kids talk back? Some experts say it’s normal child behavior, and as such, we should take a deep breath and ignore it. We say no way. But yelling “How dare you talk to me like that in my house?” isn’t getting us anywhere, either. So what’s the best response? In this episode we discuss how our kids’ talking back can really be about underlying anxiety how talking back is also about who’s in control how our response is the key to setting ongoing expectations why it’s harder for us to handle talking back when it happens in public why Margaret thinks it’s okay if our kids think we’re a little bit like Darth Vader why Amy says a little Yoda thrown in there might not be the worst idea We like Dr. Laura Markham’s suggestion for a better thing to say when kids talk back: You can tell me what you’re upset about without attacking me. What’s going on? Even for grownups, there’s a difference between standing up for yourself and being rude. We want our kids to have the ability to do the former without the latter. Which means we have to show them how to do it. Here’s links to other articles and research discussed in this episode: Dr. Laura Markham for Psychology Today: What To Do When Your Kid Talks Back Tamekia Reece for Parents: What To Do When Kids Talk Back Dr. Michele Borba for Parents: Helping Kids Handle Anger The Military Wife and Mom: How to Handle Back Talk and Disrespect Like a Parenting Warrior Joseph P. Allen et al, University of Virginia: Predictors of Susceptibility to Peer Influence Regarding Substance Use in Adolescence …and Margaret recommended the book What Children Learn From Their Parents’ Marriages How do you handle back-talk? Tell us in the comments! This week’s sponsor, Nutrafol, is a new, safe and effective strategy to take control of your hair health. it’s made with 100% drug-free, nutraceutical ingredients clinically shown to improve thinning hair. And Nutrafol’s Formula for Women is specifically developed with women’s lifestyles and life cycles in mind. To get your first month’s supply for just $10 when you subscribe, visit nutrafol.com and enter the code LAUGHING at checkout. HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat, and enjoy. Get out of that recipe rut and start cooking outside of your comfort zone by discovering new, delicious recipes each week. To save $20 off each of your first 3 boxes, go to hellofresh.com/mother60 and enter the code mother60.

 Friends Without Kids: Episode 65 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 42:03

Once we become parents, there is a great divide— of perspectives, bedtimes, and tolerance of twee photo shoots— between us and our friends without kids. Even the closest of those relationships can suffer as a result. Whose fault that is probably depends on who you’re asking. In this episode we talk about how to stay connected with our friends without kids how to reconnect if we’ve drifted apart the ways in which our friends with kids do not get it the ways in which friends without kids do not enjoy being told they don’t get it Then Margaret talks it out with one of her friends without kids, Candace Feit– documentary photographer, multiple-dog-owner, world traveler, leisurely bruncher. Candy explains once and for all when our friends without kids want to be invited to our kids’ birthday parties and piano recitals, and when they most certainly do not. How do you keep up with your friends without kids? Tell us in the comments! We love Tri Nova’s powerful line of cleaning products that smell good (and look good on our counters). And you already know you can get 20% off their entire line at gotrinova.com/fresh with the code FRESHHELL. But now: Tri Nova’s planning a flash sale, just for What Fresh Hell listeners, where you can grab their new Multi-Purpose Cleanser for just $1. Sign up with your email to be notified when the flash sale goes live— we will see you there as we also click “add to cart” in a digital frenzy. Need a hand around the house? Handy is the easy and convenient way to book home cleanings on a schedule that works for you. Get your first 3-hour cleaning for just $39 when you sign up for a plan at handy.com/motherhood   and use the code motherhood. Recurring charge terms and conditions apply; visit Handy.com to learn more.  Don’t have 4-pm-empty-refrigerator regret! Sign up for Prep Dish and you’ll prep once, cook once, and eat stress-free meals all week. What Fresh Hell listeners can get a free two week trial of prep dish here: prepdish.com/wfh.

 The Random Things We Can’t Live Without: Episode 64 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

We asked all of you to tell us the one random thing you can’t live without—whether for your parenting sanity, or just for yourself. In this episode, we discuss the unexpected must-haves that us all going, from grapefruit LaCroix to Target bathing suits. Here are just a few of the things you might not have thought were that important but which matter entirely:  those packets of desiccant that come in shoe boxes- which Amy used to resuscitate a smartphone that had fallen in the bathtub  white vinegar Dunkin’ Donuts unsweetened iced tea (no lemon) white noise machines (for both babies, and the grownups who have gotten too used to listening for them all night) baby carriers (your favorite brands: babytula.com, Ergobaby, and Lillebaby) This episode is full of gee-I-should-try-thats. Thanks to everyone who submitted ideas— even the person who said floss picks. You are heard. Here’s one thing this podcast can’t live without: our listeners’ support. Thanks for listening, spreading the word, and helping us grow! One easy thing you can do that really supports the podcast: subscribing on Apple Podcasts. Here’s how: * go to our Apple Podcasts listing * click “view in iTunes” * click “subscribe” Another thing that keeps this podcast going: our sponsors. Special thanks this week to Haven Life Insurance Agency, a simple, self-directed way to buy term life insurance online and protect your family’s financial future (speaking of things you can’t live without…) Get a free quote by visiting welcome.havenlife.com/fresh.  Haven Life: make life less hard.

 Are We Too Hard On Our Boys? Episode 63 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

At school our sons keep it together. At home, flushing the toilet is well beyond their capability. This leads to a litany of “hurry up, put that down, stop doing that, start doing this” from their mothers. But are we too hard on our boys? We had an “aha moment” after reading this question posed by parenting expert Wendy Mogel: What percentage of your communication with your son consists of nagging, reminding, chastising or yelling? We’re going to respectfully decline to answer that question, as is our Fifth Amendment right. But we love Mogel’s solution: Talk to them like dogs. Really. Read the whole article; it’s a real perspective-changer. Mogel suggests that as our children’s lives become more intense and more structured, with ever-increasing homework when they finally get home, our boys are losing their chances to run and bark and chew on shoes (metaphorically). And that that’s leading to all sorts of issues. In this episode we discuss: how studies have proven that we treat infant daughters and sons differently- even before they can speak how to fight against the parenting norms of what David Lancy calls “WEIRD societies” (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) why the key to our sons’ happiness can often be found in the garage how to be interested (really interested) in what our sons are interested in. Even if it’s Fortnite. Here’s links to studies and research and other things we discuss: David Lancy in Human Relations Area Files: A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Childhood Andrew Reiner for the NYT: Talking To Boys the Way We Talk To Girls Dr. Edward Tronick, et al, for Harvard Medical School and Developmental Psychology: Gender differences in emotional expressivity and self-regulation during early infancy  St. Augustine Prep School website: Anxiety in Young Boys is Not Normal  2017 Emory study: Child gender influences paternal behavior and language  This episode is brought to you by Haven Life Insurance Agency, a simple, self-directed way to buy term life insurance online. Get a free quote by visiting welcome.havenlife.com/fresh. Haven Life: make life less hard. This episode is also brought to you by:   TriNova, a line of premium and powerful cleaning products designed for the toughest household jobs. We particularly love their shower door cleaner (soap scum be gone!) and their shoe deodorizer spray, which has finally gotten rid of that weird smell in Amy’s entryway. Get 20% off TriNova’s whole line of products by going to our special page and using the code freshhell. 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 set! Get a free two week trial of prep dish by going to prepdish.com/wfh.

 Helping Kids Through Transitions: Episode 62 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

From giving up the pacifier to memorizing a locker combination, growing up is a series of reluctantly-greeted transitions. The ages and challenges change, but the anxiety produced remains familiar.  For us too. We’re here to tell you that whatever transition you’re shepherding your kid through, this is not forever. This is just right now. Our sons and daughters will not be sucking their thumbs at prom, so long as we parents get just the right amount of not totally over-involved. In this episode, we discuss how to practice transitions early and often why transitions are harder for introverts the power of magical thinking the totally wrong time to introduce the big kid bed how forced transitions can lead to “tensional outlets” the importance of peer relationships as kids transition to middle school Here’s links to some articles and research discussed in this episode: Marilyn Heins for the Tucson Daily Star: Giving Up Pacifier Is One Early Milestone in Growing Up Susana Kuehne for Scary Mommy: Please Mind Your Own Business About My Child’s Pacifier Marianna Pogosyan Ph.D. for Psychology Today: Helping Children Through Transitions Ask Dr. Sears: From Crib to Bed The Mayo Clinic: Thumb Sucking: Help Your Child Break the Habit Association for Middle Level Education: Transitioning Young Adolescents From Elementary to Middle School …and for both parents and kids, Amy loves Kevin Henkes’s  Owen, about a mouse who really isn’t ready to part with his blanket despite what the nosy neighbor thinks–and a mom who has just the right solution. This episode is brought to you by Young Woodworkers, subscription kits for kids 7-12 that make woodworking easy. Every month your child will receive a high-quality, all-in-one project kit with the materials and instructions needed to make an awesome woodworking project completely on their own (little to no supervision required!) Young Woodworkers is a great solution for stuck-inside rainy days, too-hot-to-play-outside days, or when it’s time to shut off the screens. (And younger kids can enjoy them, too, with a grownup or big sibling to help.) Head to youngwoodworkers.com/fresh to get 50% off your first shipment! You’ll pay only $9.99 plus postage and processing. No promo code needed– just use our special URL.  This episode is also brought to you by Green Chef, the first USDA-certified organic meal kit delivery service that includes everything you need to cook delicious, gourmet meals that you can feel good about.

 How Not To Live Through Our Kids: Episode 61 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

First we’re setting aside our own hopes and dreams to have (and raise) our kids. Then we’re relentlessly mocked (perhaps correctly) for being over-invested in the fourth-grade luau. Are we living through our kids? And how do we stop? Psychologists have long said that mothers transfer our own unfulfilled ambition onto our children. “Symbolic self-completion theory” suggests that we look to our children as symbols of ourselves, and transfer our ambitions to them— which is why we’re not jealous when they get the big part in the school play; we’re a little too thrilled. Sing out Louise! But as psychologist Wendy Mogel reminds us, our children are not our masterpieces , and pushing them towards our own notions of greatness prevents them from becoming the humans they are meant to be. In this episode we discuss the pitfalls of “achievement by proxy distortion” and how to take a step back if you find yourself a little too enmeshed. Our favorite book on this topic is Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus, the story of a tiger cub who just isn’t getting it and his dad who is trying to not freak out. Recommended for kids, really recommended for parents.   Here’s links to research and articles referenced in this episode: Stephanie Pappas for Live Science: It’s True: Some Parents Want to Live Through Their Kids Elements Behavioral Health: Have You Been Living Vicariously through Your Children? There is an Alternative Dr. Eddie Brummelman for The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research: My Child Redeems My Broken Dreams: On Parents Transferring Their Unfulfilled Ambitions onto Their Child Marinka for Alpha Mom Book Club: The Blessing of a Skinned Knee Chapter 2: “The Blessing of Acceptance” from The Blessing of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel Martina M. Cartwright Ph.D., R.D. for Psychology Today: Princess by Proxy: Explaining Extreme Pageant Moms This episode is brought to you by TriNova, a line of premium and powerful cleaning products designed for the toughest household jobs. We particularly love their shower door cleaner (soap scum be gone!) and their shoe deodorizer spray, which has finally gotten rid of that weird smell in Amy’s entryway. Get 20% off TriNova’s whole line of products by going to our special page and using the code freshhell. This episode is also brought to you by Prep Dish— 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 t...

 The Mothers We Swore We’d Never Be: Episode 60 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

Before we became mothers, most of us had fairly clear notions of the kinds of parents we wanted to be— and extremely clear notions of the mothers we would not, under any circumstances, ever be. Our children would eat whatever was on their plates. Our children would be screen-free until kindergarten. Our children would never hear anything but their mothers’ most dulcet of tones. And then we became mothers. We asked you to tell us the mothers you swore you’d never be— and yet somehow are. (Once in a while.) In this episode we share our own confessions and commiserate with you all. No food in the living room? No crying it out? No plastic toys? How’d that work out? This episode is brought to you by Hello Fresh, which offers a variety of chef-curated recipes with pre-measured ingredients that come right to your door in recyclable packaging. For $30 off your first week, go to hellofresh.com/mother30 and enter the code mother30.

 Should Dads Get Graded on a Curve? Episode 59 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

A dad in Bermuda recently joined his young daughter on stage at her ballet recital when she was too frightened to perform. He was carrying another one of their children at the time. Video of that moment went viral, the dad got his own hashtag, and the world stopped to honor his awesomeness. Here’s our question: would a mother doing the same thing have gotten any attention at all? There’s no question that dads get graded on a curve in our society. Times are changing— fathers are now the primary caregiver for about one out of every four preschool-age children, according to the U.S. Census Bureau— but stereotypes die hard. And while we as mothers may grade our husbands’ household contributions against our own, the larger world grades them against the Don Draper-style fathers of yore— which means that any guy wearing a Baby Bjorn gets a ticker tape parade. In this episode we give that notion several eye rolls. Kevin Madsen of the Hey Dad podcast is our guest, and he says dads don’t necessarily love the curved grading either. While the extra credit is kind of nice sometimes, Kevin says he’s tired of being sold short by people assuming he can’t possibly know how to take care of his own children as well as his wife can. So let’s stop grading the dads in our lives on a curve. Hell, let’s stop grading them at all. And here’s a tip for dads: stop telling your wives you do more than your own dads did. We know. And it’s a start. Here’s links to some research discussed in this episode: Paul Scott for Parents: The Responsibilities and Expectations of the New American Dad Eugene Volokh for the Washington Post: In Praise of Grading on a Curve and this viral post by Facebook employee Tom Stocky , on the “ridiculous praise” he got for changing a diaper or buying groceries with his daughter while on parental leave. This episode is brought to you by Prep Dish— 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 set! Get a free two week trial of prep dish by going to prepdish.com/wfh.

 Vacationing With Kids- What Works: Episode 58 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

The biggest drawback to vacationing with kids may be this: wherever you go, your kids will still actually be with you.  But seriously… successful traveling as a family means keeping everyone happy. That doesn’t mean your choice of vacation destination needs to revolve around your kids, but it does mean your expectations for sightseeing or miles logged per day might need to be somewhat flexible. After all, you have even less of an escape from your kids complaining while on vacation than you do when you’re at home. And despite all the hassles, we both love traveling with our kids. Even when it’s not easy, it’s always worth the journey. So this episode is full of ideas for creating family vacations with appeal  for all age groups, whether you’re going across the state or around the world. We discuss: the wonders of RV travel why the anticipation of a trip can be as much fun as the trip itself the indispensability of Ziploc bags how older kids will accept sightseeing when it is offered with a tiny side order of danger our listeners’ very best travel-with-kids tips Here’s some writing we love about traveling with kids: Meg Lukans Noonan for Travel and Leisure: The Age-Appropriate Vacation Mariam Navaid Ottimofiore for The Huffington Post: Seven Reasons Why Travel is Never Wasted on Young Kids Sarah Clemence for Travel and Leisure: 10 Essential Hacks for Traveling with Small Kids …and our own Episode 20, on what to pack when traveling with kids. Where are you and your family headed this summer? No matter what happens, look at it this way: at least you’ll be in a fresh hell! This episode is brought to you by Care.com, a digital marketplace that provides access to tens of thousands of caregivers, plus tools like background checks, household payroll, and tax support. Save 30% off a Care.com Premium membership by using our special link: care.com/laughing.  This episode is also brought to you by HelloFresh, which sends you step-by-step dinner recipes and ingredients your whole family will love. What Fresh Hell listeners can get thirty dollars off their first HelloFresh delivery by going to hellofresh.com/mother30 and entering the code mother30.   

 Stuff Our Spouses Do Way Better Than We Do: Episode 57 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

We thought it was high time we saluted our own spouses for all the things they do way better than we do. Whether it’s a broken dishwasher, a broken bone, or repeated viewings of some of the worst movies ever made, our spouses do it all. Below, please enjoy some photographic evidence of our spouses showing up and just basically “being game,” which Margaret points out is a thing much to be desired in a life partner. What are the things your spouse does way, way better than you? Thanks to all of our sponsors for this week: Young Woodworkers makes it easy for your kids to become makers and builders with their woodworking subscription kits for kids ages 7-12. Every month your child will receive a high-quality, all-in-one project kit with the materials kids need to make an awesome woodworking project completely on their own (little to no supervision required!) Get 50% off your first Young Woodworkers project by signing up at youngwoodworkers.com/fresh. 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! One to three hours of weekend prep, and you’re seriously set. What Fresh Hell listeners can get a free two-week trial of Prep Dish by going to prepdish.com/wfh. The Audible Romance Package, a subscription for romance lovers, by romance lovers, that lets you listen all you want to a huge selection of romance audiobooks. Try the Audible Romance Package free for one month by using our code: audible.com/freshromance.

 Princesses (If You Must): Episode 56 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

You may think (as both of us once did) that little girls who are all-princess, all the time, are just not that cool. You may have also believed that any daughter of your own would be a far more independent-thinking, overalls-wearing sort of spunkster.  But once that daughter is born, and turns two, and a well-meaning party-goer shows up with something from, say, the Disney Princess Little Kingdom Royal Sparkle Collection? All bets are off. We’re here to tell you that the princess phase, as brief as it is intense, is pretty much unavoidable–or at least it feels that way. And shaming your daughter for falling for all of it may be less than productive. As Peggy Orenstein points out in her book Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture, the princess imperative lines up perfectly with a 4-7 year old child’s “inflexible stage,” where one’s identity as a girl (or a boy) is felt to be actually predicated upon appearing like one. But then it becomes a bait-and-switch that Amy wrote about it for Listen To Your Mother NYC: first, our daughters are told that they MUST like princesses– then, just as suddenly, they are told that they must stop. That doesn’t seem so great, either. In this episode we discuss: * whether princesses are okay only if we counterbalance the messaging * whether girls who play with princess toys have lower self-esteem * what boys might be learning from princess movies * why a tiara-wearing preschooler is not really a reflection on our parenting- or what she’ll be wearing in another five years Here’s links to the other research the topic discussed in this episode:  Devorah Blachor for The Washington Post: Learning to Accept My Daughter’s Obsession with Disney Princesses Inkoo Kang for Slate: We Need a Disney Princess to Explain How We Got So Hung Up on Disney Princesses Danielle Paquette for the Washington Post: The Unexpected Way Disney Princesses Affect Little Boys Annie Murphy Paul for the New York Times: Is Pink Necessary? Claire Suddath for Bloomberg Businessweek: The $500 Million Battle over Disney’s Princesses “Pretty as a Princess: Longitudinal Effects of Engagement With Disney Princesses on Gender Stereotypes, Body Esteem, and Prosocial Behavior in Children.” Child Development, June 2016. Here’s our takeaway: our kids can like whatever they want, no matter their gender. Even if what they like is the Little Kingdom Royal Sparkle Collection. This episode is sponsored by Zulily, a daily deals site with new sales of up to 70% off every day on items for your kids, your home, and yourself. For a limited time, go to zulily.com/WHATHELL08 and use gift code “WHATHELL08″...

 Kid Friend Breakups: Episode 55 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

By the time our kids finish middle school, many will have suffered the sting of being left behind by a formerly “best” friend. Many more will have struggled with how to create some space between themselves and the playmates they have simply outgrown. Lots of kids end up on both sides of that equation (or at least ours have). Neither side is easy– but we’re here to figure out how to make it less painful for all concerned, whichever side our kid is on. In this episode we discuss: how not to over-identify with the rejection our kids might feel (as Eileen Kennedy-Moore puts it, “don’t go lioness”) the difference between someone bullying your kid and someone just really, really disappointing her how to support older kids through the heartbreak how best to help our kids when they’re the ones who might need to say “I need more space” Here’s links to some great writing on the topic: Eileen Kennedy-Moore for US News and World Report: 3 Ways to Help a Child Cope With Being Dumped by a Friend Dr. Carl Pickhardt for Psychology Today: Adolescence and the Loss of a Best Friend KJ Dell’Antonia for NYT Motherlode: When Another Child Wants To Be Friends And Yours Does Not Whatever you do, maintain perspective! Don’t dismiss or ignore your child’s feelings, but don’t go lioness either. This episode is brought to you by Bark: technology that keeps tweens and teens safer online.  Bark monitors emails, texts, and over 25 social media platforms for  a variety of potential issues, such as cyberbullying, sexting, drug use, and signs of depression.If a potential issue is detected, an alert is sent to you to review the issue, along with recommended actions on how to handle the situation.  No issues? No alerts. Your kids get their privacy, and you get your peace of mind.  Parents created Bark to keep their own kids safe. And— this is Amy— I’ve been using Bark with my kids for two years. I don’t have to worry about what I’m missing, and my kids don’t feel like I’m looking over their shoulders. Try Bark for free and you’ll see how easy and helpful it is. Go to bark.us to get started, and use the code FRESH for a 7 day free trial plus 20% off your first year.

 When Mom Leaves Town: Episode 54 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

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? We’re here to tell you that, as Margaret puts it, “the flip side of that little bit of bad is so, so good.” Getting away from our kids— for work, for the weekend, for a friend’s 40th— isn’t just good for us. It’s also an opportunity for our kids to realize that “only Mommy” stuff they pull when we’re around is not as necessary as they might have thought. In this episode we discuss why our kids mysteriously behave better when we aren’t around  why the best time to call your kids when you travel is in the morning * why nine years old is peak-anxiety age for travel nervousness measuring your time away in “wake-ups”: that is, in terms kids can understand why FaceTime isn’t as good of an idea as it seems And here’s links to some research and other good stuff we discuss: Smart Women Travelers: Keeping Mom’s Business Trip from Being Mom’s Guilt Trip Kari Bodnarchuk for The Boston Globe: Preparing Kids for When a Parent Travels Marco Polo Video Walkie Talkie App Do you love- or dread- time away from your kids? Tell us in the comments! This episode is sponsored by Prep Dish.  Prep Dish is a subscription-based meal-planning service that tells you what to shop for and what to cook in order to make healthy and delicious meals for you and your whole family. You’ll receive an email every week with a grocery list and instructions on how to prep your meals ahead of time. After a couple hours of weekend prep, you’ll have all your meals at hand for the entire week. Prep Dish offers meal plans that are gluten-free, paleo, and “super fast.” With Prep Dish, dinner is better, healthier, and faster– and What Fresh Hell listeners can get a free two week trial of prep dish by going to prepdish.com/wfh. It’s a no-brainer! 

 Episode 53: Small Changes, Big Difference- Part Two | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: Unknown

  So many good ideas, we made a Part Two! Here’s dozens of small changes parents have made that turned out to make a big difference in their lives— thanks to our listeners and our Facebook fans, plus some of the top content creators for parents from the 2018 Mom 2.0 Summit, including:   Amy Carney’s Parent on Purpose  Avenue Mama  Cup of Jo Midlife Mixtape podcast  Renegade Mothering  Sibling Revelry Project  A special shoutout to Janelle Hanchett of Renegade Mothering- her new book I’m Just Happy To Be Here is a wonderful memoir of her tumultuous journey from young motherhood through addiction and recovery. We loved this book!   BIG NEWS! We are so honored to have won the Iris Award for Best Podcast at this year’s Mom 2.0 Summit. The Iris Awards recognize impactful work in many media which honor the art of modern parenthood. Listen (and subscribe!) to our terrific fellow nominees in this category—   #amwriting Hey, Sis! Life of Dad  Selfie Podcast   The Mom Hour  This episode is brought to you by teami, makers of the 30 day Detox Tea program. Talk about a small change that makes a big difference: drink the teami skinny tea every morning, and the colon tea every other evening, and in thirty days, you’ll be rid of the toxins holding your body back from naturally digesting and metabolizing. Get rid of the bloat, low energy, and sluggish metabolism— and feel great! Go to teamiblends.com and enter the code “FRESH15” for 15% off any order.  This episode is also brought to you by Prep Dish, a healthy, subscription-based meal-planning service that tells you what to shop for and what to cook in order to make amazingly delicious meals for you and your whole family. You get a  grocery list and instructions for a couple hours of “weekend prep” that will tee up all your dinners for the week!  Best of all, your family is going to eat healthy. Prep Dish offers meal plans that are gluten-free, paleo— even “super fast.”  Get a free two week trial of Prep Dish by going to prepdish.com/wfh.

Comments

Login or signup comment.