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

Amy and Margaret honor National Caregiving Month with an honest, compassionate look at the realities of caregiving. From raising kids to caring for aging parents—or both at once—they explore the invisible labor, emotional toll, and financial strain that caregivers face every day. They share personal stories, research-backed insights, and practical advice for managing burnout, compassion fatigue, and family dynamics. Whether you’re part of the “sandwich generation” or just beginning to navigate caregiving, this conversation offers solidarity and tools to help you find support and protect your own well-being. Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Parkinson's Foundation blog: Finding Balance: 8 Tips for Avoiding Caregiver Burnout Guardian Life blog: Standing Up and Stepping In: A Modern Look at Caregivers in the US Mayo Clinic: Caregiver stress: Tips for taking care of yourself Single Care blog: Caregiver’s guide to self care & avoiding caregiver burnout 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you. caregiving, caregiver burnout, sandwich generation, National Caregiving Month, mental load, aging parents, elder care, motherhood, self-care, compassion fatigue, invisible labor, family stress, emotional labor, parent care, What Fresh Hell podcast, 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

Discover the chaotic charm of 'crazymakers' and how they disrupt our lives. Learn to identify three main types—narcissists, cultivators, and stealth bombers—and their sneaky tactics like no-win choices. Explore the dynamics of chaos vs. order muppets, and how to manage the rollercoaster of these relationships. Gain insights into setting boundaries, building self-worth, and mastering the gray rocking technique to deflect their manipulations. It's a humorous yet insightful guide to reclaiming your peace!

Amy and Margaret talk with Dr. Corinne Low, Wharton economist and author of Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women’s Lives and Getting the Most Out of Yours. Corinne shares her data-driven insights on why working mothers feel overextended, how “having it all” became an impossible equation, and how redefining success through your own “utility function” can help you build a more sustainable, meaningful life. The conversation dives into household labor, gender roles, and the systemic forces that make modern motherhood so demanding—along with practical strategies to reclaim time, happiness, and balance. Here's where you can find Corinne: www.corinnelow.com @corinnelowphd on IG Substack: https://corinnelow.substack.com Buy HAVING IT ALL: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781250369512 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you. working moms, motherhood, having it all, women in work, mental load, work life balance, fresh take podcast, feminist economics, time management, modern motherhood, parenting podcast, corinne low, mom life, career and family, invisible labor, motherhood unfiltered, mom guilt, empowered women, 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, having it all, having it almost Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amy and Margaret discuss why kids become intensely obsessed with the things they love—whether it’s dinosaurs, Pokémon, sharks, or Spider-Man—and how those fascinations manifest throughout their childhoods. They explore the developmental benefits of "intense interests," from mastery and comfort to confidence and identity. They break down when an obsession is typical and when it may need gentle guidance. Finally, they discuss how to connect with kids through their intense interests—and then use them as bridges to broaden kids' horizons. Correction! Comedian Sasha Baron-Cohen and psychologist Simon Baron-Cohen are neither siblings (as Amy claims in the episode nor uncle/nephew (as Margaret believed); they are first cousins. Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Winnicott, D. W. for The International Journal of Psychoanalysis: Transitional objects and transitional phenomena; a study of the first not-me possession Dr. Judy De Loache et al for Developmental Psychology: ⁠Planes, Trains, Automobiles—and Tea Sets: Extremely Intense Interests in Very Young Children⁠ Lisa Joseph et al for Autism Research: Repetitive behavior and restricted interests in young children with autism: comparisons with controls and stability over 2 years. Our episode "Dinosaurs and Trains and Superheroes and Nerf Guns: Boy Obsessions" 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you. intense interests in children, transitional objects, child psychology, special interests autism, supporting kids interests, mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're so glad to be talking to ⁠Kendra Adachi⁠ again this week. Kendra is the host of the⁠ Lazy Genius Podcast⁠ and the two-time New York Times bestselling author of The Lazy Genius Way and The Lazy Genius Kitchen. In this interview, we discuss what Kendra calls "compassionate time management" and her newest book, ⁠The PLAN: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius.⁠ Kendra shares insights on productivity, pivoting in the face of unexpected life events, and the pitfalls of traditional time management. "The Plan" emphasizes a more holistic and compassionate approach geared towards women's realities. Its key principles include starting from where you are, accessing softness, and making small adjustments. We are so here for it! Here's where you can find Kendra: https://thelazygeniuscollective.com The Lazy Genius Podcast Buy THE PLAN: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593727935 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

Content note: This episode discusses complications of pregnancy, including pregnancy loss and maternal death. Amy and Margaret sit down with journalist and author Irin Carmon to discuss her new book, UNBEARABLE: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America. Through research and deep reporting, Carmon exposes the complicated reality of being pregnant in today's America. Whether a pregnancy is wanted or unwanted, Carmon reveals how bias, systemic failures, secrecy and shame, and our changing policies have had profound effects on that experience and on maternal health. They discuss: The historical roots of reproductive medicine Why women across every belief system are affected by criminalization, neglect, and medical bias The myth of the “perfect pregnancy” and how silence around childbirth harms all mothers The complicated consequences of abortion bans and restrictions on reproductive health care Why maternal care should center respect of women’s autonomy, dignity, and humanity Carmon offers not just critique, but hope, showing how individual courage and systemic change can coexist. Here's where you can find Irin: https://irincarmon.com @irincarmon on IG @irin on X Buy UNBEARABLE: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781668032602 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you.Irin Carmon interview, Unbearable book, pregnancy in America, maternal health crisis, criminalization of miscarriage, abortion bans impact, reproductive health care, women’s autonomy, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sharing an episode of the new podcast So Your Parents Are Old. Journalist Vanessa Grigoriadis talks to friends, experts, and celebrities about the chaos of dealing with aging parents. From Medicaid nightmares to emotional meltdowns in storage units, it’s a brutally honest, often hilarious look at one of life’s most disorienting stages. Come for the catharsis, stay for the gallows humor and unfiltered conversations. Find more episodes of So Your Parents Are Old at https://link.mgln.ai/whatfreshhell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How are our kids actually spending their time — and is it aligned with what we value for our families' lives and for our children's well-being? This week, Amy and Margaret discuss: How sleep too often loses out to homework and activities Time tracking and the sobering truth it can show about how many hours a week our kids actually spend on screens How outdoor time and free play, too often in short supply, affects creativity, independence, and self-regulation Strategies for families to audit time, realign priorities, and invite kids into decision-making It's worth the effort to track how our time is actually spent. As Annie Dillard said: “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” Here are links to some of the resources we mention in the episode: Gretchen Livingston for Pew Research Center: The way U.S. teens spend their time is changing, but differences between boys and girls persist Cleveland Clinic: How Much Sleep Kids Need: Recommended Hours by Age Dahl KL, et. al: Time Playing Outdoors Among Children Aged 3-5 Years: National Survey of Children's Health, 2021. Yeshe Colliver et. al for Early Childhood Research Quarterly: Free play predicts self-regulation years later: Longitudinal evidence from a large Australian sample of toddlers and preschoolers Our Fresh Take with Christina Martin on How Children Learn Through Play Our Fresh Take with Lenore Skenazy, author of FREE-RANGE KIDS Our Fresh Take with Ginny Yurich, host of the 1000 Hours Outside podcast Our Fresh Take with Laura Vanderkam, time-tracking expert Sign up for the What Fresh Hell newsletter! Once a month you’ll get our favorite recent episodes, plus links to other things to read and watch and listen to, and upcoming special events 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you. How kids spend time, kids and screen time, parenting priorities, unstructured play, outdoor play for kids, kids and sleep needs, family time management, limiting screen time, Annie Dillard quote parenting, homework vs sleep, raising independent kids, parenting podcast, What Fresh Hell episode, time tracking for families, free play benefits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Amazon One Medical. Ever notice how kids only seem to get rashes in the middle of the night? Or get pinkeye only while you’re on vacation? It’s what we like to call a typical “mom worst”—and here comes a great new solution: Amazon One Medical Pay-Per-Visit is now offering trusted care through telehealth visits for families with kids ages 2-11. No insurance required, no waiting rooms, no hassle! In this episode we speak to Dr. Natasha Bhuyan—mom, practicing family physician, and National Medical Director at Amazon One Medical. Dr. Bhuyan is responsible for driving clinical innovation at One Medical, as well as growth, strategic partnerships, care model design, and quality primary care. Dr. Bhuyan’s health and wellness commentary has appeared in outlets such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, ABC News, Prevention, Well+Good, and NBC News. Dr. Bhuyan explains how Amazon One Medical Pay Per Visit allows parent things like pink eye, lice, and EpiPen prescription renewals. Even at night, even on the weekend. Solved it! Find out more: health.amazon.com/children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laura Vanderkam⁠ is the author of several time management books, including the just-out ⁠"Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters."⁠ She hosts the every-weekday-morning podcast "Before Breakfast" and also co-hosts "Best of Both Worlds" with Sarah Hart-Unger. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children. Laura explains: How to create a "resilient" schedule How to start small with prioritizing the more important things What keeps people from taking ownership of their time Starting small is the key, Laura says, by investigating how you currently spend your time and using that information as a launch point to move towards a more "resilient" schedule. Here's where you can find Laura: https://lauravanderkam.com @lvanderkam on Twitter and IG @lauravanderkamauthor on FB Buy Laura's book: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593419007 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, productivity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices