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

Vanessa Cornell, Founder of NUSHU and mother of five, dives into the transformative power of self-care for mothers. She discusses the burnout that pushed her to create a supportive community for women. Vanessa emphasizes rejecting societal 'shoulds' to embrace authenticity, while also fostering independence in children. The conversation touches on the importance of emotional intelligence in parenting and navigating mom guilt, ultimately advocating for a balanced approach to personal well-being and family dynamics.

Today Parents is tackling this same topic this week—and our listeners' advice is quoted! Moms are challenging the idea that they are the sole keepers of holiday ‘magic’It's hard not to feel like we've got to be doing ALL the things at the holidays, especially when social media tells us we should be. Here are some tips for taking perspective at the holidays and operating in "high magic, low effort" mode.Co-hosts Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables discuss: pre-gaming with your (older) kids about the preferred responses to less-preferred gifts starting with what family members really do love most about the holidays (their answers will surprise you) why you don't have to go the Nutcracker, or lights at the zoo, or Aunt Martha's house, this year, let alone every year SNL's "Christmas Morning" sketch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOVCtUdaMCURead all of our listeners' great advice on the original Facebook thread... and here, as promised, is Amy's recipe for the Italian pepper cookies that seem to be unique to northeast Pennsylvania...Italian Pepper Cookies (makes about 72 cookies, more if they’re small) 1/2 cup Crisco  2 cups of milk or water (or more if needed) If dough is really sticky you can add a little bit more of milk 1/2 lb. raisins  1 cup cocoa 2 1/2 cups sugar 4 tbsp. baking powder 7 cups of flour (add more if needed) 1 1/2 tsps. cinnamon 1 1/2 tsps. cloves (not whole) 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla 1 1/2 tsps. black pepper (if you don't want them too spicy, you can cut back on the pepper, I never do though) Optional, you can add nuts or I've seen people add chocolate chips too. We aren't big nut eaters, so I've never made them with nuts. Preheat oven to 375 Cream sugar and Crisco together in a bowl  In a different bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients. Add sifted dry ingredients to creamed sugar and Crisco alternately with milk. Mix well. It will be very sticky, it's easier to work with your hands. I usually coat my hands with some Pam to be able to work the dough. Add your raisins and mix it up more.  Using your hands, take enough dough to roll a small ball (my mom likes them big, I like them smaller) Place cookie balls on your cookie trays (I usually fit around 16 on a tray, all depends on the size of your cookie balls)  Bake in oven for 8-10 minutes. Icing: 2 cups confectioner's sugar 1 to 2 tablespoons milk 1/2 teaspoon butter splash vanilla For icing: Mix together all ingredients, adding milk until achieving creamy consistency, not stiff.When cookies are slightly cooled, top with icing.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: http://eepurl.com/h8ze3zWe love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson.Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Santa, Elf on the Shelf, gift exchange, holiday, holiday shopping, holiday gifts, 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, toddler, holiday recipes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This month's Deep Dive series is all about family dynamics. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.What are the consistent and ongoing family debates in your household? Our Facebook group came through with their most heated family debate topics, and this week we give the ultimate answer for questions like: Should dishes be rinsed clean before they go in the dishwasher? Is it acceptable to call someone after 8 pm? Is a garage for storing stuff, or for storing cars? When you're making a bed, which side is up for the flat sheet? What is the correct pronunciation of "Reese's Pieces"? Here are links to two things we discuss in this episode:Reese's Pieces ad, 1984 (note the repeated and correct pronunciation)"Doorbell" by Sebastian ManiscalcoWe love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson.mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, family, family dynamics, family debate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do we parent when we suddenly find ourselves doing it without our partner? Charles Bock, author of the memoir I WILL DO BETTER, discusses his experiences with fatherhood, grief, and finding strength through monumental challenges.Charles Bock is the New York Times-bestselling author of the novels Beautiful Children and Alice & Oliver, and a creative writing professor at New York University.Charles and Amy discuss: Charles's initial reluctance towards fatherhood and how his perspective changed over time The roles friends and family played in supporting him and his daughter through their first years without Charles's wife Advice for writers and individuals facing creative challenges Here's where you can find Charles: www.charlesbock.net @bockity on FB Buy I WILL DO BETTER: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781419774423 We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson.mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, single dad, single father, single mom, single mother, single parent, single parenthood, spousal loss, loss of husband, loss of wife, parenting with loss, grief, stages of grief, parenting with grief Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why do we think the way we think? How susceptible are we to influences we don't perceive? In the case of psychological effects, there are proven changes in thinking that occur in individuals or groups that can be attributed to particular causes. In this episode, hosts Amy Wilson and Margaret Ables get into some of their favorites, including: placebo (and "nocebo" effect near-miss effect Martha Mitchell effect observer expectancy effect name-letter effect online disinhibition effect Eaton-Rosen effect (Amy always knew this one deep in her bones) Dunning-Kruger effect Zeigarnik effect Get monthly bonus episodes PLUS our entire catalog ad-free! Visit whatfreshhell.supportingcast.fm to subscribe in two taps for just $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year. (You can keep listening in the same app you already use.)(and if you choose to support our show by listening to the ads, we are really grateful for that also!)We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/What Fresh Hell is co-hosted by Margaret Ables and Amy Wilson.mom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips, mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, manage kid’s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, psychological phenomena Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This month's Deep Dive series is all about family dynamics. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.If you’re part of the “sandwich generation”– taking care of your parents and your children at the same time– you’ve got a lot of company. The demographic trends of starting our own families later, and increasing life expectancies, mean this double-caretaking will become a reality for a lot more of us. And it seems that this responsibility is falling more often on women: two-thirds of people doing the "double caretaking" are female. In this episode, we discuss how caring for parents can be particularly fraught, whether you’re giving them daily insulin shots or just trying to make sense of their finances every April. We also discuss the importance of prioritizing our own mental and physical health, even (especially) when there seems to be little time to do so. Finally, we talk about operating from a place of maximum vulnerability. Realize that you really are doing more than any one person can handle. Get specific about the help you need, and be honest when you’re hitting your limits. Here are links to some of the writing on the topic that we discuss in this episode: Dorothy A. Miller: The 'sandwich' generation: adult children of the aging Jessica Grose for NYT: ‘It’s Pretty Brutal’: The Sandwich Generation Pays a Price Katica Roy for Fast Company: I’m a breadwinner mom and this is why helping women in the sandwich generation is good for the U.S. economy Michelle Konstantinovsky for One Medical: The Sandwich Generation: Managing Stress While Caring For Others Alia E. Dastagir for the Chicago Sun Times: ‘Sandwich generation’ stress: Adults caring for aging parents face stress, frustration 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, sandwich generation, aging parents Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How is it our teens find us so cringe while also depending on us for clothes, shelter, and Chipotle? Chip Leighton, author of the new book WHAT TIME IS NOON, discusses the disconnect between teens' naivete about the world and the ironclad rules of interaction they still see fit to impose upon their parents.Chip Leighton is creator of The Leighton Show, a hilarious social media platform about parenting and marriage. Its viral videos have been seen more than 250 million times.Margaret and Chip discuss: How vacation is a new location in which your teens will blame you for everything Funny mistakes teens make when it comes to cooking, driving, and traveling The "horrifying" mistakes parents make when it comes to technology Here's where you can find Chip: theleightonshow.com @The_Leighton_Show on TikTok, IG, and FB Buy WHAT TIME IS NOON: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781682689240 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, teens, raising teens, teen questions, teenagers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A recent report found that the division of home responsibilities is still grossly unequal. Mothers—whether they are married or single—do significantly more than fathers. In fact, the “The Free-Time Gender Gap” report found that “simply being a woman is linked to spending more time on unpaid childcare and household work, and having less free time, even when controlling for age, income, race/ ethnicity, parental status, and marital status."What does it mean for women to have less free time, and how can we keep working to close the gender gap?Amy and Margaret discuss: The differences in socialization between men and women when it comes to our living spaces How time inequality serves to further reinforce and perpetuate gender inequality How "secondary childcare" factors into the free-time gender gap Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Natalia Vega Varela, and Leyly Moridi “The Free-Time Gender Gap: How Unpaid Care and Household Labor Reinforces Women’s Inequality,” Gender Equity Policy Institute, October 2024. Allison Daminger for the American Sociological Review: De-gendered Processes, Gendered Outcomes: How Egalitarian Couples Make Sense of Non-egalitarian Household Practices Anne Helen Petersen on Substack: What Makes Women Clean 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, emotional labor, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re excited to share an episode of the podcast “What It’s Like to Be…” from New York Times bestselling business book author Dan Heath.In every episode, Dan interviews someone from a different profession: a cattle rancher, a FBI special agent, a professional Santa Claus. He asks what it’s like to do what they do. It’s the perfect show to listen to with your kids – it’s family safe but also gives them a preview of different careers, and the kinds of personalities that fit with the work.Is a Secret Service Agent supposed to pretend like they’re not there when they’re around the president?What does a hair stylist do when a client asks for a celebrity hairstyle that will never work for them?In the preview you’re about to hear, you’ll meet a marine biologist who studies manta rays. You’ll hear how drones have changed her work, what it’s like to get to know individual rays, and why people have such a romantic image of being a “Marine Biologist.”You can find more episodes of “What It’s Like to Be…” wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This month's Deep Dive series is all about family dynamics. Listen to the whole playlist on Spotify.What makes us introverts or extroverts– and why do so many of us choose our total opposites for our parenting partners? In this episode we talk about the myths of introverts and extroverts, why opposites attract, and how to parent kids who are also your total opposites.In this episode, Amy and Margaret discuss: The ways that introverts and extroverts solve problems How they navigate being the opposite of their partners How to advocate for your kids depending on their social orientation Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Natalie Arroyo Camacho for Well & Good: "3 Obstacles To Expect From an Introvert-Extrovert Relationship—Plus Whether It Can Work at All" Rodney B. Lawn et al: "Quiet Flourishing: The Authenticity and Well-Being of Trait Introverts Living in the West Depends on Extraversion-Deficit Beliefs" Healthline: "Are You an Extrovert? Here’s How to Tell" R. L. LaFevers for Wired: Tips For Introverted Parents Raising Extroverted Kids R. L. LaFevers for Wired: Are You Raising An Introvert? Are You an Introvert? Take this assessment 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, introvert, extrovert, personality type, personality test, personality assessment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices