• DEEP DIVE: Back-to-School Back-to-Ones
    2026/08/03
    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... and we also allowed some venting about back-to-school craziness as well. Amy and Margaret discuss: To make lunch or not to make lunch How to keep outfits clean at breakfast The best time to grocery shop Here are links to resources mentioned in the episode: Read the full Facebook thread here and if you're not already part of our amazing group, you can join at www.facebook.com/groups/whatfreshhellcast! Watch the short film Amy mentions: "How Was Your Day?" directed by Allison Hadar and Maddie Corman 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
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    41 分
  • Fresh Take: Kristen McNeely on Helping Kids Overcome Anxiety and School Refusal
    2026/07/31
    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—why it's more complicated than simply not wanting to go to school; the warning signs parents should watch for; and why collaboration between parents, schools, and mental health professionals is essential. Kristen explains why school refusal often begins with school avoidance, how transition years like kindergarten and middle school increase risk, and why pulling kids out of school is rarely an effective long-term solution. Amy, Margaret, and Kristen also discuss: Why parental accommodations can unintentionally fuel anxiety The difference between validating feelings and reinforcing fear Why gradual exposure works better than avoidance The four common drivers of school refusal How ADHD, autism, and separation anxiety can increase risk Why helping kids feel connected to their school community matters How parent-focused treatments like SPACE can improve childhood anxiety—even without the child in therapy sessions Here's where you can find Kristen: https://kristenmcneely.com/ @childhood.empowered on IG https://schoolcapable.kristenmcneely.com/ 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
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    41 分
  • Everything You've Always Wanted to Ask A Pediatrician, with Dr. Mary Martin
    2026/07/29
    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 misinformation and offering practical, judgment-free advice. You'll learn: How to navigate vaccine misinformation Why pediatricians continue to recommend the "ABCs" of safe sleep When it's OK stop comparing your child to everyone else's The babyproofing essentials that actually matter Why reading to babies is so powerful, even before they can talk. How to handle picky eating without turning every meal into a battle The leading causes of preventable childhood injuries and simple ways to reduce risk Practical guidance on screen time, social media, vaping, caffeine, and substance use How to build trust so your child feels comfortable talking about difficult topics like sex, drugs, mental health, and body changes Why finding a pediatrician you trust may be one of the best parenting decisions you make Here are links to some of our other episodes we mentioned: Christina Martin on How Children Learn Through Play How To Deal With Picky Eaters Screen-Free Week: How To Survive and Why It's Worth It Ash Brandin, The Gamer Educator Catherine Price, THE AMAZING GENERATION Emily Cherkin on Tech-Intentional Parenting Mallory Thomas on How to Get Off Our Phones Gaia Bernstein on Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies Susan Linn on How “Big Tech” Targets Our Kids 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
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    45 分
  • DEEP DIVE: Emily Cherkin on Tech-Intentional Parenting
    2026/07/27
    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 Guide to Becoming a Tech-Intentional Family,"⁠ explains how to model a healthy relationship with tech for our kids. Emily Cherkin, MEd., consults with parents, offers school presentations and professional development training, and brings her tech-intentional approach to as many people as possible. Emily and Margaret discuss: What "tech-intentional" really means and how it's different from being screen-free How to align screen use with family values How to model tech intentionality with your kids Here's where you can find Emily: ⁠http://www.thescreentimeconsultant.com⁠ Instagram: @thescreentimeconsultant Facebook: @thescreentimeconsultant X: @ScreentimeLlc Buy THE SCREENTIME SOLUTION: ⁠https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9798886451122⁠ ⁠Listen to our Fresh Take with Julie Lythcott-Haims⁠ 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
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    47 分
  • Fresh Take: Dan Heath on Fulfilling Careers, Better Decision Making, and What Kids Remember Most About Childhood
    2026/07/24
    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 comes from unexpected places and why room for experimentation and exploration is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children. Dan and Amy discuss: Why there's no such thing as a universally "good" career How to help kids discover passions without putting pressure on them A simple exercise that creates unforgettable family memories Why experimentation leads to more fulfilling work and life Four common decision-making "villains"—and how to avoid them Practical ways to make parenting, work, and everyday decisions with more clarity Here's where you can find Dan: www.danheath.com Listen to "What It's Like to Be..." Buy Dan's books LinkedIn 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
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    41 分
  • How Can Siblings Be Such Total Opposites?
    2026/07/22
    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 on the street. Why is that? This week, we discuss: Why siblings can have vastly different personalities despite common upbringings How birth order influences family dynamics Why "de-identification" tends to be more intense when siblings are closer in age Why "the same household" doesn't actually tell the whole story Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Alix Spiegel for NPR: Siblings Share Genes, But Rarely Personalities Dr. Robert Plomin and Dr. Judy Dunn: Why Are Siblings So Different? The Significance of Differences in Sibling Experiences Within the Family Dr. Frank Sullaway: Why Siblings Are Like Darwin's Finches: Birth Order, Sibling Competition, and Adaptive Divergence within the Family Daniel Goleman for the NYT: Each Sibling Experiences a Different Family Dr. Robert Plomin and Dr Denise Daniels: Why are Children in the Same Family So Different From One Another? Science Daily: Parents’ Comparisons Make Siblings Different Dr. Alexander Jensen and Dr. Susan McHale: What makes siblings different? The development of sibling differences in academic achievement and interests. Annie Wright, LMFT: Same Family, Different Survival: Why You and Your Sibling Turned Out So Differently 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
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    38 分
  • DEEP DIVE: Gaia Bernstein on Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies
    2026/07/20
    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 use are designed to be addictive. It's not our fault. ⁠Gaia Bernstein⁠'s new book: ⁠Unwired: Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies⁠ shatters the illusion that we can control how much time we spend on our screens by the force of willpower, timers, or yelling. Margaret and Gaia discuss: The psychological forces that make us keep scrolling What Big Tech and Big Tobacco have in common Why screen time limiters and other similar methods don't work Here's where you can find Gaia: ⁠https://gaiabernstein.com/⁠ Twitter: @BernsteinGaia Buy Gaia's book Unwired: ⁠https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781009257930⁠ 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
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    33 分
  • Fresh Take: Dr. Cassidy Freitas on How to Stay Calm When Parenting Feels Overwhelming
    2026/07/17
    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 reactions are really telling us, and how we can interrupt generational patterns without striving for perfection. In this episode, you'll learn: How childhood experiences shape your parenting triggers today. The difference between guilt and shame. Why repair after conflict is often more powerful than trying to be a perfect parent. How social media and intensive parenting culture fuel parental burnout and self-criticism. What "creating margin" means—and why a few moments of space can transform your relationship with your children. How to recognize your triggers before reacting. The simple phrase Dr. Freitas uses to calm her nervous system in difficult parenting moments. Here's where you can find Dr. Freitas: www.drcassidymft.com @drcassidy on IG Buy MOM NEEDS A MOMENT: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781523533534 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
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    39 分