Is fifth grade way more complicated than it used to be?  A listener wrote in to ask:
"Is it just me or is 5th grade rough? Is it just my 5th grader and his classmates, or are others experiencing this too? Weird friend drama, lots of emotions, being teased (but in a friendly way?)... It’s a lot. Please tell me I’m not alone!"
The average 5th grader is in the 10- to 11-year-old range, and as Vanessa Kroll Bennett and Dr. Cara Natterson recently explained to us, that's become a reasonable age for puberty to begin. (Listen to our Fresh Take with them here.) So it's no wonder that some of them are feeling big emotions, or having sudden drama with the same friends they've had since kindergarten.
Even though we may want to Mama Bear the situation and fix everything that's wrong, it's developmentally appropriate for kids of this age to experience discomfort of a social, mental, and yes, physical, nature.
The best thing you can do is make your home a safe space for whatever emotions your child is feeling about all of this upheaval. If it seems like they're handling it, you can take a back seat. If they're really asking for your help, that's your cue to get more involved. But if you're not hearing as much as you used to about school and friends from your kid, remember that that's also normal for this age and stage.
Here are two more of our Fresh Takes you may find helpful on this topic:

Dr. Lisa Damour on Helping Kids Manage Anxiety

Judith Warner on What Grownups Get Wrong About Middle School


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Ask Amy: When Did 5th Grade Get So Rough?

When you're a parent, every day brings a "fresh hell" to deal with. In other words, there's always something. Think of us as your funny mom friends who are here to remind you: you're not alone, and it won't always be this hard.
We're Amy and Margaret, both busy moms of three kids, but with completely different parenting styles. Margaret is a laid-back to the max; Amy never met a spreadsheet or an organizational system she didn't like.
In each episode of "What Fresh Hell" we offer lots of laughs, but also practical advice, parenting strategies, and tips to empower you in your role as a mom. We explore self-help techniques, as well as ways to prioritize your own needs, combat stress, and despite the invisible workload we all deal with, find joy amidst the chaos of motherhood.
If you've ever wondered "why is my kid..." then one of us has probably been there, and we're here to tell you what we've learned along the way.
We unpack the behaviors and developmental stages of toddlers, tweens, and teenagers, providing insights into their actions and equipping you with effective parenting strategies.
We offer our best parenting tips and skills we've learned. We debate the techniques and studies that are everywhere for parents these days, and get to the bottom of what works best to raise happy, healthy, fairly well-behaved kids, while fostering a positive parent-child relationship.
If you're the default parent in your household, whether you're a busy mom juggling multiple pickups and dropoffs, or a first-time parent seeking guidance, this podcast is your trusted resource. Join our community of supportive mom friends laughing in the face of motherhood!  
whatfreshhellpodcast.com

Comedy

Kids & Family

Parenting

When we have a kid who just doesn't seem to fit in—or who is a loner, if a fairly content one—it can be hard for parents. But putting our own anxiety about it aside, and getting clear on the lagging skills and social cues that may not quite be in place, is the best way to help kids get on a better path. This episode is full of specific and useful advice!
Amy and Margaret discuss:

all the reasons kids can have trouble making (and keeping) friends

five "unwritten social rules" that some kids take longer to comprehend

how figuring out the specific issues at play can lead to the most useful solutions


Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Jamie Howard, et. al for Child Mind Institute: Kids Who Need a Little Help to Make Friends


The Sue Larkey podcast: Promoting Social Understanding – Social Scripts


Gwen Dewar for Parenting Science: How to help kids make friends: 12 evidence-based tips


Christine Comizio for U.S. News Health: Understanding Kids' Friendship Struggles: Common Causes and Solutions


Lexi Walters Wright for Understood.org: 5 “unwritten” social rules that some kids miss


Andrew M.I. Lee for Understood.org: Why some kids have trouble making friends


ADHD Dude: "How to Help Your ADHD Child Keep Friends"



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, friendships, making friends
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When Our Kids Are Bad at Making Friends

This month, we're doing a deep dive series into mom guilt—why it's so pervasive and what we can do about it. You can find the playlist with all of the episodes in the series here. 
Fess up: everyone's got a Bad Mom Moment. Or twelve.
We tend to hold these things really close, our shame rooted in deep certainty that no other mother has ever temporarily forgotten their baby in the toy aisle at Target.
Guess what? You're not alone. Here are some of our listeners' Bad Mom Moments– and more than a few of our own.
Our guest this week is Arianna Bradford, the brains behind The NYAM (Not Your Average Mom) Project, a website dedicated to helping parents -- moms especially -- celebrate the person they are outside of their role as a parent. Her book, SHAME ON YOU: BIG TRUTHS FROM A BAD MOM, is a hilarious collection of parenting essays that focus as much on a mother's mental health as they do on kids, and how very, very strange they are.
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,
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DEEP DIVE: Bad Mom Moments (with guest Arianna Bradford)

Contrary to popular belief, the gender wage gap is widening, not narrowing. Naomi Cahn and June Carbone, authors of FAIR SHAKE: WOMEN AND THE FIGHT TO BUILD A JUST ECONOMY, discuss why working women still lag behind men both in wage equity and in positions of power.
Naomi Cahn is the Justice Anthony M. Kennedy distinguished professor of law at the University of Virginia School of Law. June Carbone is the Robina chair of law, science, and technology at the University of Minnesota Law School.
Naomi, June, and Amy discuss:

How the "winner takes all" economy rewards men and not women

The "triple bind" that sidelines women in the workplace

How things get even more complicated for working parents

What solutions for this problem look like at a societal, organizational, and personal level


Here's where you can find more of June and Naomi:

June Carbone: https://law.umn.edu/profiles/june-carbone

Naomi Cahn: https://www.law.virginia.edu/faculty/profile/nrc8g/2915359

@carbonej and @NaomiCahn on X

Buy FAIR SHAKE: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781982115128



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, feminism, feminist economy, feminist economics
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Fresh Take: Naomi Cahn and June Carbone on Building a Just Economy

How do we know when our kids are old enough to walk home alone? Wear makeup? Get a phone? It definitely depends on the kid, your family situation, and the community where you live, but we think there are few ground rules—and some scaffolding it's a good idea to have in place.
Amy and Margaret discuss:

why social media may be the thing to delay, more than the phone

why it can be tricky to leave older siblings in charge of younger siblings even when they actually are old enough

when kids are old enough to "date" (which depends on what the meaning of the word "date" is)


Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode:
Our Fresh Take with Camilo Ortiz

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,
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How Old Is Old Enough?

This month, we're doing a deep dive series into mom guilt—why it's so pervasive and what we can do about it. You can find the playlist with all of the episodes in the series here. 
JoAnn Crohn of No Guilt Mom is a parenting educator who helps moms feel confident in everything from raising empowered, self-sufficient kids to dropping the anxiety and guilt out of modern parenthood.
No Guilt Mom offers self-paced digital courses in handling big emotions, getting kids to help out more, creating a morning routine, and conquering the homework drama.
JoAnn is the co-host of the No Guilt Mom podcast, a former board-certified middle-school teacher, and a mom to 2 kids, ages 13 and 8.
In this episode, Amy and JoAnn discuss:

Why rewards charts taught as classroom strategies can often become counterproductive

Why kids do well if they can

When rewards charts actually DO work

No Guilt Mom's HAPPY approach to parenting more effectively– while raising happier, more self-sufficient kids at the same time...


Here's where you can find JoAnn:

@noguiltmom on FB/IG

noguiltmom.com


Here are the links to the podcast episodes Amy references:

Fresh Take: Stacy Haynes on the Best Method to Help Kids Who Struggle

Amy and Margaret's interview on the No Guilt Mom podcast


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, mom guilt
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Ask Amy: When Did 5th Grade Get So Rough?

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