From road trips to reclaim lost lovies to birthday extravaganzas with six-month planning windows, parents will do just about anything for their kids.

Amy and Margaret share listener stories—and their own—about the wildest, weirdest, and most over-the-top lengths we have all gone to make their kids happy.

Read the saga of the missing Tortellini

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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, Margaret Ables, Amy Wilson

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We've all felt the guilt that comes with taking time away from our kids to do something we enjoy. But if we're always being told how liberating it is to do things for ourselves, why do we have such complicated feelings about? Dr. Amber Thornton tells us how we can successfully balance our lives both as women and as mothers.

⁠Dr. Amber Thornton⁠ is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Millennial Motherhood Wellness Coach. She is the Founder of Balanced Working Mama, with a mission to completely change the narrative of what is possible for millennial mothers by helping them to better balance work, motherhood, and wellness. She's also the host of the ⁠BALANCED WORKING MAMA podcast⁠. Dr. Amber resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband and 2 little ones. 

Dr. Amber, Margaret, and Amy discuss:

It's important to remember that our feelings about our situation don't necessarily reflect the reality that's happening around us. Our guilt about taking time for ourselves as mothers is a commentary on the society we live in, not our actual abilities as parents.

Here's where you can find Amber:

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

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How do women balance being both effective and likable? It shouldn't be ours to manage, and yet it is. This week Margaret and Amy talk with Dr. Kate Mason, communications coach and author of POWERFULLY LIKABLE: A Woman’s Guide to Effective Communication.

What you'll learn in this episode:

Why women often feel trapped between being “powerful” or “likable”

The cultural roots of authority and expertise—and how they still affect women today

The difference between agreeability and likability

What “imposing syndrome” is and how to overcome it

Why naming your “non-goals” can bring more freedom and focus

How to raise kids who see power and likability as compatible

Find Dr. Kate Mason at katemason.co

Buy POWERFULLY LIKABLE: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593797204

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women communication strategies, powerful and likable, Kate Mason interview, effective communication tips, impostor syndrome vs imposing syndrome, agreeability vs likability, motherhood and communication, women leadership balance, power as a verb, parenting and communication

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Have female friendships become more complicated than they need to be? Amy and Margaret dig into the dynamics of their own female-female friendships and what the research says: why some friendships last decades, why others drift apart, and why friendship “breakup texts” have become a thing.

In this episode you'll learn:

Why women expect more intimacy and reciprocity from friends than men do

Why conflict styles play a big role in how friendships evolve

The six categories of friendship that women and men look for, but with different priorities

How to reconnect with old friends (without the awkwardness)

Why it’s okay for different friends to meet different needs

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

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female friendships, friendship breakups, adult friendships, friendship drama, friendship conflict, why friendships end, complicated friendships, friendship boundaries, friendship vs marriage, friendship stereotypes, friendship expectations, male vs female friendships, how to reconnect with friends, friendship advice for moms, low-conflict friendships, friendship categories research,

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Natalie Mayslich is the President of Consumer for ⁠Care.com⁠, where she is responsible for expanding, building and delivering the Company’s portfolio of Childcare and Senior Care products and services.

Blessing Adesiyan is the Founder of ⁠Mother Honestly⁠, a platform that provides financial technology and work-life infrastructure to employers and is reshaping the future of women and families at home and in the workplace.

Natalie and Blessing are here to talk to us today about a new joint research study between Care.com and Mother Honestly that assesses how remote work truly impacts working families at work and at home. The findings of that study have just been published as ⁠The Modern Workplace Report. ⁠

Natalie and Blessing explain:

Here's where you can find Natalie and Blessing:

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Amy sits down with Trevor Hanson, coach and founder of The Art of Healing and the Secure Self Club, to unpack the power of attachment theory and how it shapes our relationships. Trevor explains the differences between secure, anxious, and avoidant attachment styles—and why understanding your patterns can transform the way you love, communicate, and connect.

Trevor shares practical tools for breaking free from people-pleasing, over-apologizing, and shutting down, including his "TEMPO" framework for mapping your attachment cycle. You’ll learn how self-compassion and daily “attachment skills” can help you create the emotional safety you’ve been missing and build healthier, more connected relationships.

If you’ve ever wondered why you get defensive, struggle with conflict, or repeat the same painful patterns in love, this conversation will give you both clarity and hope.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

What attachment theory is and how it shapes your relationships

Why most relationship conflict comes from insecurity

Practical strategies to move from anxious attachment to secure connection

Here's where you can find Trevor:

Follow Trevor on Instagram: @theartofhealingbytrevor

artofhealingbytrevor.com

Trevor's free seminar From Anxious to Secure

The Gottman Institute: The Anger Iceberg

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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, attachment theory, anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, secure attachment, attachment styles in relationships, healing attachment wounds, relationship communication skills, people pleasing and boundaries, overcoming fear of abandonment, self-compassion in relationships, Secure Self Club, Trevor Hanson coach, Art of Healing by Trevor, emotional regulation in conflict, breaking negative relationship cycles

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It's what you've all been waiting for: Even More Husband Crimes, Part Two. This episode's charges include:

Book 'em, Dano. Do not pass go. Do not collect 200 dollars.

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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, spouse, partner, marriage, co-parent

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Ericka Sóuter has over 20 years of journalism experience and is a regular contributor on Good Morning America and other national broadcast outlets. Ericka speaks to parents across the country about the issues, controversies, and trends most affecting families today. She's also the author of ⁠How to Have a Kid and Life: a Survival Guide.⁠

In this episode, Ericka and Margaret discuss:

Here's where to find Ericka:

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invisible workload, default parent, household equity, household equality, gender household equality, gender household equity, mental load, cognitive load, cognitive labor, emotional labor, second shift, work life balance

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Amy and Margaret sit down with sociologist and author Allison Daminger to unpack the cognitive labor many of us fail to recognize in our families' daily lives— what's come to be known as the "mental load."

In her new book WHAT'S ON HER MIND: The Mental Workload of Family Life, Allison unpacks her years of research to explain how cognitive labor—anticipating needs, planning, decision-making, and follow-up—shapes family dynamics and falls disproportionately on women.

Allison explains why this imbalance persists, how gender socialization influences our roles at home, and what couples can do to shift from default patterns to intentional choices.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

What “cognitive labor” really is and why it matters

Why moms carry the mental load by default

How personality and gender norms shape family responsibilities

The differences in how queer and straight couples divide mental work

The impact of unequal cognitive labor on stress, leisure, and opportunity

Practical steps toward more balanced, intentional partnerships

Here's where you can find Allison:

Buy WHAT'S ON HER MIND: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780691245386

Allison’s Substack: Daminger Dispatch

Allison’s website: allisondaminger.com

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/

invisible workload, default parent, household equity, household equality, gender household equality, gender household equity, mental load, cognitive load, cognitive labor, emotional labor, second shift,

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Right now your kid doesn't like you. At all. What is really going on? And how can we respond without losing our cool, even when our feelings are genuinely hurt?

In this episode Amy and Margaret discuss:

Here are some of the resources mentioned in the episode:

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:

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Parenting Podcast, Parenting Challenges, Raising Kids, Parenting Tips, Parenting Struggles, Parenting Support, Parent Child Relationship, Emotional Parenting, Mental Health For Parents, Parenting Emotions, Family Wellness, Parenting Anxiety, When Kids Hate You, Difficult Parenting, Parenting Conflicts, Parenting Struggles Real Talk, Parenting Honesty, Parenting Life, Mom Life, Dad Life, Family Dynamics, Parenting Community, Parenting Podcast Life

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