What Fresh Hell: Parenting, Relationships, and Making Life Better, with Two Funny Moms

Why do some kids completely fall apart when it’s time to leave the playground, get ready for school, or switch activities? We dive into why transitions are particularly difficult for some kids and what parents can do to make them easier.

Here's what we discuss in this episode:

how anxiety, ADHD, autism, and OCD can cause unique issues with transitions

reframing a child’s behavior as a "signal" to help parents focus on the underlying problem

how parents can validate emotions while still setting clear boundaries

practical strategies for helping kids transition, including verbal "previews," visual schedules and timers, and predictable routines

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

Our Fresh Take with Dr. Siggie Cohen

Our Fresh Take with Dr. Stacy Haynes

Katherine Martinelli for the Child Mind Institute: Why Do Kids Have Trouble With Transitions?

Claire Lerner for Psychology Today: The Trouble With Transitions

Kristine Cain for Building Bright Futures blog: Why Some Children Struggle More with Transitions Than Others

Lerner Child Development: The Trouble With Transitions: Why They Are So Hard For Some Kids And How To Help

Houston Family Therapy Associates: Why Kids Resist Transitions (and How to Help)

Lerner Child Development: How "Two-Great Choices" Prevents Power Struggles

Dr. Michael Sweeney

Visual timer for kids

Hourglass timer

Assessment of Lagging Skills and Unsolved Problems

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

This Deep Dive series is all about reducing the friction between ourselves and our kids when trying to communicate with them, whether it's yelling less, finding real reasons for constant defiance, or picking our battles.

Parenting is a series of everyday battles. But which ones are truly worth fighting? In this episode we discuss the Sisyphean nature of the overuse of the word 'like', to a cleaned-up playroom, to the unending struggle of getting tweens to wear pants—and which of these battles might be 1) winnable and 2) worth the work.

Some things really do matter for the long-term success of our kids (and peace of our households); some might be worth letting go in order to let our kids have that win once in a while. In this episode, we unpack how to tell the difference.

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

We want our kids to feel validated and heard. We also don't want to engage in five-hour negotiations every time they have to do something they don't want to do. Where's the happy middle?

Child development specialist Dr. Siggie Cohen, author of YOU ARE THE PARENT, explains how parents can create a balanced approach. Dr. Cohen explains why well-intentioned parents can end up overexplaining, over-fixing, over-advising, and trying too hard to prevent their children from experiencing difficult emotions.

Dr. Cohen and Margaret discuss:

The difference between validating emotions and accommodating behavior

Why children need to learn both emotional awareness and the ability to function even when they don't feel like doing something

How parents can respond when kids are overwhelmed and why stopping inappropriate behavior doesn't mean stopping the emotion behind it

Why happiness shouldn't be the ultimate goal for children

How to make true, authentic repair after parenting mistakes

Here's where you can find Dr. Cohen:

https://drsiggie.com

@dr.siggie on IG, FB, and YouTube

@parenting.with.dr.siggie on TikTok

Free resources on her website, including her newsletter signup

Buy YOU ARE THE PARENT: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780063448643

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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Which kid behaviors need to be addressed in the moment—and which are better ignored? We discuss when to fix behavior and when to let it go, from whining and backtalk to tantrums and other attention-seeking behavior.

Topics include:

How to reduce power struggles while still establishing clear rules and boundaries

Why target behaviors should be specific and observable

How to set expectations before challenging behavior happens

Practical strategies for handling difficult behavior in public

Knowing when a child's behavior is really a signal of an unmet need

This episode includes advice from the Child Mind Institute's Complete Guide to Managing Behavior Problems.

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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Deep Dive series is all about reducing the friction between ourselves and our kids when trying to communicate with them, whether it's yelling less, finding real reasons for constant defiance, or picking our battles.

What do we do when one of our kid's moods is affecting everyone else in the house? Whether it's anxiety, frustration, rigidity, or plain old temper tantrums, understanding where it's coming from is the first step. But even when we don't allow emotions to be an excuse poor behavior, that misbehavior can happen anyhow—and walking on eggshells is no way to teach the dysregulated person better emotional skills.

In this episode, we discuss:

the sometimes hidden needs of the other kids in the house

why "fair" is not the same thing as "equal"

the single most important factor for positive family well-being

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

Our episode ⁠"When One of Our Kids Is Taking All Our Bandwidth"⁠

Nicole Schwarz for ⁠imperfectfamilies.com⁠: ⁠When The Siblings of a Difficult Child Feel Ignored⁠

Leigh Anderson for Lifehacker: ⁠What to Do If Your Child's Behavior Is Ruining Your Relationship With Your Partner⁠

Pamela Li for Parenting for Bain: ⁠Emotional Regulation in Children | A Complete Guide⁠

Jane Indergaard for ADHD Newsstand: ⁠It's Never About Me: The Hidden Needs of Siblings⁠

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