DEEP DIVE: Francesca Royster on "Choosing Family"

How do we find support when our family of origin is no longer around or has otherwise rejected us? Francesca Royster, author of the new memoir ⁠Choosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance⁠, explains the concepts of chosen family, finding joy in the everyday, and the resistance that is part of telling hard stories. Margaret and Francesca discuss: What inspired Francesca to write her memoir What it's like to enter motherhood at an older age The process of adopting her daughter Taking pleasure in the reality of everyday life can really help you connect with loved ones in your family, chosen or blood-related. And telling stories about hardship and tragedy can actually help us gain perspective and have more hope about the world, not less. Here's where you can find Francesca: ⁠Her faculty page on the DePaul University website⁠ @roysterfrancesca on IG @francesca.royster.1 on FB Buy Francesca's book:⁠ https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781419756177⁠ 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, inclusive, inclusivity , transgender, trans kids, transgender kids, support for trans kids, trans rights, queer kids, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do we start a conversation about finances with our partners, especially when each of our households of origin might have thought about money quite differently? Ramit Sethi, host of Netflix’s hit show, How to Get Rich, and author of MONEY FOR COUPLES, offers practical tips for productively discussing money with your partner. Ramit and Margaret discuss: Why money conversations are so hard The four money types: Avoider, Optimizer, Worrier, or Dreamer How the messages we heard (or didn’t hear) about money growing up shape our adult decisions—and how to teach kids better. Age-appropriate ways to talk to your kids about money, build financial literacy, and model strong values. Here's where to find Ramit: www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com Buy MONEY FOR COUPLES: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781523523689 Listen to the Money for Couples podcast: https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/podcast/ Watch Ramit's Netflix show @ramit on IG and X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There are plenty of things that seem intimidating but are actually not that hard to do! From power hedge trimmers to cooking a whole fish, we (and our listeners) are here with the things that most people seem to think are hard—but actually aren't. View the full list of things our listeners said are actually pretty simple. Plus, the two things we promised to include in the show notes: an actually-easy way to create Power of Attorney forms for kids off to college an actually easy and attractive way to store sets of sheets 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ellen Kahn⁠ is the Senior Director of Programs and Partnerships at the Human Rights Campaign. In her role, Ellen provides national leadership and expertise in public education and advocacy efforts on behalf of LGBTQ youth and families. Ellen is nationally recognized as an expert on LGBTQ family life and LGBTQ youth. She's also a proud mom of two teenage daughters. In this interview, Ellen explains how parents can create a home environment that affirms and accepts LGBTQ children, and how to advocate for LGBTQ kids in the larger world– whether they're our own children or not. As Ellen explains: "It's all of us together, chiseling away at the reason parents can be fearful when they find out their child is LGBTQ. Let's just not raise bullies anymore." Here are a few additional resources mentioned in this episode: Human Rights Campaign's ⁠welcomingschools.org⁠ ⁠pflag.org⁠ "Serendipitydodah- Home of the Mama Bears" Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Serendipitydodah 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, inclusive, inclusivity , transgender, trans kids, transgender kids, support for trans kids, trans rights, queer kids, lgbtq kids Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amy chats with Dr. Morgan Cutlip about her new book A Better Share, which offers practical, research-based strategies for managing the mental load in relationships. They discuss how default parenting, gender socialization, and communication missteps can create resentment—and how couples can reconnect through clarity and shared responsibility. You’ll hear why the mental load is the real relationship villain, not your partner— and how to invite your partner into the solution . Amy and Morgan discuss: why our invisible labor is so hard to talk about without sparking defensiveness why curiosity offers a secret to lasting connection how being the default parent impacts one's desire for intimacy how to help kids develop initiative, not just complete chores the power of “gracious interpretations” and the ultimate compliment formula Here's where you can find Morgan: https://drmorgancutlip.com Listen to Morgan's podcast "Love Thinks" @drmorgancutlip on IG Buy A BETTER SHARE: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781400239672 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, household equity, household equality, gender household equality, gender household equity, maternal mental health, postpartum health, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We dive into the world of #tradwives and trad moms—mothers who embrace their traditional gender roles and showcase homemaking all over social media, usually with a heavy dose of curated perfection, aspiring to a bygone ideal that may never exactly have actually existed. Amy and Margaret discuss: what actually defines a trad wife the influence of social media algorithms in boosting—and polarizing—this content the aesthetic fantasy of cottagecore, nap dresses, and homesteading versus the messy reality of modern motherhood Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Sophie Elmhirst for The New Yorker: ⁠The Rise and Fall of the Trad Wife⁠ Maddie Garfinkle for People Magazine: ⁠What Is a Tradwife? All About the Controversial Lifestyle — And Why It's Having a Viral Moment⁠ Amy X. Wang for The New York Times: ⁠Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Tradwife? 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, household equity, household equality, gender household equality, gender household equity, trad wives, trad moms Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why is there still so much shame and silence surrounding women's experiences with miscarriage in the modern age? Jessica Zucker, author of the new book NORMALIZE IT, discusses her personal experience with miscarriage and its profound impact on her life and career. Jessica Zucker is a Los Angeles-based psychologist specializing in reproductive health and the author of the award-winning book I HAD A MISCARRIAGE: A Memoir, a Movement. Jessica, Amy, and Margaret discuss: How storytelling is a powerful tool for healing and community building. Why open conversations about women's health are crucial for emotional well-being. How the lack of information about women 's health makes milestones harder to navigate. Here's where you can find Jessica: www.drjessicazucker.com @ihadamiscarriage on IG Buy NORMALIZE IT: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781683738145 If you are in mental health distress or have a suicidal crisis, call or text the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential support. Call ⁠1-833-TLC-MAMA⁠ (⁠1-833-852-6262⁠) for 24/7 free confidential support for pregnant and new moms. Here are additional resources of support for pregnant and new moms: https://womenshealth.gov/TalkingPPD https://www.pregnancyloss.org/ https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/miscarriage-loss-and-grief 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, #normalizeit #ihadamiscarriage #pregnancyloss #tfmr #grief #loss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amy chats with parenting writer and The Mom Hour podcaster Meagan Francis about her new book, The Last Parenting Book You'll Ever Read: How We Let Our Kids Go and Embrace What’s Next. Together, they reflect on the identity shift that comes with parenting an emptying nest, the emotional complexity of "lasts," and why transitioning out of the "hands-on" years of parenting requires the same patience with ourselves that entering those years did. Listen to the Substack Live Amy and Meagan did recently to discuss Amy's book HAPPY TO HELP! 🎧 Amy and Meagan discuss: Why "arms full to hands-free" parenting isn't so bad How to navigate the emptying nest without feeling a loss of identity Why cherishing every moment is overrated—and impossible The truth about staying close to your adult kids The importance of maintaining our own friendships and identity as our kids grow Here are all the places you can hear more from Meagan: The Mom Hour Podcast Meagan's solo podcast, The Kettle Follow Meagan on Substack: https://meaganfrancis.substack.com @momhour and @meaganfrancis on IG Buy THE LAST PARENTING BOOK YOU'LL EVER READ: ⁠https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781464225161⁠ https://meaganfrancis.com And watch for Meagan’s new podcast, "Midlife Lady Leisure Pursuits," launching soon! 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, empty nest, adult children, parent of teens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A study released this month examined the state of mothers' mental health in the U.S. from 2016 to 2023. Using data from 200,000 mothers, the study reveals a "significant decline" in emotional and physical well-being for mothers in all age groups and demographics. Margaret and Amy break down the data, the implications, and the causes—which certainly include the pandemic, although there are many other social, economic, and cultural forces contributing to the stress of modern motherhood. Amy and Margaret discuss: What a major national study reveals about maternal mental health trends Why the decline in mental health extends far beyond the postpartum period The role of pandemic-related stress, financial pressures, and lack of support How parents can prioritize their own well-being—even in small, actionable ways Why maternal mental health impacts the whole family system Mothers' mental health is showing up as a true crisis, and not just in the postpartum months, but throughout the parenting journey. The clear connection between children’s mental health and that of their caregivers makes maternal well-being an imperative public health priority. Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Catherine Pearson for the New York Times: Study Finds a Steep Drop in Mothers’ Mental Health Daw JR, MacCallum-Bridges CL, Admon LK: Trends and Disparities in Maternal Self-Reported Mental and Physical Health. JAMA Intern Med.  Sara Moniuszko for CBS News: Moms in the U.S. report large decline in mental health in recent years, study finds Elizabeth Tenety for Motherly: Just 1 in 4 moms say they’re doing well mentally—new study reveals a growing crisis Reddit/Health: Moms in the U.S. report large decline in mental health in recent years, study finds Pooja Lakshmin MD on Substack: Mental health is personal — and political Our Fresh Take with Pooja Lakshmin on Burnout and Mom Guilt 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, household equity, household equality, gender household equality, gender household equity, anxiety, maternal mental health, postpartum health, PPD, PPA, PPOCD Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode was originally recorded in 2022. For more about the Briggle family, watch the 2024 New Yorker short documentary "Love to the Max." Amber Briggle and her family live in Texas. Amber is the mom of two kids, Max and Lulu, and on her website "Love To The Max," Amber shares the family's real stories and experiences as a trans-inclusive family. Amber describes herself as "just a mom," but the events of the last few years have made her a powerful advocate for the rights of kids and families like her own. She was a founding member (and former national co-chair) of the ⁠“Parents for Transgender Equality Council”⁠, part of the Human Rights Campaign. Amber currently serves as the “Equal Opportunity Issue” Chair for the ⁠League of Women Voters of Texas⁠. In this moving and illuminating episode, Amber talks about her experience parenting her transgender son and the breadth of emotions and experiences that come with it. In this episode, Amber, Amy, and Margaret discuss: Amber's son Max's transition journey The best ways to support trans kids The anti-trans legislation currently in effect and under consideration in the U.S. NOTE: Since we recorded this episode, a lawyer for the state of Texas confirmed that the ⁠child abuse investigation into the Briggle family has been lifted.⁠  Here's where you can find Amber: Her website: ⁠https://lovetothemax.net/⁠ ⁠Facebook⁠: /amberbriggle ⁠Twitter⁠: @mrsbriggle 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, inclusive, inclusivity , transgender, trans kids, transgender kids, support for trans kids, trans rights Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices