Introducing: So Your Parents Are Old

Sharing an episode of the new podcast So Your Parents Are Old. Journalist Vanessa Grigoriadis talks to friends, experts, and celebrities about the chaos of dealing with aging parents. From Medicaid nightmares to emotional meltdowns in storage units, it’s a brutally honest, often hilarious look at one of life’s most disorienting stages. Come for the catharsis, stay for the gallows humor and unfiltered conversations. Find more episodes of So Your Parents Are Old at https://link.mgln.ai/whatfreshhell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How are our kids actually spending their time — and is it aligned with what we value for our families' lives and for our children's well-being? This week, Amy and Margaret discuss: How sleep too often loses out to homework and activities Time tracking and the sobering truth it can show about how many hours a week our kids actually spend on screens How outdoor time and free play, too often in short supply, affects creativity, independence, and self-regulation Strategies for families to audit time, realign priorities, and invite kids into decision-making It's worth the effort to track how our time is actually spent. As Annie Dillard said: “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” Here are links to some of the resources we mention in the episode: Gretchen Livingston for Pew Research Center: The way U.S. teens spend their time is changing, but differences between boys and girls persist Cleveland Clinic: How Much Sleep Kids Need: Recommended Hours by Age Dahl KL, et. al: Time Playing Outdoors Among Children Aged 3-5 Years: National Survey of Children's Health, 2021. Yeshe Colliver et. al for Early Childhood Research Quarterly: Free play predicts self-regulation years later: Longitudinal evidence from a large Australian sample of toddlers and preschoolers Our Fresh Take with Christina Martin on How Children Learn Through Play Our Fresh Take with Lenore Skenazy, author of FREE-RANGE KIDS Our Fresh Take with Ginny Yurich, host of the 1000 Hours Outside podcast Our Fresh Take with Laura Vanderkam, time-tracking expert Sign up for the What Fresh Hell newsletter! Once a month you’ll get our favorite recent episodes, plus links to other things to read and watch and listen to, and upcoming special events 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you. How kids spend time, kids and screen time, parenting priorities, unstructured play, outdoor play for kids, kids and sleep needs, family time management, limiting screen time, Annie Dillard quote parenting, homework vs sleep, raising independent kids, parenting podcast, What Fresh Hell episode, time tracking for families, free play benefits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Amazon One Medical. Ever notice how kids only seem to get rashes in the middle of the night? Or get pinkeye only while you’re on vacation? It’s what we like to call a typical “mom worst”—and here comes a great new solution: Amazon One Medical Pay-Per-Visit is now offering trusted care through telehealth visits for families with kids ages 2-11. No insurance required, no waiting rooms, no hassle! In this episode we speak to Dr. Natasha Bhuyan—mom, practicing family physician, and National Medical Director at Amazon One Medical. Dr. Bhuyan is responsible for driving clinical innovation at One Medical, as well as growth, strategic partnerships, care model design, and quality primary care. Dr. Bhuyan’s health and wellness commentary has appeared in outlets such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, HuffPost, ABC News, Prevention, Well+Good, and NBC News. Dr. Bhuyan explains how Amazon One Medical Pay Per Visit allows parent things like pink eye, lice, and EpiPen prescription renewals. Even at night, even on the weekend. Solved it! Find out more: health.amazon.com/children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Laura Vanderkam⁠ is the author of several time management books, including the just-out ⁠"Tranquility by Tuesday: 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make Time for What Matters."⁠ She hosts the every-weekday-morning podcast "Before Breakfast" and also co-hosts "Best of Both Worlds" with Sarah Hart-Unger. She lives outside Philadelphia with her husband and five children. Laura explains: How to create a "resilient" schedule How to start small with prioritizing the more important things What keeps people from taking ownership of their time Starting small is the key, Laura says, by investigating how you currently spend your time and using that information as a launch point to move towards a more "resilient" schedule. Here's where you can find Laura: https://lauravanderkam.com @lvanderkam on Twitter and IG @lauravanderkamauthor on FB Buy Laura's book: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9780593419007 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, productivity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amy and Margaret speak with Kate Rope, award-winning journalist and author of STRONG AS A GIRL: Your Guide to Raising Girls Who Know, Stand Up For, and Take Care of Themselves. Together, they unpack the unique challenges and opportunities facing today’s girls—from body image and social media to perfectionism, mental health, and the pressure to be “kind” at their own expense. Kate shares practical strategies for raising confident, resilient daughters who trust their inner voice, understand consent, honor their needs, and navigate a world filled with mixed messages. She offers insights on early messaging around appearance, the rise of eating disorders, how to parent from hope—not fear—and why making mistakes (and repairing them) is one of parenting’s greatest strengths. Here's where you can find Kate: https://katerope.com @kateropewriter on IG https://katerope.substack.com Buy STRONG AS A GIRL: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781250904775 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you. Raising strong girls, parenting daughters, Kate Rope interview, Strong As a Girl book, girls and body image, eating disorder awareness in teens, parenting from hope not fear, empowering young girls, girls and social media impact, teaching girls self-advocacy, mental health for teen girls, parenting girls through anxiety, raising confident daughters, consent and girls, developmental challenges in girls, girls and perfectionism, resilience in girls, parenting advice for mothers of girls, supporting girls’ self-esteem, raising girls in the modern world Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Amy and Margaret explore the crucial distinction between stress and burnout—two experiences that often blur together in the chaos of parenting, but which are very different in presentation and the attention they require. Stress might be unavoidable, but it can also be motivational and lead to further growth. But when stress becomes constant and unresolved, it turns into burnout: exhaustion, disconnection, cynicism, and the feeling that nothing you do matters. Together, they discuss what burnout looks like physically and emotionally, how to recognize when you’ve crossed that line, and the small, practical things you can do to restore yourself. Whether you’re running on fumes, feeling detached, or just tired of hearing “self-care” as a solution, this episode offers perspective, empathy, and evidence-based tools to help you reset. Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: ⁠BURNOUT⁠ by Emily and Amelia Nagoski https://burnoutglobal.com/the-author Suntsova Y.S.: ⁠“Irrational attitudes in thinking and maternal emotional burnout.”⁠ Education & Pedagogy Journal (2023). 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you.burnout, stress, parental burnout, motherhood, mom life, stress management, emotional exhaustion, self-care for moms, mental health, mom burnout recovery, burnout prevention, Emily Nagoski, Amelia Nagoski, stress cycle, parenting podcast, What Fresh Hell podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There is no magic formula to making the perfect decision every time, but there are philosophical principles, or "razors," you can use to pare down your options and see your problem more clearly. These razors can cut through the clutter of complexity and help us see the forest for the trees. And while they weren't designed with parents in mind, they can come in pretty handy! Starting with the most famous, Occam’s Razor, we discuss how paring away unlikely hypotheticals leads to the most accurate solutions. Next, we delve into Hanlon’s Razor, which reminds us to avoid attributing malicious intent when there’s a simpler explanation. This principle can help us avoid unnecessary conflict and foster understanding, especially in relationships. Then we discuss Hitchens’ Razor, which places the burden of proof on the person making the claim. This can be a valuable tool for evaluating arguments and avoiding baseless assertions. We also explore Chesterton’s Fence, which encourages us to be cautious about changing things without understanding their original purpose. But that's not all. Listen to the episode to hear the rest, and let us know your own rules for clearer thinking! Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Itamar Shatz for Effectiviology: ⁠"Hanlon’s Razor: Never Attribute to Malice That Which is Adequately Explained by Stupidity"⁠ Farnam Street blog: ⁠Chesterton’s Fence: A Lesson in Thinking⁠ Reallemon for Medium: ⁠Hitchens’s Razor and its Place in Debate⁠ Kendra Cherry for Verywell ⁠Mind: How the Hawthorne Effect Works⁠ ⁠Our episode on decision fatigue⁠ Go to our Facebook group and tell us what rules and razors you live by! ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/whatfreshhellcast⁠ 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, decision-making, decision fatigue, productivity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amy and Margaret sit down with Dr. Jean Twenge, renowned researcher of generational differences and author of the new book 10 RULES FOR RAISING KIDS IN A HIGH-TECH WORLD. Dr. Twenge shares what her research reveals about smartphones, social media, and gaming—and how they impact kids’ mental health, sleep, and friendships. From the rise of teen depression since the smartphone boom, to the addictive power of algorithms, to the everyday battles over devices in our homes and schools, this conversation sheds light on what’s really happening when kids spend hours online. Dr. Twenge also offers parents very clear rules around devices that may not be easy to implement—but may be far easier than the small daily fights we're all having about screens. Whether you’re navigating screen time with your elementary schooler or arguing with your teen over TikTok, this episode is full of insights and realistic tools to help your family thrive in the digital age. Here's where you can find Dr. Twenge: www.jeantwenge.com @jean_twenge on X Buy 10 RULES FOR RAISING KIDS IN A HIGH-TECH WORLD: https://bookshop.org/a/12099/9781668099995 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/ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at acornsearly.com/FRESH! Head to GigSalad.com and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you. Dr. Jean Twenge, 10 Rules for Raising Kids in a High-Tech World, smartphones and kids, social media and teens, screen time rules, parenting in the digital age, parental controls, TikTok and teens, smartphone addiction, teen mental health, kids and technology, raising kids with phones, screen time boundaries, algorithms and teens Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mom firsts? We prefer to reminisce about Mom WORSTS. In this episode we relive some of our all-time lousiest experiences as mothers, from family-wide Coxsackie virus to elaborate homework assignments achievable only with extensive parental participation. Margaret mentions the song "Tim Finnegan's Wake" in this episode, which you can listen to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRXWWZ74Qe8 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/⁠ Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at ⁠⁠www.monarchmoney.com/FRESH⁠ Ready to raise money-smart kids? Start now with your first month FREE at ⁠acornsearly.com/FRESH⁠! Head to ⁠GigSalad.com⁠ and book some awesome talent for your next party, and let them know that What Fresh Hell sent you. 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 worsts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The human tendency to solve problems by adding something is called "additive solution bias." However, sometimes a problem is more quickly and effectively solved by taking something away. In this episode we talk about how "additive solution bias" can play out in our parenting strategies, and how we can become more aware of the times when what we actually need to do is take something away. Amy and Margaret discuss: Why our brains are wired to solve problems by adding things How additive solution bias increases along with the size of the problem we're attempting to solve Why removing something, or doing less, isn't automatically easier Sign up for What Fresh Hell Plus on Supporting Cast to get all episodes ad-free, plus monthly bonus episodes. Supporting Cast works right where you already listen! Go to ⁠whatfreshhell.supportingcast.fm⁠ to subscribe in two taps for just $4.99 a month, or $39.99 a year.  Here are links to some of the resources mentioned in the episode: Diana Kwon for Scientific American: ⁠"Our Brain Typically Overlooks This Brilliant Problem-Solving Strategy"⁠ Gabrielle S. Adams, et. al for Nature: ⁠"People systematically overlook subtractive changes"⁠ Less is more: Why our brains struggle to subtract Anthony Sanni: ⁠Additive Bias—and how it could be affecting your productivity⁠ ⁠Braess's paradox⁠ Rachel Fairbank for Lifehacker: ⁠"Why You Should 'Subtract' From Your Parenting"⁠ ⁠SUBTRACT by Leidy Klotz⁠ Our Fresh Take with Amanda Montell ⁠Our Fresh Take with Yael Schonbrun⁠ ⁠THE SENSORY CHILD GETS ORGANIZED by Carolyn Dalgliesh⁠ 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