What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood | Parenting Tips From Funny Moms

Why is it so hard to read more—even when we want to, even when we have stacks of books awaiting us on our bedside tables? We sit down with Meredith Monday Schwartz—co-host of the The Currently Reading Podcast—to talk about how to reconnect with reading in a way that feels joyful, flexible, and realistic.

If you’ve ever felt obliged to finish a book you hated, or berate yourself for the time you spend scrolling instead of reading, this conversation is for you.

It’s not that there aren’t good books out there. It’s that our phones are designed to win. Picking up a book requires focus and intention—two things that feel increasingly scarce.

But reading offers a deeper kind of satisfaction than screens. Books can provide immersion, rest, perspective, and even emotional connection.

Meredith argues that reading isn’t just a habit. It's a form of meaningful self-care. Stepping away—even briefly—can leave you more refreshed, focused, and able to engage with the world when you return.

Meredith also argues for “delicious reads” over "should reads." Forcing yourself through something that doesn’t work for you can lead to burnout—and even stop you from reading altogether.

Reader, Know Thyself

A central theme of the conversation is learning what kind of reader you are. (Take the "What Kind of Reader Are You?" quiz here!)

Understanding your preferences helps you:

Choose books you’ll actually finish

Avoid common “deal breakers”

Create a reading routine that fits your life

Permission to Not Finish (DNF) Books

If you’ve ever forced yourself to finish a book you weren’t enjoying, this is your official permission slip to stop.

Meredith is a strong advocate for DNF (“Did Not Finish”), with a twist: sometimes it’s not a “no,” it’s a “not right now.”

A book that doesn’t resonate today might become a favorite later in life. Letting go of a book that isn’t working frees you to find one that does—and can instantly reignite your reading momentum.

How to Get Back Into Reading

Feeling stuck? Meredith shares simple, practical strategies to help you ease back into reading:


Start small: Commit to just 15–20 minutes at a time


Pair reading with a routine: Try reading during a bath or before bed


Use multiple formats: Audiobooks, Ebooks, and print can all coexist


Create a “book flight”: Sample the first few pages of several books and choose what grabs you


Always have options: Keep a list of appealing reads ready to go

If your kids used to love books but now prefer screens, you’re not alone.

The most effective strategy?
Model reading yourself.

When kids see you enjoying books, it sends a powerful message that reading is valuable and enjoyable. There’s no quick fix—but there is long-term impact.

Here's where you can find Meredith:

IG @meredithmondayschwartz or @currentlyreadingpodcast


The Currently Reading Podcast wherever you get your podcasts!

View the list of all the books Meredith recommends in our Bookshop

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/

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Why is it so hard to get some kids to read—and is it even our job to make them love it?

We tackle the reality of raising reluctant readers in a world dominated by screens. From decoding disorders to disinterest, we break down the different reasons kids struggle with reading—and why understanding the “why” matters more than forcing the habit.

We share practical, judgment-free strategies to help kids engage with books and how parental expectations, school pressures, and comparison culture can complicate our relationship with reading.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why kids become reluctant readers (and the different types)

Supporting kids with learning differences like dyslexia

Why forcing “worthy” books can backfire

Letting go of the pressure to raise kids who love reading

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

Common Sense Media: Books for Reluctant Readers

Amy Mascott for PBS Kids for Parents: What to Do When Your Child Hates Reading

Susan Dominus for NYT: Motherhood, Screened Off

Linda Flanagan for KQED: How Audiobooks Can Help Kids Who Struggle with Reading

Mary Ann Scheuer’s Great Kid Books blog

Campbell University: Alumni Experts: 6 Ways to Engage Reluctant Readers

Scholastic Parents: The Five Finger Rule for Reading Will Help Your Child Find a 'Just-Right' Book

Dawn Adkins for Providence Classical School blog: 10 Ways to Help Kids Choose Books Over Screens

Jamie Martin for Understood.org: Do audiobooks get in the way of learning to read?

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/

What Fresh Hell podcast, 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, parenting reluctant readers, kids reading habits, how to get kids to read, children and screen time, reading motivation for kids, reluctant reader strategies, audiobooks for kids, graphic novels for children, parenting tips reading, literacy development children, encouraging kids to read, reading vs screens, family reading routines, struggling readers support, dyslexia and reading, independent reading skills, raising readers, reading comprehension kids, parenting challenges reading, kids and books
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In honor of Women's History Month, this "Deep Dive" series highlights some of our past interview episodes about raising daughters.

Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an award-winning science journalist whose work explores the intersection of neuroscience, immunology, and emotion. In, ⁠GIRLS ON THE BRINK: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in an Era of Increased Anxiety, Depression, and Social Media⁠, she unpacks the causes of the stress on American girls and its detrimental effects on their mental health.

In this interview, we discuss:

Why girls tend to be more depressed and anxious than boys

How we've stolen girls' "safe in-between years"

"Antidote" strategies for helping girls through adolescence

Here's where you can find Donna:

⁠https://donnajacksonnakazawa.com⁠

@donnajacksonnakazawaauthor on Facebook

⁠Buy Donna's book!⁠

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: 

⁠https://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/newsletter/

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/

What Fresh Hell podcast, 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, girls mental health, teen girl anxiety, teen girl depression, parenting daughters, social media and girls, adolescent brain development, why are girls more anxious than boys, helping girls through adolescence, girls and depression statistics, middle school girls mental health, neuroscience of anxiety, immunology and mental health, stress in teenage girls, protecting girls mental health, parenting in the age of social media, girls and self esteem, safe in-between years, raising resilient daughters, girls emotional development, mental health strategies for teens
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How can we best support our neurodivergent kids? Jessica Shaw, host of the podcast Everyone Gets a Juice Box, discusses the realities of raising neurodivergent kids—and the emotional, practical, and often isolating journey parents navigate along the way.

Jessica shares how the concept of neurodiversity has evolved, why the “big tent” of neurodivergence can feel both supportive and lonely, and how parents can find connection through shared experience.

Together, Jessica and Margaret unpack the challenges of seeking diagnoses, trusting parental instincts, and navigating conflicting advice from professionals and peers. They also answer some listener questions about raising neurodiverse kids.

Here's where you can find Jessica:

www.understood.org


Listen to "Everyone Gets a Juice Box" here (and wherever you get your podcasts)

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/⁠

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, neurodivergent parenting, raising neurodivergent kids, neurodiversity in children, parenting special needs children, autism ADHD parenting, parenting teens with special needs, neurodivergent teens independence, special needs parenting support, parenting podcast neurodiversity, emotional challenges of parenting, early diagnosis neurodivergence, parenting community support, traveling with neurodivergent child, sensory needs children tips
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What does it really mean to “age gracefully”—and who decided that was the goal in the first place?

We unpack the cultural pressure on women to look younger for longer—and what we can do to resist it. From celebrity beauty standards and the billion-dollar anti-aging industry to the “mask of aging,” we explore why the gap between how we feel and how we look can become so jarring.

We dig into:


the rise of “stretched middle age” and “looksmaxxing”


why we compare ourselves to unrealistic, often artificial ideals


the impact of these messages on our kids—and how to interrupt the cycle

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

Séraphine Roger for Vanity Fair: Short-Haired Demi Moore (And Her Dog) Stun At Gucci

Kate Manne's Substack More to Hate

Teresa Karpinska for Vogue: Was the Term “Ageing Gracefully” Coined by Men?

Sarah Miller for The New Yorker: Desperate for Botox

Meagan Fredette for W Magazine: Julianne Moore is Sick of the Term “Aging Gracefully”

Becca Rothfeld for The New Yorker: The Captivating Derangement of the Looksmaxxing Movement

Amber Wardell, Ph.D., for Psychology Today: The Paradox of Women’s Aging

Barański, Jarosław for Hybris 32: Mask and Shame of Ageing

Meredith Jones for The Journal of Popular Culture: “Skintight: An Anatomy of Cosmetic Surgery”

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/⁠

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, aging gracefully myth, anti aging culture, women and aging, body image psychology, motherhood and identity, beauty standards media, aging and self image, mask of aging psychology, looksmaxxing trend, female aging pressure, parenting and body image, cultural expectations women, self acceptance aging, modern motherhood podcast
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