How Kids Spend Their Time (And How They Should)

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

What Fresh Hell: Laughing in the Face of Motherhood

Comedy, Kids & Family, Parenting

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2025

⏱️ 43 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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

Transcript

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0:00.0	If I get my kid a phone, I'll be able to keep in touch with them all the time.
0:02.8	We'll be on it all the time.
0:04.1	He could walk to school by himself. She could see something, she shouldn't. He could chat with grandma. Friends, trolls. They can access anything on the internet. They can access anything on the internet. So, should I give my kid a phone? Growing up with phones isn't always easy. Introducing EEE safer Sims. Sims that help moderate usage and shield harmful content on any smartphone.
0:24.2	Choose EECF. Growing up with phones isn't always easy. Introducing EEE safer Sims. Sims that help moderate usage and shield harmful content on any smartphone.
0:24.2	Choose EEE safer Sims.
0:25.7	Only on the UK's best network.
0:27.5	To verify best network, see e.e.com.ukhut.U.K. slash claims.
0:31.9	90% of my problems can be solved with a nap or a snack.
0:35.7	What fresh hell.
0:37.5	Laughing in the face of motherhood.
0:39.6	You are kidding me.
0:41.8	With Margaret Abels and Amy Wilson.
0:44.3	I'm not interested in Earthen, Gwyneth.
0:46.2	A podcast that solves today's parenting dilemmas so you don't have to.
0:50.6	Here I am going on my grumpy midday outdoor walk to improve my mental health.
1:01.5	Hello, everyone, and welcome to a fresh hell laughing in the face of motherhood.
1:05.6	This is Margaret.
1:06.4	And this is Amy.
1:07.2	Today we're talking about how our kids and therefore our families should be spending
1:12.7	their time versus sort of how they really are spending their time. I am thinking about this more
1:16.8	and more as my kids get older, but it's a lot of this is going to apply to very little kids,
1:23.3	elementary age kids, all the ages and stages. I'm going to lay a little Annie Dillard quote on you,
	...

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