Parenting Roundabout

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup, Catherine's shouting out Singo, a fun twist on Bingo [https://www.playsingo.com/]. Nicole's Instagram Minute returns with @MenWiththePot [https://www.instagram.com/menwiththepot/]. And Terri has a triumph of pack-ratting to shout out: Her state is now requiring the use of reusable bags, and she is ready [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/environment/2022/05/04/nj-plastic-bag-ban-date/9568824002/].

Last week's chat about senior skip day [https://www.parentingroundaboutpodcast.com/blog/senior-skip-day] got us obsessing about what we'd do with a skip day of our own. What we really need is a way to peace out from parental worrying. Who's got that figured out?

After we heard about a little boy who commandeered his mom's phone to order 31 McDonald's cheeseburgers via Doordash [https://www.today.com/food/people/2-year-old-orders-31-mcdonalds-cheeseburgers-doordash-rcna29331], we complained about our family members and their buying habits.

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2: The Bridgertons and the Sharmas try to show their "Harmony" in the face of the ton's disdain, and it doesn't go well. Anthony and Kate get a brief moment of happiness, but it doesn't last because this isn't the final episode of the season. However, next week is: "The Viscount Who Loved Me." On The Afterparty, we get Detective Danner's backstory this week, but we're still waiting to find out 1) who killed Xavier and 2) where is Jennifer 2 and 3)...

While we are past (way past) the baby formula stage, we feel for the parents who are struggling to find what they need to feed their little ones. And we certainly know well the frustrating feeling of hearing advice from people who don't get it. Repeat after us: Every family is different! (And here's some real advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics for families who can't find infant formula...

Nicole's getting some pressure to add a puppy to the family. Though we're pretty sure she's gonna cave, we talk about all the reasons why we should stand pat with the pets we have.​

We just talked about college decisions recently [http://www.parentingroundaboutpodcast.com/blog/kids-and-rejection-college-acceptance-edition], but we had to revisit the topic after the Operation Varsity Blues scandal broke. Could it lead to more transparency in the admissions process? (Mentioned: Felicity Huffman on Sports Night [http://parentingroundabout.libsyn.com/round-2-two-podcasts-and-a-sitcom].)

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup, Nicole shocks us all by enjoying salad: Taylor Farms Chopped Kits [https://www.taylorfarms.com/chopped-kits/]. Catherine also suggests a tasty bite: KIND Frozen treat bars [https://www.kindsnacks.com/frozen-treat-bars/]. And remember last week, when Catherine recommended Puffs the play [https://www.parentingroundaboutpodcast.com/blog/roundabout-roundup-puffs-the-play-fancii-desk-fan-and-thedad]? This week, Terri's shouting out the other Puffs (the kind you...

Now that Bird scooters [https://www.bird.co/] have arrived in Catherine's small town, we obsessed about other goods and services that we think should just appear when and where we need them, from pacifiers to vacuum cleaners to Starbucks coffee. Mentioned: Evo's car share service in Vancouver [https://evo.ca/].

We complain (lightly) about this seasonal ritual, and discuss whether or not parents and schools should look the other way or take a stand. Mentioned: The Afterparty episode "High School," in which youthful indiscretions have long-lasting consequences [https://www.parentingroundaboutpodcast.com/blog/what-were-watching-bridgerton-an-unthinkable-fate-and-the-afterparty-high-school].

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2: The queen has planned a lavish wedding for Edwina and Anthony, so there's no stopping them now, right? Wrong! Also wrong: The queen's spy who thinks he has identified Lady Whistledown. Next: "Harmony." On The Afterparty, it's Zoe's turn to tell her story and she does so in an animated film starring Regular Zoe, Fun Zoe, Tiny Rage Zoe, and more. But we're still no closer to knowing who killed Xavier. Next: "Danner."

A BBC article titled "The Parental Shame That Haunts Working Parents" [https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220121-the-parental-shame-that-haunts-working-parents] got us talking about the shame we've experienced, whether it comes from community members, relatives, ourselves, or our quite ungrateful children.

We've talked about our dogs plenty on this podcast, so consider this listing of their fears and desires and coffee-stealing habits more as a review than a revelation.

We feel the need to complain about those who dare reject our kids (the nerve!). 'Tis the season for college decisions, and it's never easy to console a child who's been inexplicably turned down from one of her top-choice schools.

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup, Catherine shouts out Puffs, a funny play (not the brand of facial tissues). Catch it at a high school near you or watch a filmed version on Amazon Prime [https://www.amazon.com/Puffs-Filmed-Off-Broadway-Langston-Belton/dp/B07JM5SMTL/]. Nicole's cooling off with her Fancii desk fan [https://www.amazon.com/Fancii-Personal-Portable-Whisper-Technology/dp/B072DSHKCH/] and Terri's found a funny fellow to follow in Twitter: @thedad [https://twitter.com/thedad].

We go out on a limb to obsess about some of the opinions we hold that aren't shared by others, sometimes including family members. But we're standing firm.

On today's episode, one of us is responding to some new offerings from Target [https://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/2564294/matching-family-outfits-target/] by complaining about matching outfits for families. The other two are confessing their own past experiments with coordinated costuming.

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2: "An Unthinkable Fate" on Bridgerton might be marrying your love's sister, or being disinherited by your awful grandparents, or becoming a (!) feminist. But mostly it just meant we're waiting at least another week for Anthony and Kate to kiss already. Next: "The Choice." On The Afterparty, the episode title "High School" departs from convention because no one knows the storyteller's name, even though he's the one throwing the fateful St. Patrick's...

Today, we're inspired by the Walker Hayes song "Craig" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pLNTewIfrg] and the book it. in turn, inspired, called Glad You're Here: Two Unlikely Friends Breaking Bread and Fences [https://www.moodypublishers.com/glad-youre-here/]. The incident that prompted this unlikely friendship got us talking about those times when people have noticed and taken an interest in our kids, and how meaningful that is.

We have tales of being bit by dogs and monkeys and even bicycles, but we're not holding grudges. (If those lizards menacing Nicole ever do attack, though, they're dead to us.)​