Parenting Roundabout

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 blow your nose in) for handling an allergy attack with tender loving care [https://puffs.com/en-us/shop-products/lotion-tissue/puffs-plus-lotion].

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 Day party 2006 party that changed everything. (It's Walt. WALT!!) Next: "Zoe."

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.)​

With her daughter off to college soon, Nicole is obsessed with teaching independence and life skills. Terri and Catherine offer advice, despite having yet to push any of their children out of the nest.​

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup: Nicole's enjoying audiobooks on Audible [https://www.audible.com/], and mentioned that it's now integrated with the Waze app [https://www.waze.com/]. Terri shouts out Parks and Recollection [https://teamcoco.com/podcasts/parks-and-recollection], an episode-by-episode Parks and Recreation podcast (just like we did here on Round 2--only this one has Rob Lowe). And Catherine discovered a new (to her) drink at Starbucks: the Royal English Breakfast tea latte [https://www.starbucks.com/menu/product/465/hot].

We take a cue from the Bobby Bones Show [https://overcast.fm/+IvaKUKVgg/16:12] and obsess about what we'd do to transform a company if we had the funds to purchase it and remake it to our liking.

But should there be? Huckleberry [https://apps.apple.com/us/app/huckleberry-baby-child/id1169136078] is just one of many baby-tracking and sleep-promoting apps out there. Your podcast panel is divided as to how terrifying this is.

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2, the "victory" of Bridgerton's title could have referred to a number of events, but none of them were truly victorious victories. At least one was revealed to be a big mistake (huge) almost the minute it happened. Next: "An Unthinkable Fate."And on The Afterparty, Chelsea's story didn't take us too much farther into the mystery of who killed Xavier, but we did get to see the next place Aniq found to eavesdrop. Next: "High School."