Parenting Roundabout

With Christmas looming and everyone panicking about the supply chain, we check in on our shopping progress so far. Some of us still have long to-buy and to-do lists.

It's nice, value-for-money-wise, to get lots of lovely throw pillows with a new sofa and love seat, but when there are so many that there's no room for humans to sit, things start getting out of hand. Of course, it doesn't help that we can't quite throw old ones away either.

Kids complain when they don't get a snow day. Parents complain when they do AND when they don't. This is why we don't want to be the snow-day decision-makers.

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been looking back on our 2021 episodes and found some that were just hanging out there sadly at the bottom of the download tally. So this week, we’re going to highlight some of our favorite least-listened-to episodes of 2021.Today's episode comes from February. Inspired by a New Yorker article [https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/one-star-reviews-of-early-parenthood-milestones], we give poor reviews to several parenting experiences we do not care to repeat, from dance recitals to IEP meetings to having a high school senior during a pandemic.

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been looking back on our 2021 episodes and found some that were just hanging out there sadly at the bottom of the download tally. So this week, we’re going to highlight some of our favorite least-listened-to episodes of 2021.Today's episode comes from February, in response to a primal scream hotline for moms set up by the New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/18/parenting/primal-scream.html]. (You can also visit https://screamintothevoid.com to type away your frustrations). We decided that with family members around alllll the time, what we really need is a soundproof room to scream, vent, cry, or throw a personal, private tantrum. Mentioned: Our episode on she sheds [https://www.spreaker.com/episode/42472511].

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been looking back on our 2021 episodes and found some that were just hanging out there sadly at the bottom of the download tally. So this week, we’re going to highlight some of our favorite least-listened-to episodes of 2021.Today's episode comes from January. We discussed how not every product needs to come with an extra, like a chart to keep track of your face masks [https://www.parenting.com/child/gear/crayola-kids-face-masks/], or be called a "system." Slow your roll and just let us live, please. Mentioned: Queen Mathilde of Belgium and her coordinating masks [https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8527209/Queen-Mathilde-King-Philippe-Belgium-coordinate-masks-outfits.html].

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been looking back on our 2021 episodes and found some that were just hanging out there sadly at the bottom of the download tally. So this week, we’re going to highlight some of our favorite least-listened-to episodes of 2021.Today's episode comes from January, when we speculated about how we should adapt our work life as our kids need less hands-on attention. Should we lean in to more responsibility, or check out? Mentioned: A behind-the-scenes look at the Bridgerton costumes ([https://fb.watch/2VRFRZoBRD/], and speaking of entertainment, Round 2 will be back next Tuesday with a discussion of the first two episodes of Ted Lasso, season 2.

As the year draws to a close, we’ve been looking back on our 2021 episodes and found some that were just hanging out there sadly at the bottom of the download tally. So this week, we’re going to highlight some of our favorite least-listened-to episodes of 2021.​Today's episode comes from February, when we took a cue from writer Emma Beddington at the Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/09/almost-a-year-working-from-home-time-for-my-family-performance-review] and provided performance reviews for our households, including family members and other important employees (like the dishwasher and the Internet service).

From Wisconsin and New Jersey, where kids wear shorts when it's freezing, to Southern California, where kids wear woolens when it's warm, we discuss kids not dressing for the actual weather and wonder whether we should care.

​​​Apparently college reveal parties (and godmother proposals) are a thing? Today we're talking about the extra-ness of it all, and why you shouldn't be tempted to tempt fate like this.

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup: Terri's listening to Walker Hayes' new song, "AA," on repeat [https://youtu.be/hp6T14iP2C4]. Nicole cleaned up a big mess with her O-Cedar EasyWring Spin Mop [https://www.target.com/p/o-cedar-easywring-spin-mop-and-bucket-system/-/A-50335649#lnk=sametab]. And Catherine's shouting out Rocket Fizz [https://rocketfizz.com/], a candy store where you can buy mushroom-flavored candy canes, pickle cotton candy, and ranch-dressing soda (along with actually good candy and other treats).

Inspired by this cute story [https://tasteofcountry.com/walker-hayes-fancy-like-promise-christmas-blowups/] about the singer Walker Hayes buying blow-up Christmas decorations for each of his six kids, we talked about what we'd splurge on for our families if we had the opportunity.

Nicole follows @mobile_mama [https://www.tiktok.com/@mobile_mama], a reviewer who evaluates cars based on their mom-friendliness, on TikTok. That inspired us to complain about our own cars, and suggest the features that would make us happier in our vehicles.

On our entertainment-themed Round 2 this week: Since we've professed interested in both musical theatre and anything Lin-Manuel Miranda does, we had to watch tick, tick ... BOOM! on Netflix. It's a movie adaption of Jonathan Larson's autobiographical show of the same name, and Andrew Garfield is captivating as Larson. Get out your Broadway bingo cards when you watch, because the cameos come fast and furious. Next week: Ted Lasso, season 2, episodes 1 ("Goodbye, Earl") and 2 ("Lavender").

Since our offspring grew up in the olden days before kids' podcasts were a thing (and neither were moms' podcasts), we talk about what shows they would have been into--or the messages we'd have wanted to deliver via podcast. Mentioned: The Wondery network's podcasts for kids [https://wondery.com/genre/kids-family/].

A chat about our zombie survival skills gets sidetracked by our musing about how people in breakdown-of-civilization movies somehow always have access to contact-lens solution.

We got our skin care and beauty advice from Seventeen magazine, and our daughters get it from YouTube. Because they definitely don't want to hear it from us.

This Thanksgiving week, we're checking in on our discussions from past years to see how our objects of gratitude have changed, or not. Today, in honor of Black Friday, we look at what our purchasing plans were back in 2017.Thank you, as always, for listening, this week and every week. We'll be back with new episodes on Monday, November 29.

This Thanksgiving week, we're checking in on our discussions from past years to see how our objects of gratitude have changed, or not. Today, we flash back to 2018, with a chat on gratefulness and a look at favorite holiday movies. Because 'tis the season for those again. Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thanksgiving week, we're checking in on our discussions from past years to see how our objects of gratitude have changed, or not. Today, we travel back to the fall of 2019, when we had no idea what was about to hit us.