Parenting Roundabout

Whether our kids are at home or away, there are challenges (and some victories) when it comes to staying in communication with them.

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2, Dancing with the Stars suggested we learn a whole lot about the life of Elvis and about how bad many guys look in wigs. And we said goodbye to a Real Housewife in favor of a Charlie's Angel. Next: James Bond Night.On Rutherford Falls, we also learned something: Reagan has a family! A beloved Aunt Sue, who passed away, and parents. Whaddya know! And speaking of parents, Nathan's going to be one. Oh, dear. Next: "Land Back."

Having a growth mindset [https://www.mindsetworks.com/science/] can be a pathway to success for kids (and adults). But sometimes a parent's idea of growth doesn't match a teacher's, and then what?

Forget the running playlist, the breakup playlist, and the poolside playlist. We have some other ideas for songs to live by.

​A New York Times letter-writer prompted today's chat when she wrote: "It is my belief that children often have more of an impact on changing their parents than parents may have on molding their children." We can't quite commit to that "more" business, but agree that parenting sure has changed us.​

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup, Terri recommends a trip down memory lane with The Big Chill on HBO Max [https://www.hbomax.com/feature/urn:hbo:feature:GYiJjVARO5pA3MQEAAABR], or a old movie of your choice. Since her kids are no longer at home, Nicole's spoiling her cats with a cute new cat condo [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0792CKRHC?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details], and Catherine suggests a fun thriller novel set at a refuge for monkeys: Florida Woman by Deb Rogers [https://www.harpercollins.com/products/florida-woman-deb-rogers?variant=39723439882274].

We borrow once again from the Bobby Bones Show [https://bobbybones.iheart.com/] to obsess about whether 12-year-olds should wear thongs or cut their hair in mohawks, and how we feel about our own kids' clothing, hair, and accessory choices.

On this week's Round 3, it's our version of the TikTok #parentingchallenge. Between us and our spouses, who's stricter, funnier, neater, more outgoing? It's a new twist on complaining about our partners--gently!

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2, it's back to the ballroom for a new season of Dancing With the Stars. The show is now streaming on Disney+, so you've got to pony up for that service if you want to watch. But benefits include no commercials, an elimination at the end of the show (instead of awkwardly happening a week late), and--at least this week--mostly dancing, little faffing about. Next week: Elvis night.We're also back in Rutherford Falls for a few more weeks (season 2 has just 8 episodes). There's considerably less sparkle and glitter, but there is a grumpy new curator to help Reagan out. Next: S2 E3, "Aunt Sue."

Here's a lesson learned: Don't ask your kids who their heroes are unless you are prepared for their answer. But we also acknowledge that life off of the pedestal is pretty comfortable.

It's time to return to the urgent question of most recent photos on our phones [https://www.spreaker.com/episode/18922795], and this crop is more exciting than last time: A memorable souvenir, a nimbler-than-expected dog, and some possibly illegal activity.

Target's car-seat trade-in event [https://corporate.target.com/corporate-responsibility/planet/sustainable-products/car-seat-trade-in] is happening now (NOTE: This is a replay, but the event really is happening now, September 11-24!), which got us thinking: We have a lot of other kid stuff we'd like to trade in for bigger and better things.

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup, Nicole is into the Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon [https://www.hbo.com/house-of-the-dragon]. Switching gears entirely, Terri recommends a daily live rosary from Kitty Cleveland of Kitty's Morning Glories [https://www.facebook.com/groups/307917207476233]. And Catherine's off in another very different direction with the book Reading for Our Lives: A Literacy Action Plan from Birth to Six by Maya Paine Smart [https://mayasmart.com/book/].

Parenting TikTok is all about #gentleparenting, so we had to obsess over it for awhile. Nicole's all for it, Terri has doubts, and Catherine mostly stays out of it and feels quietly guilty about whatever she did or didn't do when her kids were little. Mentioned: "What Is Gentle Parenting?" at Parents magazine [https://www.parents.com/parenting/better-parenting/style/what-is-gentle-parenting/] and Howard Glasser's Nurtured Heart Approach [https://nurturedheartinstitute.com/].

While Nicole was away, Catherine and Terri alternated home and appliance annoyances [https://www.parentingroundaboutpodcast.com/blog/revisiting-the-joys-of-homeownership]. Now that Nicole is back, it was her turn to deal with a big mess: ants taking over her pantry.

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2: We kick off season 2 of Rutherford Falls (the final season, as it turns out). The titular "white man" is, of course, Nathan, who has secretly returned to Rutherford Falls but possibly hasn't learned much on his epic journey of self-discovery. Next: S2 E2, "The New Curator."We also kicked off a new season of Dancing with the Stars, now on Disney+, with a preseason special called "Pros' Most Memorable Dances." While it was fun to see some of the dances from years past, we question whether these were truly the most memorable. For example, Catherine nominates this Charleston from Nastia Liukin and Sasha [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkvEjn-tkEI] as her top pick. We also ran down the cast for the upcoming season [https://tvline.com/lists/dancing-with-the-stars-season-31-cast-full-list-dwts/], which premieres Monday, 9/19.

We've been checking all those first day of school photos, and that led us to reminisce about back-to-school shopping--with our own moms, and with our kids.

Not all of our children's activities are exactly fun for us, but there are those things that became as much a part of our social life as our kids'. On today's Speed Round, we give a cheer for team sports and marching band. And fancy cupcakes!

After ignoring it for years, we suddenly started to wonder if dental insurance is a must or a maybe. Our complaint: The math (surprise!) is complicated, at least here in the USA (mentioned: Oscar insurance [https://www.hioscar.com/]).

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup, Terri's recommending something that might be tough to replicate: Getting a hand-me-down Apple Watch [https://www.apple.com/watch/]. Cultivate a friendship with someone who has one! You can easily acquire Catherine's recommendation, a novel called Flying Solo by NPR's Linda Holmes [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/574065/flying-solo-by-linda-holmes/]. And it's also easy to check out Nicole's pick, speaking_of_cats on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@speaking_of_cats]. Be a part of this viral star's following!