Parenting Roundabout

On this week's entertainment-themed episode: The season finales of both our series! Bridgerton finally arrived at Kate and Anthony's happy ending, but there were quite unhappy endings for several other characters. We await season 3 with some trepidation, because of the Bridgerton boys' tendency to lunkheadedness (looking at you, Colin).On The Afterparty, the mystery is finally solved, with the help of eyewitness testimony from little Maggie (Brett and Zoe's daughter). Did we figure it out before we were told? Nope, but we did enjoy the ride and will likely watch when the show returns for season 2.Next: Season 2 of another show we enjoyed very much: Girls5Eva on Peacock. We'll watch two episodes a week, so first up are "Album Mode" and "Triumphant Return to the Studio."

The Japanese TV show Old Enough (available on Netflix [https://www.netflix.com/title/81506279]) features teeny, tiny children going out in the world to run errands. It got us talking about how this would play in the U.S. (uh, it wouldn't). Mentioned: Saturday Night Live's spoof on the show [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhGTtWsW9F8].

Terri's just trying to walk her dog around her nice suburban neighborhood. Why are people treating her like public enemy #1?

​Today's obsession is sleep, and whether our kids are getting enough of it. Because when the kids aren't sleeping, neither are the mothers. It's quite the vicious cycle.

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) where is Jennifer 2's husband? It'll all get wrapped up next week: "Maggie."

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 [https://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/ask-the-pediatrician/Pages/Are-there-shortages-of-infant-formula-due-to-COVID-19.aspx].)

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.