Parenting Roundabout

On this week's entertainment-themed episode, two pretty tough episodes of Ted Lasso. Characters struggled with daddy issues, panic attacks, head injuries, and a drubbing from Manchester City (plus a probably inappropriate, but irresistible, workplace romance). Next: Season 2, episode 9, ”Beard After Dark,” and episode 10, “No Weddings and a Funeral.” Mentioned: The Baseball 100 by Joe Posnanski [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Baseball-100/Joe-Posnanski/9781982180584], Linda Holmes's TL recaps at NPR.org [https://www.npr.org/series/1041961886/ted-lasso-recaps], and Roy Kent fan sweatshirts at The Shop Forward [https://www.theshopforward.com/products/i-heart-roy-kent-unisex-pullover-navy].

We totally fell for a clickbait-y headline about a mom bringing four uninvited guests to kids' birthday parties [https://www.today.com/parents/mom-5-says-she-brings-whole-family-birthday-parties-t242940], and had to talk about it. Of course, the situation was much more nuanced than the title implied--and so are the rules about who should go to birthday parties.

From the West Coast to the East Coast, from the suburbs to the sprawl, we shout out some cities we've loved or liked or had mixed feelings about. It's complicated.​

According to an article in US News and World Report [https://health.usnews.com/wellness/for-parents/articles/foods-for-anxiety-lower-kids-stress-levels-with-these-healthy-choices], eating foods including salmon, chickpeas, watercress, and sauerkraut could help soothe anxiety and stress. We note that chocolate, cookies, and Cheez-its seem to work equally well. At the very least, they don't add stress. Mentioned: Jameela Jamil on Justin Long's podcast, Life is Short [https://wondery.com/shows/justin-long/].​

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup: Catherine discovered she has a talent for axe-throwing. Nicole shouts out a portable projector that lets you turn any blank wall into a movie screen [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08M3ZFW2J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1]. And Terri recommends the audiobook Nine Nasty Words: English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624619/nine-nasty-words-by-john-mcwhorter/] (but maybe use earphones, depending on who else can hear it).

An adorable Instagram post from musician (and father of many little kids) Thomas Rhett [https://www.instagram.com/p/CXjTTVJFqgw/] got us obsessing about the old saying, "The days are long, but the years are short." It's true, but not necessarily something you want to hear when you're in the trenches. (And the days may be long, but the nights are endless!)

In lieu of a New Year's resolution, some people (like author Karen Walrond [https://www.chookooloonks.com/blog/focusing-on-words]) choose a word of the year to represent their hopes and intentions for the coming year. This, of course, is too much pressure for us, so we can't take it seriously. But we do want to know if you have a special word for 2022. Tweet it at us at https://twitter.com/roundaboutchat!

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2, two more episodes of Ted Lasso, season two. "Rainbow" was a delightful rom-com tribute that nicely followed up the preceding episode, "Carol of the Bells," and its Love Actually inspirations. And "The Signal" gave us plenty of dating-app hi-jinks along with a nice victory for the team and for Nate. Next: Episodes 7 and 8 of season 2, "Headspace" and "Man City."

Happy New Year! We are not resolution people, so we figured: Why not think big, and make some ambitious pledges that we know we won't follow up on? Mentioned: Artful Agenda [https://www.artfulagenda.com/], Terri's Roundabout Roundup pick from a few months ago [https://www.parentingroundaboutpodcast.com/blog/roundabout-roundup-hofbrauhaus-las-vegas-artful-agenda-and-off-the-eaten-path]. She's still using it, which is quite an endorsement.

From vitamins to pop-sockets to surprise boxes, we talk about our latest purchases and some Prime particulars.

Today's topic: New Year's Eve (and New Year's Day) traditions and memories, like narrowly avoiding Y2K disaster and giving Times Square a wide berth. How do you celebrate?

Happy holidays! This week, we are taking a look back at some 2021 episodes we loved. Today, our favorite Roundabout Roundup picks, originally from June 25 (robot vacuum), August 13 (summer dresses), and September 24 (bone-building foods). Visit https://parentingroundabout.com for all the links.​Nicole upgraded her robot vacuum to a combo vac/mop (that unfortunately does not kill giant scary spiders). Catherine sang the praises of a Knox Rose summer dress from Target, plus offered a side recommendation for the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. And Much to Nicole's dismay, Terri tried sardines (to strengthen her bones) and described the experience in great detail. Plus, she learned that you can indeed scramble eggs in the microwave.

Happy holidays! This week, we are taking a look back at some 2021 episodes we loved. This one originally dropped on July 1.​Terri's birthday was yesterday, and Catherine's is next week. But don't rely on these idea lists from New York magazine [https://nymag.com/strategist/article/best-birthday-gifts-for-mom.html], Etsy [https://www.etsy.com/market/gifts_for_mom_birthday], and Cosmo [https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/fashion/g26765913/gifts-for-mom-from-daughter/] when you're shopping.

Happy holidays! This week, we are taking a look back at some 2021 episodes we loved. This one originally dropped on May 26 (but the topic is back in the news now [https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/us/cheugy-omicron-among-2021s-most-mispronounced-words/ar-AARxZMV]).​We wade into, and complain about, the debate over who, or what, is "cheugy" [https://www.cnet.com/how-to/what-does-the-word-cheugy-mean-and-how-do-you-know-if-you-are-a-cheug-a-guide/]. We like Instagram and Ugg boots but could care less about chevrons, decorative wooden signs, and Harry Potter merch (in fact one of us actively can't stand Harry Potter), so we might be safe!

Happy holidays! This week, we are taking a look back at some 2021 episodes we loved. These originally dropped in August (CODA) and November (Only Murders in the Building).The movie CODA (on AppleTV+) is a lovely look at a the ordinary life of a teenage girl, played by Emilia Jones, whose parents and brother happen to be deaf. It's predictable, yet complex and joyful. Mentioned: Pop Culture Happy Hour's discussion of the movie.On Only Murders in the Building, "The Boy From 6B" (season 1, episode 7) provided a ton of exposition with almost no dialogue. It was a clever, creative way to suggest two new suspects for Tim Kono's murder.

Happy holidays! This week, we are taking a look back at some 2021 episodes we loved. This one originally dropped on April 12. ​​It's our version of the old TLC show "A Baby Story"! Your three podcasters have three very different birth and adoption stories, each with their challenges--but all with a happy ending. Listen for our tales of hives; hyperemesis; planes, trains, and automobiles; and Johnny Depp.

In this holiday week, we're focusing on happy things, like having family around us, and maybe having podcasting friends around us too.

On this day of gift-giving in honor of a baby, we discuss whether nontraditional baby shower gifts are an improvement on the basic baby blanket and onesie. Plus: Bonus complaining about how it's harder than ever to buy gifts for our families.

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup: Nicole shouts out this very podcast--specifically, our archives, because we have over 1,000 episodes for you to enjoy. Terri tried out a fun promotion from the Two Blind Brothers store [https://twoblindbrothers.com/pages/reveal], and was rewarded with a soft and adorable stuffed puppy [https://twoblindbrothers.com/collections/kids/products/guide-dog-guider-yellow-lab-puppy?variant=39390051467360]. And Catherine binged Netflix's Blown Away Christmas [https://www.netflix.com/title/81251991], the special edition of a show she recommended in this space more than two years ago (told you we have a lot of old episodes).

On yesterday's episode, we recounted some holiday tales of woe. Today, we take a fresh look at how we could fix some holiday fails with a do-over. Learn from us, young parents!