Parenting Roundabout

We think Clue, Careers, and that game Catherine's family got at a garage sale could use some freshening up.

Calendars and planners: every parent needs one (or several), and if we could only find the perfect one, everything would just fall into place, right? We do have some specific ideas for all the planner-makers out there​.

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup: Catherine's enjoying The Spread [https://www.thespread.media/], a newsletter for people who miss print magazines. Nicole's sharing a squeezable treat that her cats go crazy for [https://www.hartz.com/products/cats/treats/squeeze_up/], and Terri reminds us all that is pumpkin doughnut season at Dunkin' Donuts, so act fast [https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en].

A U.S. News article on evaluating private elementary schools [https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/how-to-evaluate-private-elementary-schools] got us talking about what we look for in a school--which is not always easy to quantify. Also mentioned: Our recent episode on school strategies [https://www.parentingroundaboutpodcast.com/blog/our-best-school-strategies].

On this week's Round 3, we're complaining about some of the things we were taught as kids, and that we were expected to teach our own kids. Because some of them just don't make sense.

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2, we continue with our two half-hour comedies. On the sunnier one, Ted Lasso, we got our first look at Rebecca's oily ex, Rupert, and perhaps our last look, we hope, at Keeley and Jamie as a couple. Next: "Tan Lines."And on the slightly darker Only Murders in the Building, it's Sting, playing himself with a very good sense of humor, plus the sad backstory of Steve Martin's character, Charles. Next: Episode 5, "Twist."

'Tis the season for #hoco parades, football games. and dances, but why should high-schoolers and former high-schoolers have all the fun? There are a few (a select few) places and groups of people from other times in our kids' lives that we'd like to revisit.

Whether they're questions we don't want to answer in front of our kids to questions that throw us into an existential career crisis, we recall some questions we wish we'd never been asked.

Complaint day is a regular feature on Parenting Roundabout, and this week's subject is car trips with kids. So much to not like: arguments over the stereo system, bringing way too much stuff, the entire state of Indiana.

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup: Nicole shouts out Las Vegas's Hofbrauhaus [https://www.hofbrauhauslasvegas.com/], where it's Oktoberfest 12 months of the year. Terri's found a digital planner that's just as pretty as a paper one: Artful Agenda [https://www.artfulagenda.com/]. And Catherine's enjoying both the name and the flavor of Off the Eaten Path veggie crisps [https://www.offtheeatenpathsnacks.com/products/veggie-crisps].

Our Canadian was raised to be proud of her Australian roots, two of us are Italian by marriage, and two of our kids were born in Russia but don't recall their lives there. Mostly, we're all-American mutts who enjoy Italian food ... and Vegemite?!

Our kids are pretty far removed from recess time at this point, but we still managed to muster up plenty of complaints about their time in the schoolyard (not to mention our own. Terri's still mad about her sticker sales career being cut short).

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2, the third episode of Ted Lasso's first season, "Trent Crimm: The Independent," brought us more Roy Kent and more Keeley, along with two-tone hair reporter Trent Crimm--who of course thwarted Rebecca's attempt to make Ted look bad. It's not happening, honey! Next week: "For the Children."Only Murders in the Building asked "How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?" in its third episode. Not only did we learn more (probably too much more) about Cat Dad Howard, we also met Nathan Lane and Amy Ryan, along with Sting playing himself, or possibly a crankier version of himself--and one and all living in the Arconia. Mentioned: "Where to Shop Selena Gomez's Bright and Stylish Outfits from Only Murders in the Building" at Elle.com [https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a37432118/selena-gomez-fashion-only-murders-in-the-building/]. Next week: "The Sting."

On today's Round 1, we talked about what we'd need in a matchmaking app for parent friends: filters for drama, housekeeping standards, and kids' willingness to go with the flow. It's a tall order, but we know there's an app developer out there who can do it!

​Some of us have specific requirements for cake, but others? You had us at "cake."

We scan Amazon's lists for best-selling [https://amzn.to/2R82GyX] and most-wished-for [https://amzn.to/2LSle0x] parenting books (or should we say "parenting?!" books) to see if there's anything we've read, anything we'd want to read, and most importantly, anything written by Terri [https://amzn.to/2BUrYGo] or Nicole [https://amzn.to/2RpQoS6]. No? C'mon, Amazon!

On this week’s Roundabout Roundup: Catherine shouts out Team Rubicon [https://teamrubiconusa.org/service/], a charitable organization founded by veterans. Terri's found another super-helpful feature of the Opera browser: quick and easy screenshots [https://www.opera.com/features/snapshot]. And speaking of quick and easy, Nicole's enjoying the meal delivery service Gobble [https://www.gobble.com/].

When one of our children decided they needed a week's vacation from their part-time job, we started obsessing about work ethic, and whether it's generational, temperamental, or just another way for young adults to express their independence.

A bill for $8.82 for a phone conversation kicked off a complaint about analog bill-paying. Please take our money electronically if you really want it!

On this week's entertainment-themed Round 2, both shows we're watching blossomed in their second episodes. On Ted Lasso ("Biscuits"), we are getting to know the main characters better (and some of the peripheral ones too; you go, soccer-playing girl neighbor). And on Only Murders in the Building, we are being drawn right in to the mystery of "Who Is Tim Kono?" along with "who are Mabel, Charles, and Oliver?" Plus, we love a dead-friend returning to provide commentary, a la Lilly Kane (Veronica Mars) and Griffin Dunne's character in American Werewolf in London.Next week: “Trent Crimm: The Independent” on Ted Lasso and “How Well Do You Know Your Neighbors?” on Only Murders in the Building.