After talking about Terri's husband's cooking and meal-planning in a previous episode, we thought we'd see what the division of labor is in everybody's household, including the contentious issue of who exactly is allowed to load the dishwasher. (Note: Amanda mentions our group chat on parenting styles tomorrow, except what she really means is last week, because recording things ahead of time is confusing.) Share who does what around your house in the comments here or on our Facebook page, or tweet us @RoundAboutChat.

During last week's group chat, Amanda and her husband, Jon,  talked about birthday parties and kids with special needs, and that inspired us to talk more generally about some of the more over-the-top children's parties we've had the privilege of dragging our children to. Do you have a big-birthday-party tale to tell? Comment here or on our Facebook page, or tweet us @RoundAboutChat.

It's been one of those weeks here in Parenting Roundabout land (an enchanted place that now spans four timezones), and so we come together for our group chat with a shorter attention span and a more meandering style than ever. But that's where your brain's at too, right? Here's a road map of this week's conversation:

1:43: What's New With You? — Join is in a moment of silence for Nicole, who has just had her parents in her house for FIVE WEEKS. And a moment of thanks for OnStar, which saved Terri from a very awkward conversation with a parking-lot attendant.

5:44: That Storm Was How Big? — You might have heard, it snowed a li'l bit on the East Coast last weekend. We talked about what counts as an OMG STORM! in our various parts of the country. (Visit the French Toast Alert System and a Facebook message from the Bangor Maine Police Department to laugh along with us.)

17:44: What's for Dinner? — A mention in last week's episode of Terri's husband's old-school paper-based meal-planning system inspired us to talk more about how food gets on the table in our houses. Debates over the appropriateness of breakfast for dinner, leftovers for breakfast, and calling ham Canadian bacon ensued.

28:50: Interview of the Week — Amanda chatted with her husband, Jon, about the various complicating factors of going to birthday parties with your child with special needs. (Like, should you go? And should you stay? And is it okay to give homework as a gift?) For more on over-the-top birthdays, listen to Amanda's earlier chat with Lexi Walters Wright on the subject.

39:46: Shameless Self-Promotion — Amanda shared an article on helping your child cope with taste sensitivity; Nicole shared an article calling for people to share their inclusion resources; Terri shared an article on 8 Ways to Make Parents of Children With Special Needs STOP Listening to You; and Catherine shared an article on active party games for kids.

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our podcast and for our fun in-and-out music. If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

The Speed Rounds you've been listening to all week will be replacing Round 3 and 4 as you've known them -- we're tucking those mini-interviews into our group chats starting January 15. So the end of our anniversary week seemed like a good time to look back on our favorite Round 3s, Round 4s, and even Round 2s (which will still be bringing you entertainment chat every Tuesday-ish.) If you want to listen to the full episodes after hearing us chat about them, here are the links:

+ Nicole's favorites: Round 4s by Amanda and her husband Jon; Round 2s on Dancing With the Stars
+ Amanda's favorites: Round 3 on school lunches with Lexi Walters Wright; Round 4 on IEP meetings with Robert Rummel-Hudson
+ Catherine's favorites: Round 4 on Inside Out and Special Needs with Robert Rummel-Hudson; Round 2 on audiobooks and Dancing With the Stars
+ Terri's favorites: Round 3 on kids and commercialization with Lexi Walters Wright (and that Hulk cologne pull-quote); Round 2s on So You Think You Can Dance

(If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

[This is an encore presentation of a Parenting Roundabout episode originally released on June 10, 2015. If you listened to it the first time, this is your second chance to follow up on all the resources and ideas mentioned that you just never quite got around to. And if you didn’t listen to it the first time -- hey, it's new to you! Either way, please listen and enjoy.]

With a summer full of superheroes and superhero merchandising ahead, Lexi Walters Wright chats with Amanda about the challenge of getting through a supermarket or a Target without accumulating a cart-full of pricey licensed items that really do not have superpowers no matter how much your kid believes. They talk about the lesson kids learn about advertising when the branded stuff disappoints and the financial challenge of finding the name-brand stuff your kid just has to have, and recommend these sites for parents fighting the good fight against licensed everything:

+ Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
+ Commonsense Media
+ Center on Media and Child Health

If you're reading this someplace without hyperlinks, visit http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

Each month, Amanda gets together with Lexi Walters Wright to talk about the things that come up when you have younger kids. This week, what came up was a lot of agita and complaining. In particular, Lexi and Amanda had a lot to say about what it's like to feel exhausted, like you're messing up all over the place and missing those mom moments you're supposed to be around for.

When they weren't complaining, they did talk about how their husbands and support systems should be getting more credit than then advertisers would have us believe, as noted in this article, Lowe's and LG's Poor Portrayal of Dads Says We Still Have a Long, Long Way to Go. Skeptical? Check out the Lowes ad itself on YouTube after you listen to Amanda rant about it! (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience).

This week, the arrival of standard time and the influence of the Bloggess threw us into a tailspin of dark days and mortifying memories. After a brief opening chat that included the discovery that the "OJ Chase" is not something you can refer to and expect your teenager to know what you're talking about (it's what brought us the Kardashians, kids!), we compared notes on how we're surviving the change of time and light, and most especially the juxtaposition of the time change and Halloween, which is great for parents of teens, not so great for parents of tots who wake up at the crack of dawn demanding candy. (Where's that coffee IV when you need it?)

Next, inspired by a Twitter stream of mortifying events shared by followers of @thebloggess, we were moved to share our own misstatements (like saying "Love you!" at the end of conversations even when it's wincingly inappropriate) and missteps (like the one that sent Nicole sprawling on the floor of a Las Vegas casino). We wondered, among other things, why the sound in a room always drops just when you're yelling that embarrassing thing, and what the statute of limitations is for blaming farts on your kid.

Finally, we sought to redeem ourselves by sharing our recommendations for the week: Catherine introduced us to Minecraft Story Mode; Amanda liked a video called Taking Back Time that turns the time change into a disaster movie; Lexi passed on an article about long lines for story times; Nicole thought a video about a young woman exposing social-media deception had a worthwhile message, even if it made Terri grumpy (that video has since been removed, but you can get the gist from this one); and Terri shared an article of hers about time-change-related bad behavior (your child's, and yours too).

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our episode and Kristen Eredics for our happy in-and-out music (and for being a live studio audience for part of the podcast). If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

[This is an encore presentation of a Parenting Roundabout episode originally released on May 13, 2015. If you listened to it the first time, this is your second chance to follow up on all the resources and ideas mentioned that you just never quite got around to. And if you didn’t listen to it the first time -- hey, it's new to you! Either way, please listen and enjoy.]

Fresh off hosting 75 people for a four-year-old's birthday party with a theme of "Space, Ranbows, and Superheroes," Lexi Walters Wright chats with Terri about present protocols, color-coordinated superhero cupcakes, backyards vs. bowling alleys, how birthday parties have changed over the years, and why you won't find a pinata at her house. For more advice on birthday parties, read Lexi's articles on Understood.org:

+ 3 Reasons Kids May Struggle With Birthday Parties
+ 8 Ways to Make Your Young Child’s Party a Success
+ Common Party Pitfalls for Grade-Schoolers With Learning and Attention Issues

(If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

It's October, which brings a lot of change in the parenting world. Along with the seasons changing, and the settling in to the school year, we have Halloween anticipation ... or dread, as the case may be. We discussed our favorite candies to steal from our little trick-or-treaters, our costuming issues, the transition from plastic pumpkin pail to pillowcase, and whether anybody ever comes to our house.

Of course, Halloween isn't the only thing we love and/or hate about this time of year. The weather is changing (at least for some of us); the back-to-school honeymoon is over and teachers/kids are starting to complain; and cheerful reminders are popping up on Facebook that Christmas is coming. We lamented the tragedy that is fall in California when you're used to actual seasons; the onset of child activities that suck up all family time; the cost of wool socks; and the season of East Coast hurricane hysteria. But there are pretty leaves! (And superhero wool socks!)

Finally, we shared our recommendations for the week. Catherine suggested "Healthier Halloween" info on About.com; Amanda wrote an article on "Halloween Challenges for Kids With Sensory Processing Issues — and How to Help" (and Terri added a plug for the simplest possible costumes); Nicole (allegedly trying to be helpful and not stress anyone out, but c'mon) directed us to Halloween ideas on Pinterest; Lexi got to speak with some smart experts about Why Your Teen or Tween May Be Frustrated With School -- and What You Can Say to Help; and Terri offered articles on Halloween help for special needs and a Halloween apology template for those class moms who just Do Not Get It with the restricted diets.

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our episodes and Kristin Eredics for our happy in-and-out music. If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

Our group chat started off on a positive note as we shared those clever tricks we've developed over the years to solve various organizational and parenting problems. We gave ourselves pats on the back for finding new uses for pizza boxes and Book Sox, and even for remembering to put gas in the car. It's all good.

Things quickly turned bad, though, when we moved on to our second topic: those things that make us irrationally, blood-boilingly, family flee-ingly furious. Whether it's printers, phones, Windows 8, clutter, or inefficient doing of laundry that lights the fuse, you'll want to get out of the way before we blow.

Fortunately, we calmed down in time to share our recommendations for the week. Catherine gave credit to the Parent Hacks site for giving us the idea for Topic 1 in the first place; Amanda tipped us off to an Understood.org article by Round 3 contributor Lexi Walters Wright on "8 Ways to Use Color-Coding to Help Kids With Executive Functioning Issues"; Nicole followed that up with a mention of an article on "25 Easy Ways to Improve Executive Functioning Skills" on her Inclusive Class site; and Terri directed listeners to her About.com Parenting Children With Special Needs site for help with Halloween-costume hacks, clutter storage, and inciting yourself into a tantrum.

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our episodes and Kristin Eredics for our happy in-and-out music.

This week, Amanda talked with monthly contributor Lexi Walters Wright about a tougher than usual topic. Parenting isn't always easy, and getting to the experience of being a parent isn't alway easy either. Lexi talked about her struggle not only with miscarriages but also with how to manage there not being any protocol to talk about them. She shares how that encouraged her to become a facilitator of a local Empty Arms Miscarriage Support Group. Amanda opened up about her experience with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) and how isolating it was to feel so ill and alienated during what should have been a happy time.

The good news, they both agreed, is that celebrity parents are making it easier to talk about these issues. From Mark Zuckerberg's public statement about his and his wife's experience with miscarriage to Kate Middleton's very public experience with HG, celebs are speaking up and helping parents like us. Lexi shared an article from Parenting about celebs who have had miscarriages and Amanda shared one she wrote for PopSugar Moms about HG. (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

When's the last time you went to a wedding? Did you get a paper invitation or an Evite? And did you notice whether the bride and groom were collecting gifts in a cash box, a satin bag, or a dirty shoe? We talked about these and other wedding trends, with a detour into bar and bat mitzvahs, and noticed that we're all in the stage of life where we're sitting back and waiting for our friends' kids (and our own kids?!) to get married.

That led us into a discussion of the swiftness of time, especially in the summer. Ironically, it's our Canadian Nicole who has no sorries at all to offer about her fun summer, which included a visit to the Motherland. Catherine's looking wistfully at blank chore charts and unsent barbecue invitations, while Terri plans to squeeze all her summer fun into her family's upcoming vacation. Amanda moved her entire household this summer so we're giving her a pass on accomplishing anything else.

Finally, we shared our weekly recommendations: Catherine mentioned her new article on adding more vegetables to your family's diet (which is actually a plea for new cucumber recipes); Amanda recommended a piece by our colleague Lexi Walters Wright on the summer movies of 2015; Nicole noted that we would all feel better about our summer accomplishments after we read this list of 50 summer activities; and Terri suggested her resources for family events -- Family Gathering Survival Kit, Family Gathering Bingo, Safe Things to Say to Parents of Kids With Special Needs at Family Gatherings, and the All-Purpose Apology Template.

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for editing our episode and Kristin Eredics for our happy in-and-out music. If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

From finding enough options for varied lunches to dealing with kids who only eat one lunch to collecting fairy dewdrops to adorn our Bento Box lunches, Lexi and Amanda are ready to start packing. Packing lunches, that is. Moving from daycare to preschool this year has Lexi in a panic. She talks about the pressure of being the follow-up act to her son's daycare provider's delicious, nutritious hot meals. Amanda's advice is simple: Stop caring. She shares that her daughter ate from the "olive cart" (actually the "a la carte") menu in middle school and is sure the experience of eating only chocolate-chip cookies and churros for three years was good preparation for college life. If you're wondering what to do when your kid only eats sandwich-size pepperoni and superhero CheezIts, we've got advice for you! And, to be fair, we also shared some sound, easy-to-manage recipes from a great Kveller article, "23 Back-to-School Lunch Ideas Your Kids Will Actually Eat." (If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Did you see that viral story making the rounds about a diner owner who screamed at a toddler who wouldn't stop screaming, and then kept up a NSFW social-media battle with the tot's similarly unable-to-let-it-go parents? Yeah, us too. Did you refrain from reading the comments that you knew were going to make you feel like everybody is judging you and your family and maybe you should just go hide in a dark room? Yeah, us neither, even though we all know better by now, don't we? We piled on with our own observations about the situation, and wondered why we can't just all live and let live and let dine and let read the Internet without feeling under attack.

Moving from kids who are out of control to other family members who don't always obey, we talked about our beloved and often noisy-at-podcast-time dogs, sharing whether and why we're pet people. Finally, we gave our recommendations for the week: Catherine mentioned an article on "Activities for Dogs and Families to Share" and another on stopping with the parent shaming already; Amanda thought an article on "What to Say When Other People Interfere with Your Parenting" by one of our Round 3 contributors, Lexi Walters Wright, was apropos; Nicole suggested a survey on "What Kind of Pet Is Right for Your Family?" from Parents.com; and Terri passed on articles about taking kids to restaurants and other community trouble spots and creating the best chance for success — as well as a rant she wrote when she got riled about this sort of thing in the past.

Thanks as always to Jon Morin for producing our episode and Kristin Eredics for our happy in-and-out music.

[This is an encore presentation of a Parenting Roundabout episode originally released on April 8, 2015. If you listened to it the first time, this is your second chance to follow up on all the resources and ideas mentioned that you just never quite got around to. And if you didn’t listen to it the first time -- hey, it's new to you! Either way, please listen and enjoy.]

Are superheroes good role models for little boys? And how much should moms worry about that? Amanda chatted with her Understood.org colleague Lexi Walters Wright about violent comic-book covers, mom-created vulnerable superheroes, and the rite of passage from obliviousness to obsession when it comes to the great wide world of superhero merchandising. What do you do when your child moves on from things like space and rainbows and brown -- things you can understand and share -- to a fascination with a huge and detailed universe you know nothing about? How do you convince him that Batman pajamas don't mean you can fly, dressing up like the Hulk doesn't mean you can hit your friend, and doing the dishes is superhero-worthy work? For more on the topic, follow these links mentioned in the podcast:

+ Marvel cancels two upcoming covers following uproar over new Spider-Woman
+ Violent 'Batgirl' cover pulled after Twitter uproar
+ Mom creates a coloring book to show son that superheroes CAN cry
+ PDF of the coloring book
+ Let Toys Be Toys

What's the superhero situation in your house? Share in the comments, and if you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

With a summer full of superheroes and superhero merchandising ahead, Lexi Walters Wright chats with Amanda about the challenge of getting through a supermarket or a Target without accumulating a cart-full of pricey licensed items that really do not have superpowers no matter how much your kid believes. They talk about the lesson kids learn about advertising when the branded stuff disappoints and the financial challenge of finding the name-brand stuff your kid just has to have, and recommend these sites for parents fighting the good fight against licensed everything:

+ Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood
+ Commonsense Media
+ Center on Media and Child Health

If you're reading this someplace without hyperlinks, visit http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.

Fresh off hosting 75 people for a four-year-old's birthday party with a theme of "Space, Ranbows, and Superheroes," Lexi Walters Wright chats with Terri about present protocols, color-coordinated superhero cupcakes, backyards vs. bowling alleys, how birthday parties have changed over the years, and why you won't find a pinata at her house. For more advice on birthday parties, read Lexi's articles on Understood.org:

+ 3 Reasons Kids May Struggle With Birthday Parties
+ 8 Ways to Make Your Young Child’s Party a Success
+ Common Party Pitfalls for Grade-Schoolers With Learning and Attention Issues

(If you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.)

Are superheroes good role models for little boys? And how much should moms worry about that? Amanda chatted with her Understood.org colleague Lexi Walters Wright about violent comic-book covers, mom-created vulnerable superheroes, and the rite of passage from obliviousness to obsession when it comes to the great wide world of superhero merchandising. What do you do when your child moves on from things like space and rainbows and brown — things you can understand and share — to a fascination with a huge and detailed universe you know nothing about? How do you convince him that Batman pajamas don't mean you can fly, dressing up like the Hulk doesn't mean you can hit your friend, and doing the dishes is superhero-worthy work? For more on the topic, follow these links mentioned in the podcast:

+ Marvel cancels two upcoming covers following uproar over new Spider-Woman
+ Violent 'Batgirl' cover pulled after Twitter uproar
+ Mom creates a coloring book to show son that superheroes CAN cry
+ PDF of the coloring book
+ Let Toys Be Toys

What's the superhero situation in your house? Share in the comments, and if you're reading this somewhere without hyperlinks, come to http://parentingroundabout.com for the full recap experience.