Parenting Tips from “Shrinking” S2 E9, “Full Grown Dude Face”

Welcome to the Parenting Roundabout podcast. I'm Terry Morrow and I'm Catherine hileco. As parents and parenting writers, we can't help but see everything through a parenting lens. But as our kids have become adults, we find ourselves more interested in getting caught up on movies and streaming than I'm going over the same parenting topics over and over.

So since we're pretty sure we can find parenting wisdom anywhere, we're going to talk about what we're watching, what we thought about it, and maybe what we can learn from it, if only what not to do. Watch and listen along, and let's all make like we're doing something important for our families. Each week we bring you our thoughts on a newer entertainment property, and for this week of December thirtieth, we're discussing the ninth episode of the new season of Shrinking.

For thank you, not only comic relief.

But like some some real you know, breakthroughs and advancements in therapy and people actually telling other people how they feel. So that they can move forward together. There was definitely a lot more of that we had seen.

So Derek and Liz seem to be back and okay, and Liz is back to her usual uh, sharp tongued self.

Yeah, when everybody's relief.

Yes, And Alice is apparently dating a guy named Dylan.

Now.

In the flashbacks last week, she mentioned liking somebody named Dylan, which was three years ago.

Right, is this the same Dylan?

Yeah, that seems that seems.

Only didn't have a grown dude face then, right, But parenting wise, the right right away we get a good parenting tip is when you're chatting with your daughter's date, don't almost choke to death.

It's embarrassing for everybody.

Really, he has to give you a heimelick, and then then the whole dynamic of your relationship is skewed.

Right, Yeah, because Jimmy was trying to show off by throwing a grape in the air and catching it in his mouth.

And if he's a cool dad, he's a cool dad.

Not cool when you have to get heimlicked by your daughter's date. Yeah, in front of Sean and Sean's friend, we're laughing at you.

Yeah, Yeah, that was that was funny and just a parenting tip right there. You know, don't try to look cool, don't try to just you know, be respectful, be a dad. Give them, you know, give him the stink eye, but don't try to look by.

Throwing a garpe in your mouth. Yeah it never ends, well, no, sure doesn't.

Sean's job in this episode was mostly to just sit around to laugh at people.

Right.

Good to see that guy last exactly.

I was happy for him.

Yeah, good to see him observing other people struggling and being like, yeah, yeah, allow me to make fun of you in a gentle way.

Yep. And you know, we had Paul kind of laying down the the dad slash therapist talk with both Jimmy and Gabby, right yeah.

Yeah, there was a lot of talk in this right along in our wheelhouse of parenting adults or almost adult children of just you know. Paul told Jimmy that Alice asserting her appendance means you did good allow her to do that without feeling guilty. Yeah, ah true.

Oay, we'll get.

Right on that night.

And Derek is talking to Jimmy about how, you know, dad life is, make your kid think you don't care when you do and how do you not cave? You know, you got to act cool. You can't follow her to the party, you can't follow her to the store. You just got to let her do her thing. But it's very difficult. And Derek saying that their son lost his job, but they can't do anything about it until he tells them, and.

Oh my gosh, how often has that to me? Yes, I have this information, but I cannot reveal that I have it.

You gotta be go and wait. So, yeah, those are familiar.

And then Liz, I think, said something like you're gonna do everything for your kid, and you know what your reward is they grow up and reject you because they're assholes.

Yes, but they still need.

You as they still need you know.

Alice still needs Jimmy and she does go to him and he actually is there for her.

So that's yes, I really sweet.

Yes, yes.

And also.

Brian and Charlie have set up this meeting with the prospective mother of their child and they have it at Jimmy's house with Liz there so that they can show this village they have. And then Alice calls and Jimmy has to go, and then Liz's son finally calls to say you lost his job and she has to go, So you are always on call. You got to act cool, You got to act like you don't want it. But when they need you, oh man, yep, this is what

Yeah, but.

You know.

They'll get theirs, right, we trust?

Yes?

Hell?

How many more episodes in this?

Yeah?

Is there twelve?

There an episode? I see an episode twelve? Development in that? Okay, yes, there's twelve episodes.

So.

And the developments speaking of kids in parents developments in the is Gabby's mother going to come live with her even though she doesn't want her mother to come live with her?

And the answer, of course, is yes.

Yes, she's going to also take Gabby's bed. Not only is she going to be moving in, she's taking Gabby's room.

Yeah, you know, I last time we talked about this plot, I was saying I moved across the country, so I didn't have to deal with that. But I had such a memory afterwards of my mom, my mom's father, my grandfather was living with my aunt, my mom's sister for a long time, and at some point my aunt just said to my mom, you're taking him now, and pretty much just put him on a plane. I mean, I'm sure there was more prep than that, but it wasn't

What was the what was the line from only murders?

Tap in?

Yes, exactly, your aunt said, tap.

In, Yep, that was pretty much it.

She had had it, and I think she'd probably taken care of their mother also until she passed. So but uh so, for quite some time my grandpa was living with my parents, and my dad was much older than my mother too, so she really had two old guys.

She was taken care of. Yeah, and I was not around.

I was gone by. I'm moving across town. I'm moving across to a different part of the state. I'm moving out to the the country bike.

Yep. See, you seem to have a lot on your hands, mom.

Just how nice of you.

He was mostly on call. You know, Hey, I'm getting married. Come come to New Jersey, right, I'm adopting kids. Come stay with us for like a little while after, will you. And she was on a plane.

Yeah, she was just waiting for that call and she got it.

That's right.

I'm here, I'm here, yep, yep. So I have sympathy for Gabby in that situation. But boy, is that not what she wants. Yeah, that's what her mother wants, not what she wants. And the sister took the earliest opportunity to skip out, Yeah, which you know, abetted by Sean and his friend.

Which I mean both Sean and his friend are admittedly very messed up from their time in the service, and yet they're like, I think this will be great for.

For me, Like okay, I mean, I know it is well for some people, but yeah, yeah, yeah, I feel like those two.

You should know that.

Great you come back with PTSD and then you can live with your therapy, right, and.

Then Gabby can have both of them living and her mom.

And yeah, yeah, work out perfectly.

And uh, they're continuing with Paul hating his son in law, which I don't think was a thing last season.

I really don't.

I thought that the son in law had to put himself between Paul and his wife sometimes, yeah, just like taking one for the team. But I didn't feel like. But this time, I think Gabby asked Paul to go do something and he said something when he said, you'd rather spend time with your son in law?

Right, it's the worst possible thing. Yeah.

And then when he has an exercise or he has to pretend to push punch people, he's saying, Dave, Dave.

Dave, yeah, man, yeah, go for God, you know, or his ears.

Ringing, yeah, oh dear.

Uh.

Parenting another parenting thing.

Jimmy said he couldn't give us much advice on babies because he was at that time he was a do as you're told kind of dad, the best.

Kind of dad.

Yeah, although taking responsibility, knowing what to do kind of dad would be.

Nice to yes, that would be the one you want. I mean, in my house it was this baby doesn't like me. Oh no, just because you're not the food source doesn't mean that you can't do something.

Yep.

Well, but Jimmy does seem to have turned a corner hair.

Yes, yes, and hopefully preparing for her independence. Unless you want to go to college here and just live with me forever, he says, right, and remain on the show. Now, she'd go to UCLA and still be popping in.

Yeah, well, I think she is one more year of high school, doesn't she.

Yeah, I have no idea how old she is. Honestly, Yeah, she's dating somebody with a full grown.

Dude face exactly.

Who is claims to be seventeen? Yes, so I guess that will be one more year. It doesn't matter. It's TV time, that's her. So give me six or seven seasons before she's ready to graduate.

That's totally true.

Who knows.

Yes, Brian and Charlie's kid will be fifteen and Alice will just graduate.

We'll have a we'll have a party for them both.

That's right. Sweet sixteen and graduation. It'll be good.

Although maybe if they will adopt a non baby I did.

So Yeah, that's true. Well, next week it's the tenth episode of season two. It's called Changing Patterns, and we will be back to our regular pattern of Lost on Tuesday, shrinking on Wednesday, and our weekly round up on Thursday.

Hey remember that those are good times. Another year starting here we go. Thank you for listening. You can find all our episodes on Spreaker, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can find recaps, links, and an opportunity to comment on our website at parentingroundabout dot com.

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