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Jen and Chris Fenton are back in the kitchen—and this time, the house is actually theirs. With both 19-year-olds officially settled into sophomore year of college, the Fentons have fully reclaimed empty-nest life: no more last-minute Target runs for dorm stuff, no more competing for bathroom time, and plenty of space to actually finish a conversation. The freedom feels almost illegal.

The first order of business? Celebrating the household appliance that has apparently upgraded their son from “surviving” to “almost thriving.” After months of microwave meals and questionable takeout, the lacrosse house finally got a real stove. Cue the “gourmet” era. The boys are now attempting actual cooking—think protein-heavy pasta, suspiciously ambitious chicken, and whatever they can throw together after practice. Jen and Chris debate whether this counts as culinary progress or just organized chaos with extra dishes. Either way, they’re proud. Sort of.Then the conversation takes a hard left into the linguistic wilderness their kids now inhabit. The Fentons try (and frequently fail) to keep up with the latest slang: “sweats” (both the uniform of college life and the try-hard energy that ruins casual games), “aura” and aura farming (your invisible cool-point score that goes up or down based on whether you tripped in public), “rizz” (the charisma that gets you the number without even trying), and “NPC” (the person who just repeats the same lines and never has an original thought). They work through a handful of others that have leaked into family group chats, translating them the way only slightly embarrassed parents can—equal parts affection, confusion, and “we used to just say ‘cool.’”

From there they zoom out to the cultural whiplash of then versus now. In the ’80s, one camera, one roll of film, and one decent picture was enough to prove a night happened. Today it takes 70 nearly identical photos, a group-chat approval committee, and several rounds of “does this angle make my arm look weird?” before anything gets posted. The Fentons roast the ritual while admitting they now participate in it themselves.

The episode closes with a surprisingly revealing class-and-childhood comparison. Jen grew up in a house with three phone lines. Chris had one. That single detail still feels like a reliable rich-kid vs. middle-class indicator—though they quickly expand the list: Intellivision versus Atari, and Toto silent-flush toilets versus the ones that sound like a jet taking off. It’s part nostalgia, part social anthropology, and entirely the kind of conversation two empty nesters can finally have without anyone yelling “MOM” from another room.Funny, relatable, and just self-aware enough to go mildly viral with every parent whose kid just texted them something they had to Google.

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For sure, Chris spent more time in "The Woodshed" getting disciplined than the average kid...

So grab your lunch trays and settle in, empty-nesters—Jen and Chris Fenton are cracking open the yearbooks, dusting off the memories, and serving up pure Back-to-School week chaos on this unforgettable episode of Plate & Ponder. From the pure pandemonium of first-day jitters and locker jams to the teachers who made us laugh until we cried (and the ones who left permanent marks on our souls), the Fentons take us on a wild ride through elementary antics, middle-school mayhem, high-school highs, and those hazy college days we can still half-remember.They trade tales of their absolute favorite educators, the funniest classroom legends, and the most memorable mentors who somehow turned detention into destiny. Then the conversation deepens: the seismic moments that still echo—Len Bias’s shocking death that rocked a generation of young athletes, the heartbreaking Challenger tragedy that stopped the nation cold, and the everyday victories and heartbreaks that defined growing up. And because nothing says “compare and contrast” like two coasts, Jen and Chris dive into life as a student in quiet, classic Glastonbury, CT versus the bright lights and big personalities of Los Angeles, CA—different hallways, same universal scramble of homework, hormones, and hope. It’s equal parts nostalgia, laughter, and “wait… that really happened?!” reflection. Perfect listening while the kids (or the ghosts of kids past) head back to class and the empty nest feels a little fuller with stories. Pull up a plate, pour something strong, and ponder with us. School’s back in session—and the bells are ringing loud.

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S3E1 of Plate and Ponder: Empty-Nesting with Jen & Chris Fenton just dropped and it’s pure parental survival comedy gold.

Twitter Quote of the Week: "Sure, kids at Penn State were selling blow to the Athletic Director, but at least they weren't getting blown by the Athletic Director. I call that progress."

Two kids. Two campuses. One epic college move-in chaos storm.
Jen and Chris navigate the wild differences between on-campus dorm life and off-campus freedom while Chris willingly becomes the family’s designated punching bag—absorbing every eye-roll, sigh, and “Dad, you’re doing it wrong” from the kids and Jen. Spoiler: he expected the hits and walked away unscathed (legend status unlocked). Then the real games begin: the ongoing Irritation Olympics (who can annoy whom the hardest?) and the fierce empty-nest tribal wars where the kids pick sides like it’s the Hunger Games. Mom or Dad? The alliances form fast… and they are ruthless. Just when you think the family drama peaks, the conversation takes a sharp turn into the Penn State cocaine scandal. The Fentons pray it stays locked at Sigma Chi and Delta Upsilon and never sneaks onto McGill, Tulane, or (especially) their own kids’ Greek houses. Chris drops the viral Twitter mic:
“Sure, kids at Penn State were selling blow to the Athletic Director, but at least they weren’t getting blown by the Athletic Director. I call that progress.” Relatable empty-nest realness + side-splitting honesty + one unforgettable quote = the episode you’ll be texting to every parent you know. Stream now and laugh (or cry) with us through the chaos of launching two humans into adulthood.

AND, Oh Yeah, Professor Fenton's First Day Back at USC is this upcoming Wednesday! #GoTrojans

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