Parenting Shrink Wrapped

Send us Fan Mail Separation anxiety doesn’t always look like a young child clinging at drop-off. For teenagers, it may show up as constant texting, repeated requests for reassurance, or difficulty participating in overnight trips and other experiences away from home. In this episode, Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner explore what parents can notice–and why it matters to understand the worry under...

Send us Fan Mail You may know what you want to do differently from your own parents. But what happens when that determination becomes pressure to get everything right? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner welcome Julianna Burmesch , author of Life with Less of Me . Julianna shares how a childhood marked by abuse and neglect shaped her experience of mother...

Send us Fan Mail Your kid gets dumped. Their best friend stops speaking to them. They aren't invited. Or suddenly they're on the outside of the friend group looking in. What should you do? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped , Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner tackle one of the hardest parts of parenting: watching your child experience rejection. Sam and Melissa talk about why s...

Send us Fan Mail Teen depression doesn’t always look like sadness. Sometimes it looks like anger, irritability, talking back, stomachaches, withdrawal, not doing schoolwork, or a teenager who simply doesn’t seem like themselves. So how can parents tell the difference between typical teenage ups and downs and something that may need more attention? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped , Sam...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when your child comes out and you're not sure what to say, what to do, or even how you feel yet? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped , Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner welcome Heather Hester , author of Parenting with Pride and host of More Human, More Kind , for an honest conversation about supporting LGBTQ+ children while navigating the very real lear...

Send us Fan Mail What actually builds confidence in teens? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped , Sam and Melissa talk with Jasmyne Chandler, trauma-informed life coach and founder of Guided Passages , about why meaningful challenges, mentorship, nature, and rites of passage can be so powerful for teenagers. Jasmyne shares how her wilderness programs give teens opportunities to disconnect f...

Send us Fan Mail Parents are being encouraged to give their kids an analog childhood while relying more and more on AI, smartphones, and technology in their own daily lives. Is that hypocrisy, or simply the reality of raising kids in the middle of a massive technology experiment? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped , Sam and Melissa unpack the pressure, guilt, and judgment surrounding scre...

Send us Fan Mail Do you have to hit rock bottom before you're allowed to question your relationship with alcohol? Absolutely not. In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped , Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner sit down with gray area drinking coach, Maureen Benkovich , for a shame-free conversation about the space between casual drinking and alcohol dependency. Maureen shares her personal st...

Send us Fan Mail Are the things we say about food unintentionally affecting how our kids feel about eating and their bodies? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam and Melissa are joined by Christiana Cortina, founder of Nutrida , for an important conversation about food, body image, diet culture, and preventing disordered eating in children and teens. Christiana explains why seemingly p...

Send us Fan Mail What if some of the skills that make you a better leader at work could also make you a better parent at home? And what if parenting could make you a better leader, too? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam and Melissa sit down with executive coach, leadership expert, and Ambitious Dads founder, Jeff Hittner, to explore the surprising overlap between leadership and pare...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped , Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner unpack one of the biggest parenting trends of the summer and explain why this conversation goes far beyond bikes. While e-bikes offer fun, freedom, and independence, they also introduce new questions about child development, executive functioning, peer influence, and risk-taking. Sam and Melissa discu...

Send us Fan Mail What do children actually remember after their parents divorce? In this unique episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped , Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner welcome 19-year-old college student Tilghman Grim to share his firsthand perspective on growing up with divorced parents and ADHD. Rather than hearing from experts alone, this conversation gives parents the rare opportunity to hear...

Send us Fan Mail Co-parenting is challenging enough when two parents generally get along. When the relationship is contentious, every pickup, schedule change, forgotten belonging, or parenting decision can become part of a larger power struggle. In this episode, Sam and Melissa are joined by co-parent coach and conflict resolution expert Amy Armstrong to discuss how high-conflict co-parenting affe...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa Wellner and Sam Straub sit down with Joe Vercellino, award-winning educator, musician, and founder of The Lionheart Experience , to explore one of the most important conversations we've had on the podcast: helping children develop a strong sense of "somebody-ness." Joe shares the remarkable story of how a stra...

Send us Fan Mail If asking your child to empty the dishwasher feels like starting a negotiation, welcome to our club. In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa Wellner and parent coach, Sam Straub, tackle one of the most common parenting struggles: chores. While many parents see chores as a way to keep the house running, research shows they also help children develop confidence, res...

Send us Fan Mail Teen boys can be difficult to read, but that doesn't mean they're impossible to reach. In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner welcome licensed counselor, Jarrod Hoffman , for an honest conversation about raising adolescent boys in today's world. Together they discuss why boys often become quieter during adolescence, how paren...

Send us Fan Mail When did youth sports become so stressful? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa Wellner and Sam Straub welcome communication expert, former collegiate athlete, coach, and author Betsy Butterick for a thoughtful conversation about the evolving world of youth sports and how parents can better support young athletes. From increasingly competitive youth leagues and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa Wellner and Sam Straub sit down with Lynn and Jon Greenberg, the mother-son team behind The Creative Cab Company and the award-winning books Robbie the Dyslexic Taxi and the Airport Adventure and Suzy the ADHD Taxi and the Sightseeing Adventure . Together, they discuss what it's like to raise and advocate for neurodiver...

Send us Fan Mail In this special Father's Day episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner welcome filmmaker, educator, podcast host, and father Dan Gvozden for a candid conversation about the realities of fatherhood. From neighborhood adventures and childhood imagination to work-life balance and parenting confessions, Dan shares what he's learning while raisin...

Send us Fan Mail Many parents find themselves repeating parenting patterns they never intended to carry into their own families. In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam Straub and Dr. Melissa Wellner welcome parenting coach Angie Weber , founder of The Parent Toolbox and creator of the CALM Approach. Angie shares her personal journey of recognizing generational parenting patterns and expl...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa Wellner and Sam Straub are joined by child psychiatrist Dr. Chad Lennon to unpack the realities of ADHD beyond the stereotypes. Together, they discuss: Why ADHD is often misunderstood Emotional regulation and mood instability The role dopamine plays in ADHD Why bedtime and transitions can become so difficult ADHD in Black an...

Send us Fan Mail What do teens really need from parents right now? In this powerful episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam and Melissa sit down with 19-year-old TEDx speaker and Cloud9 founder Sonia Suthar for an eye-opening conversation about communication, emotional intelligence, and what truly helps teens feel connected to their parents. Sonia shares practical advice for building trust, reduc...

Send us Fan Mail What creates a truly healthy sleep environment for kids and teens? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam and Melissa sit down with Arin Schultz, Chief Growth Officer of Naturepedic , to talk about safe sleep practices, organic mattresses, environmental toxins, and how sleep environments may impact emotional regulation, nervous system health, and overall wellness. Togeth...

Send us Fan Mail What if math anxiety isn’t about intelligence at all? In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam and Melissa sit down with Dr. Aditya Nagrath, founder of Elephant Learning Mathematics Academy , to explore why so many kids struggle with math and what parents can do to help. Together, they unpack how missing foundational number concepts can create frustration, avoidance, and a...

Send us Fan Mail Motherhood is a mix of joy, pressure, connection, and–a whole lot of invisible work. In this Mother’s Day episode, Sam and Melissa hit record in the middle of a real conversation about what it actually feels like to be a mom. From deeply personal stories of mom guilt to the everyday mental load that never shuts off, this episode is both relatable and validating. They dive into: A...