Parenting Shrink Wrapped

Parenting Shrink Wrapped is your all-access pass to the wild and wonderful journey of raising kids! Hosted by Dr. Melissa Wellner, a double board-certified psychiatrist and child and adolescent psychiatrist, and Samantha Straub, a licensed therapist, educator, and parenting coach, this dynamic duo brings a perfect mix of professional expertise and mom humor. With five kids between them—and thousands more they’ve supported in their professional roles—they’re here to share practical strategies and real-life stories that will help you navigate everything from tantrums to teen drama. Whether you're handling sleepless nights or the chaos of carpool, you'll find relatable advice and a good laugh along the way. Strap in, because parenting is a ride, and we're here to make it a little smoother!

Parenting Shrink Wrapped is a kids podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 96 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Unknown Host hosts Parenting Shrink Wrapped, a kids show with 96 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Episode #95

  How to Support Your LGBTQ+ Child Without Having All the Answers

  Sep 21, 202640 min

  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 learning process parents may experience themselves. Heather shares how her work began after her son came out as gay at almost 17. After he disappeared from home one freezing Chicago night, he finally called Heather and tearfully told her, "Mom, I'm gay." Her immediate response was, "Thank God, I thought you were dead." That moment began a journey of learning and unlearning that ultimately changed not only her son’s life, but Heather's and her entire family's. Together, Heather, Sam, and Melissa discuss what children may experience before coming out, why parents don't need to understand everything immediately, and how staying curious and connected can preserve the relationship even through uncertainty. In This Episode Heather's son's unforgettable coming-out story What kids may experience before coming out Why coming out requires tremendous trust and courage How parents can respond when they're caught off guard Supporting children who are questioning their identity Why "believe your child" matters Sexual orientation vs. gender identity Why children shouldn't be responsible for educating their parents Recognizing when fear is driving your parenting Examining unconscious beliefs and biases Staying present through uncomfortable conversations Why apologizing and trying again strengthens parent-teen relationships Letting go of perfect parenting About Heather Hester Heather Hester is the author of Parenting with Pride and host of the three-time Women in Podcasting award-winning podcast More Human, More Kind . She is a speaker, writer, coach, and consultant who helps parents, allies, and organizations move from fear toward understanding, connection, and love. Heather lives outside Chicago with her husband, four children, and one very opinionated Bernedoodle. Learn more at HeatherHester.net or listen to More Human, More Kind , where Heather has more than 300 episodes exploring these conversations. Be sure to grab Heather’s free resource: Panic to Plan Contact: parentingshrinkwrapped@gmail.com Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Parenting Shrink Wrapped for the latest episodes. Follow: Sam – Instagram & Facebook Melissa – Facebook Work with Us: Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry Save your spot in the next FREE Teen Savvy Parenting Masterclass . Free Parenting Resource: Learn the L.O.V.E.D. framework for handling tricky convos. Listen & Review: Follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #94

  Building Confidence in Teens

  Sep 14, 202640 min

  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 from technology, push themselves physically, reflect on who they are becoming, and experience being truly seen and heard by both peers and adults. The conversation also explores why praise alone doesn't create confidence, the self-criticism many teens carry, why adolescents naturally seek novelty and risk, and how parents can give kids safe opportunities to stretch themselves. In This Episode: Why doing hard things helps teens develop real confidence What a modern rite of passage can look like Why teens need opportunities to be taken seriously How being heard and witnessed affects teen connection Self-hatred, comparison, and negative self-talk among teens Why successful and high-achieving teens aren't immune How nature and time away from devices can create space for reflection Why teenagers naturally seek novelty, challenge, and increasing independence How safe challenges can provide an alternative to unhealthy risk-taking Ways parents can create meaningful growth experiences without a wilderness trip Jasmyne offers one-on-one virtual coaching for tweens, teens, and young adults ages 12–24, along with in-person programs and wilderness experiences through Guided Passages. About Jasmyne Jasmyne Chandler is an International Coaching Federation Certified, Trauma-Informed Professional Life Coach for teens, young adults, and parents. She is also the mom of two teens and has spent the past 17 years working with young people as a high school teacher, GED instructor and advisor, life coach, council facilitator, and wilderness rites of passage guide. She is the founder of Guided Passages, which offers youth programs, wilderness rites of passage trips, and life coaching for teens, young adults, and parents in Southern Oregon and beyond. Her work focuses on supporting teens, young adults, and their parents through additional guidance, mentorship, and encouragement to help shift stuck energy, negative self-talk, and disconnection so they can better embrace and accept who they are, move toward positive change, and create the lives and relationships they truly desire. Connect with Guided Passages: guided-passages.com Get Jasmyne’s free resource: 5 Steps to Minimize Teen Anxiety Contact: parentingshrinkwrapped@gmail.com Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Parenting Shrink Wrapped for the latest episodes. Follow: Sam – Instagram & Facebook Melissa – Facebook Work with Us: Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry Save your spot in the next FREE Teen Savvy Parenting Masterclass . Free Parenting Resource: Learn the L.O.V.E.D. framework for handling tricky convos. Listen & Review: Follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #93

  Analog Childhoods, AI Parents, and the Tech Middle Ground

  Sep 7, 202633 min

  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 screen time and explore a more realistic middle ground. They talk about how online parenting trends can make technology choices seem more extreme than they really are, why too much input may be part of the problem for both overwhelmed parents and developing teen brains, and why warm parenting still requires clear and consistent limits. They also share practical ways to create values- and skills-based tech boundaries, build more boredom, focus, and face-to-face connection into family life, and recognize that teens may still need technology to maintain meaningful social relationships. The conversation also explores where AI might fit into family life, the questions parents should ask before using it, and why kids deserve a voice in the digital footprint adults create for them. Contact: parentingshrinkwrapped@gmail.com Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Parenting Shrink Wrapped for the latest episodes. Follow: Sam – Instagram & Facebook Melissa – Facebook Work with Us: Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry Save your spot in the next FREE Teen Savvy Parenting Masterclass . Free Parenting Resource: Learn the L.O.V.E.D. framework for handling tricky convos. Listen & Review: Follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #92

  When Drinking Stops Feeling Like a Choice: Understanding Gray Area Drinking

  Aug 31, 202645 min

  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 story of how alcohol gradually became intertwined with socializing, infertility, depression, stress, and her identity. From the outside, she was successful, active, and functioning. On the inside, alcohol was taking up more and more mental space. The conversation explores why drinking less isn't simply about willpower. Maureen breaks down how alcohol affects brain chemistry and explains how our brains can learn to associate drinking with relaxation, reward, celebration, socializing, and stress relief. She also walks Sam and Melissa through her 4R Method: Recognize, Replace, Rewire, and Renew, a framework designed to help people understand the role alcohol is playing in their lives and begin building healthier patterns. In This Episode: What "gray area drinking" means Signs alcohol may no longer be serving you Why alcohol can become a coping mechanism How alcohol affects dopamine, stress, anxiety, and sleep Why drinking less isn't simply about willpower About Maureen Maureen Benkovich is a gray area drinking coach, keynote speaker, host of the Sober Fit Life podcast, and former pharmaceutical sales representative, personal trainer, and competitive figure athlete. Drawing from both her personal experience and science-backed coaching approach, Maureen helps high-achieving adults change their relationship with alcohol without shame, labels, or waiting for rock bottom. Through her signature 4R Method: Recognize, Replace, Rewire, and Renew, she helps clients build new coping strategies and create sustainable change. Connect With Maureen Visit SoberFitChick.com to learn more about Maureen, take her "Am I Drinking Too Much?" quiz , explore her coaching programs, and find the Sober Fit Life podcast . And be sure to listen to Maureen's episode featuring Sam and Melissa, where they continue the conversation by exploring the messages parents may inadvertently send their kids through their own drinking habits. Contact: parentingshrinkwrapped@gmail.com Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Parenting Shrink Wrapped for the latest episodes. Follow: Sam – Instagram & Facebook Melissa – Facebook Work with Us: Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry Save your spot in the next FREE Teen Savvy Parenting Masterclass . Free Parenting Resource: Learn the L.O.V.E.D. framework for handling tricky convos. Listen & Review: Follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care.

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Episode #91

  How to Help Your Teen Build a Healthy Relationship With Food

  Aug 24, 202647 min

  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 positive messages about “healthy” eating can sometimes create anxiety, guilt, shame, or rigid food rules. They discuss why restricting foods can create scarcity, how kids learn from the way adults talk about their own bodies, and why labeling foods as “good” or “bad” can be confusing for children. They also tackle a common issue for parents of teens: What do you do when your teenager isn't eating enough? From skipped breakfasts to executive functioning challenges around preparing meals, the conversation offers practical ways parents can make food more accessible without turning mealtimes into another battle. In This Episode: How diet culture shows up in today's “healthy eating” messaging Warning signs of disordered eating When parents should seek professional support What a healthy relationship with food actually looks like How parents can break generational patterns around food and body image About Christiana Christiana Cortina, MS, is the founder of Nutrida, a family-focused nutrition practice dedicated to helping individuals and families build positive, sustainable relationships with food. Using a weight-inclusive and compassionate approach, Christiana supports children, teens, adults, and parents navigating nutrition, feeding challenges, body image concerns, and disordered eating without shame or rigid rules. A former elementary school teacher, she brings a child-centered perspective to her work and helps families create more peaceful and connected experiences around food and mealtimes. Connect With Christiana Website: Nutrida / Feed Your Soul Instagram: @nutrita_feedyoursoul Email: nutridallc@gmail.com Contact: parentingshrinkwrapped@gmail.com Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Parenting Shrink Wrapped for the latest episodes. Follow: Sam – Instagram & Facebook Melissa – Facebook Work with Us: Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry Save your spot in the next FREE Teen Savvy Parenting Masterclass . Free Parenting Resource: Learn the L.O.V.E.D. framework for handling tricky convos. Listen & Review: Follow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. This podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care.

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Parenting Shrink Wrapped. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.