Blog
What Parent Coaching Really Is — And Why It Helps Parents of Teens More Than They Expect
When Melissa and I sat down to record this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, she decided to flip the script and interview me about parent coaching — what it is, how I got here, and why it can make such a dramatic difference for families. And because she didn’t warn...
Parenting Shrink Wrapped Turns One: Big Lessons From a Year of Conversations About Raising Teens
Somehow—and I’m still wrapping my head around this—Parenting Shrink Wrapped Turning One feels both surreal and wildly exciting. One full year of weekly episodes, expert conversations, tech hiccups, poorly coordinated recording schedules, and plenty of laughter later…...
Psychoeducational Testing: The Clarity Parents Don’t Know They Need (Yet)
If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the kitchen, staring at your child’s homework meltdown and thinking, “What on earth is actually happening here?”—you’re in good company. In our latest episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa Wellner and I sat down...
Parenting Teens Through Substance Curiosity: How to Stay Their Safe Person
Parenting teens and substance use has changed dramatically in the last decade. Today’s teens are navigating vapes that look like flash drives, marijuana products with far higher potency than past generations ever encountered, and gas-station synthetics like kratom...
How Early Oral Habits Can Affect Your Teen’s Development with Ana Curtin, Speech Pathologist
When most parents think about their teen’s development, they picture emotional ups and downs, shifting friend groups, or maybe the battle over sleep and screen time. But what if some of your teen’s current struggles trace back to something as simple as how they used...
When Conventional Medicine Isn’t Enough: A Pediatrician’s Functional Approach to Kids’ Health
This week on Parenting Shrink Wrapped, we talked with Dr. Rebecca Vickers, a pediatrician who blends conventional and functional medicine to help kids truly heal. After years of practicing traditional pediatrics, Dr. Vickers began to notice a troubling trend: kids are...
When School Just Isn’t Working Anymore
If your teen is dreading school—or you’ve started getting those “stomachache” texts every morning—here’s something important to remember: it might not be your teen that’s broken. It might be the system. In this week’s episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa...
From Pumpkins to Parties: What Halloween Teaches Us About Parenting at Every Stage
Halloween might look like candy and costumes on the surface, but parenting through Halloween offers a surprisingly rich snapshot of our kids’ growth—and our own. When my children were small, I was the one steering the ship: planning the route, managing meltdown and...
When the Unthinkable Happens: How Parents Can Help Kids Heal After Trauma
There are few words that make a parent’s stomach drop faster than sexual trauma.It’s a topic none of us ever want to face in our families, and yet, as our guest Dr. Courtney Glickman, founder of The Collective Healing Center in Annapolis, reminded us, it’s far more...
Raising Bicultural Kids: Lessons on Identity, Flexibility, and Belonging
Raising bicultural kids is both a gift and a challenge, and it can shape the way teens see themselves and the world around them. In a recent episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Melissa and I sat down with licensed clinical counselor and life coach, Maria Winters, to...
Grief and Parenting: How to Support Your Kids While Healing Yourself
Grief and parenting are two words we don’t usually put together, but the truth is—they belong in the same sentence. Every family encounters grief, whether it’s through the death of a loved one, divorce, a move, a pet passing away, or even milestones like your teen...
Parenting Judgment: Why It Hurts and How to Stop
Let’s be honest—parenting judgment is everywhere. At the playground. In the school pickup line. Even at Dunkin’ Donuts. And whether you’re the one handing it out or the one on the receiving end, it never feels good. In our latest Parenting Shrink-Wrapped episode,...
How to Support Your Teen Through the College Application Process
If you have a high school senior in your house, there’s a good chance you’re feeling the weight of college applications right alongside them. Essays, deadlines, recommendations, test scores—it’s enough to make even the most organized family feel like they’re living...
Babysitting and Your Teen. Green Flags, Red Flags, and Parenting Tips for babysitters
As parents of teens, we know this stage of life brings new opportunities—and new responsibilities. One big milestone that often comes up? Babysitting. Whether your teen is eager to start earning money, gaining independence, or just helping out neighbors and family...
Parenting Teens with Clarity: Shifting Language and Checking Motivation
Parenting teens with clarity isn’t about having the perfect script—it’s about knowing when to pause, when to check yourself, and how to hand kids the agency they crave. In our latest Parenting Shrink Wrapped episode, Melissa and I talked with social worker and founder...
Back-to-School Tips for Elementary Kids: From Kindergarten to Fifth Grade
Back-to-school tips for elementary kids can make the difference between a smooth transition and weeks of stress—for both children and parents. In our latest Parenting Shrink Wrapped episode, Melissa and I sat down with child therapist and school counselor Jennifer...
Nature of the Beast: Middle School Parenting Tips Every Parent Needs
When I was in 7th or 8th grade, my middle school librarian decided to make an “All About Middle School” video for incoming 5th graders—a behind-the-scenes peek at the excitement (and terror) of grades 6–8. This was the ’80s, so she lugged around a video camera roughly...
The Nature of the Beast: High School Back-to-School Tips for Parents
When it comes to high school back to school tips, one thing is certain—there’s no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Whether your teen is a confident senior, a pressure-packed junior, an easygoing sophomore, or a wide-eyed freshman, each grade comes with...
The Nature of the Beast: What No One Tells You About Parenting a College Freshman
College drop-off is supposed to be the finish line, right? You did the visits, survived the applications, filled out the FAFSA, bought the XL twin sheets. You waved through tears as the dorm room door closed behind your now-officially-an-adult kid. But then the texts...
Parenting with Chronic Illness: How to Show Up with Self-Compassion
What does it mean to be a “good” parent when your body—or mind—just isn’t cooperating? In this week’s episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, we sit down with psychologist Dr. Katie Lawless to talk about what it’s really like to navigate parenting with chronic illness....
How to Stay Calm When Parenting Triggers You
If parenting triggers—like finding laundry on the floor, a missed homework assignment, or a teenager’s “I got it” shrug—ever make you lose your cool, you’re not alone. In this week’s episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Melissa and I unpack what’s really going on when...
What Parent Coaching Really Is — And Why It Helps Parents of Teens More Than They Expect
When Melissa and I sat down to record this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, she decided to flip the script and interview me about parent coaching — what it is, how I got here, and why it can make such a dramatic difference for families. And because she didn’t warn...
Parenting Shrink Wrapped Turns One: Big Lessons From a Year of Conversations About Raising Teens
Somehow—and I’m still wrapping my head around this—Parenting Shrink Wrapped Turning One feels both surreal and wildly exciting. One full year of weekly episodes, expert conversations, tech hiccups, poorly coordinated recording schedules, and plenty of laughter later…...
Psychoeducational Testing: The Clarity Parents Don’t Know They Need (Yet)
If you’ve ever found yourself standing in the kitchen, staring at your child’s homework meltdown and thinking, “What on earth is actually happening here?”—you’re in good company. In our latest episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa Wellner and I sat down...
Parenting Teens Through Substance Curiosity: How to Stay Their Safe Person
Parenting teens and substance use has changed dramatically in the last decade. Today’s teens are navigating vapes that look like flash drives, marijuana products with far higher potency than past generations ever encountered, and gas-station synthetics like kratom...
How Early Oral Habits Can Affect Your Teen’s Development with Ana Curtin, Speech Pathologist
When most parents think about their teen’s development, they picture emotional ups and downs, shifting friend groups, or maybe the battle over sleep and screen time. But what if some of your teen’s current struggles trace back to something as simple as how they used...
When Conventional Medicine Isn’t Enough: A Pediatrician’s Functional Approach to Kids’ Health
This week on Parenting Shrink Wrapped, we talked with Dr. Rebecca Vickers, a pediatrician who blends conventional and functional medicine to help kids truly heal. After years of practicing traditional pediatrics, Dr. Vickers began to notice a troubling trend: kids are...
When School Just Isn’t Working Anymore
If your teen is dreading school—or you’ve started getting those “stomachache” texts every morning—here’s something important to remember: it might not be your teen that’s broken. It might be the system. In this week’s episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa...
From Pumpkins to Parties: What Halloween Teaches Us About Parenting at Every Stage
Halloween might look like candy and costumes on the surface, but parenting through Halloween offers a surprisingly rich snapshot of our kids’ growth—and our own. When my children were small, I was the one steering the ship: planning the route, managing meltdown and...
When the Unthinkable Happens: How Parents Can Help Kids Heal After Trauma
There are few words that make a parent’s stomach drop faster than sexual trauma.It’s a topic none of us ever want to face in our families, and yet, as our guest Dr. Courtney Glickman, founder of The Collective Healing Center in Annapolis, reminded us, it’s far more...
Raising Bicultural Kids: Lessons on Identity, Flexibility, and Belonging
Raising bicultural kids is both a gift and a challenge, and it can shape the way teens see themselves and the world around them. In a recent episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Melissa and I sat down with licensed clinical counselor and life coach, Maria Winters, to...
Grief and Parenting: How to Support Your Kids While Healing Yourself
Grief and parenting are two words we don’t usually put together, but the truth is—they belong in the same sentence. Every family encounters grief, whether it’s through the death of a loved one, divorce, a move, a pet passing away, or even milestones like your teen...
Parenting Judgment: Why It Hurts and How to Stop
Let’s be honest—parenting judgment is everywhere. At the playground. In the school pickup line. Even at Dunkin’ Donuts. And whether you’re the one handing it out or the one on the receiving end, it never feels good. In our latest Parenting Shrink-Wrapped episode,...
How to Support Your Teen Through the College Application Process
If you have a high school senior in your house, there’s a good chance you’re feeling the weight of college applications right alongside them. Essays, deadlines, recommendations, test scores—it’s enough to make even the most organized family feel like they’re living...
Babysitting and Your Teen. Green Flags, Red Flags, and Parenting Tips for babysitters
As parents of teens, we know this stage of life brings new opportunities—and new responsibilities. One big milestone that often comes up? Babysitting. Whether your teen is eager to start earning money, gaining independence, or just helping out neighbors and family...
Parenting Teens with Clarity: Shifting Language and Checking Motivation
Parenting teens with clarity isn’t about having the perfect script—it’s about knowing when to pause, when to check yourself, and how to hand kids the agency they crave. In our latest Parenting Shrink Wrapped episode, Melissa and I talked with social worker and founder...
Back-to-School Tips for Elementary Kids: From Kindergarten to Fifth Grade
Back-to-school tips for elementary kids can make the difference between a smooth transition and weeks of stress—for both children and parents. In our latest Parenting Shrink Wrapped episode, Melissa and I sat down with child therapist and school counselor Jennifer...
Nature of the Beast: Middle School Parenting Tips Every Parent Needs
When I was in 7th or 8th grade, my middle school librarian decided to make an “All About Middle School” video for incoming 5th graders—a behind-the-scenes peek at the excitement (and terror) of grades 6–8. This was the ’80s, so she lugged around a video camera roughly...
The Nature of the Beast: High School Back-to-School Tips for Parents
When it comes to high school back to school tips, one thing is certain—there’s no such thing as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Whether your teen is a confident senior, a pressure-packed junior, an easygoing sophomore, or a wide-eyed freshman, each grade comes with...
The Nature of the Beast: What No One Tells You About Parenting a College Freshman
College drop-off is supposed to be the finish line, right? You did the visits, survived the applications, filled out the FAFSA, bought the XL twin sheets. You waved through tears as the dorm room door closed behind your now-officially-an-adult kid. But then the texts...
Parenting with Chronic Illness: How to Show Up with Self-Compassion
What does it mean to be a “good” parent when your body—or mind—just isn’t cooperating? In this week’s episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, we sit down with psychologist Dr. Katie Lawless to talk about what it’s really like to navigate parenting with chronic illness....
How to Stay Calm When Parenting Triggers You
If parenting triggers—like finding laundry on the floor, a missed homework assignment, or a teenager’s “I got it” shrug—ever make you lose your cool, you’re not alone. In this week’s episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Melissa and I unpack what’s really going on when...