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… and here we are.
When Melissa and I sat down in the kitchen of my rental house (remember, my real house was destroyed by a tree — zero out of ten, do not recommend) we had no name, no plan, and absolutely no clue how to start a podcast. But Melissa walked in and said, “My husband thinks we should have a YouTube channel,” the extrovert in me leapt before it looked. I’d always wanted to start a podcast, and before either of us could overthink it, we just said yes.
And honestly? That yes– the imperfect, messy, accountability-fueled kind, has been the heartbeat of this whole project.
How It All Started (AKA: Two Clinicians Walk Into a Rental House…)
We truly didn’t know what we were doing. I had never met Melissa’s husband when she announced his YouTube idea (that I quickly changed into a podcast idea, but that has since expanded back into a YouTube idea). We didn’t know how podcast platforms worked. I hadn’t heard of Buzzsprout. And Melissa didn’t really listen to podcasts at all.
But we were excited. And curiosity is a powerful catalyst. So we figured it out..by calling friends, Googling frantically, and learning what “dynamic content” meant. We gradually built a system, learned how to schedule four-hour recording blocks months in advance, and even started releasing full video episodes on YouTube.
Somewhere along the way, our little passion project became a weekly ritual we genuinely look forward to.
The Topics That Hit Home
This year, we’ve covered everything from ADHD (our two-part series remains one of my favorites), to holiday stress, to co-parenting, to distress tolerance, to chronic illness.
Some episodes grew out of things happening in our homes. Others came straight out of our offices. And some came from listeners who trusted us with the questions they were too embarrassed or overwhelmed to ask anywhere else.
A few highlights for me:
- Episode 35, with Dr. Katie Lawless, on parenting with chronic illness — deeply personal for me after a decade of managing Lyme disease and the fallout from two laundry-related TBIs (yes, truly).
- Our two-part ADHD series, because even when you know the clinical side, parenting your own ADHD kid hits differently. (Episode 31 and Episode 32)
- Our distress management episode, Episode 6, which might look understated on the surface but is secretly one of the most essential topics in parenting teens.
We’ve laughed, we’ve learned, we’ve talked over each other (mostly my fault), and we’ve had guests who left us genuinely changed.
How the Podcast Has Changed Me as a Parent
Even with decades of combined experience, both Melissa and I admit that these weekly conversations have shaped how we parent.
Professionally, we “know the stuff.” But personally? Parenting our own kids still stirs up our history, our triggers, and our emotions. Recording these episodes has become its own kind of grounding practice — a reminder of what matters when real life is happening in real time.
For me, the biggest lesson has been this: just hit the record button. Don’t wait for perfect. Don’t wait until you feel ready. Show up, do the thing, trust the process. That shows up in my parenting as much as it shows up in my business.
Looking Ahead: A Huge Thank-You
As we celebrate this anniversary, my overwhelming feeling is gratitude.
To our listeners — the parents who are doing their best, raising the next generation of world-changers — thank you. Thank you for tuning in, sending emails, sharing episodes with friends, and letting us be part of your week.
We’d love to bring you into the conversation even more this year. If you have episode ideas, questions, or even want to send us a short voice message about your favorite episode, email us at parentingshrinkwrapped@gmail.com. We might feature you in a 2026 episode.
Here’s to another year of honesty, humor, connection, and the universal truth that none of us should parent alone.
💛 Thanks for being here with us.
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