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In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam and Melissa welcome Sam’s sister, Kate Peltz—an experienced college admissions counselor and former director of college counseling at Concord Academy. Kate shares what parents often don’t realize about the college application process, from the emotional rollercoaster seniors face to the hidden pressures parents bring to the table.

Resources from the Episode

• Backyard College Counseling 
• Fiske Guide to Colleges
• Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences (16th ed.)
• Colleges That Change Lives
• The Price You Pay for College
• Never Enough

About Kate
Kate Peltz is a seasoned college admissions professional and former director of college counseling at Concord Academy. Now leading her own student-centered practice, she helps teens navigate applications and find the right path forward. 

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Childcare is one of the biggest challenges modern parents face—whether it’s during a crisis like COVID, while juggling work schedules, or simply trying to carve out time for your own sanity. In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam and Melissa dive into the real-life stories, lessons, and tough decisions that come with hiring, trusting, and sometimes saying goodbye to babysitters, nannies, and other caregivers.

From Melissa’s experience of holding on tight to a full-time nanny during the pandemic, to Sam’s stories of both beloved babysitters and less-than-ideal care, this conversation highlights the mix of gratitude, guilt, and growth that comes with letting others care for your kids.

You’ll hear:

• How to balance the emotional and financial decisions around childcare
• The unique dynamics when family members or relatives step in
• Green flags (like communication, punctuality, and respect for your household rules) that signal you’ve found a great fit
• Red flags that may mean it’s time to set firmer boundaries—or move on
• Why being upfront about your expectations makes life easier for everyone
• How to talk to your kids when a sitter or nanny leaves
• Signs your child might be ready to stay home alone—and how to “test drive” independence safely

Sam and Melissa also share candid stories of babysitting wins and fails—from sledding in blizzards to awkward oversharing—and dig into the tricky mix of trust, boundaries, and gut instinct that every parent navigates.

If you’ve ever debated whether it’s okay to hire a sitter just so you can exercise, struggled to decide when your tween can be home alone, or felt guilty about needing help at all—you’re not alone. This episode is packed with both practical tips and reassurance that trusting your gut and being clear about your needs makes all the difference.

Parenting is hard. Finding the right support doesn’t have to be impossible.

Get expert support, fresh strategies, and a judgment-free parent community—so you can stop feeling stuck and start parenting your teen with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

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Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching
Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry

Free Parenting Resource: Learn the L.O.V.E.D. framework for handling tricky convos.

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This podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care. 

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In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Melissa and Sam welcome Christa Welch, LCSW-C, founder of The Betty Center in Annapolis, MD. Krista shares the inspiring story behind naming the center after her mother, “OG Betty,” and how it has grown into a supportive hub for women, families, and the community.

Together, they dive into practical parenting wisdom—including how to check your motivation as a parent, shift your language around chores and responsibilities, and help kids build agency, confidence, and resilience. Krista also opens up about her own experiences with divorce, co-parenting, and raising kids while staying grounded in values.

If you’ve ever wondered how to separate your needs from your child’s, or how small shifts in parenting language can create big changes, this conversation is packed with insight and encouragement.

About Christa

Christa Welch is the founder of The Betty Center, a therapy practice and women’s hub in Annapolis, MD, created in honor of her late mother, Bettianne—the “original Betty.” The center offers mental health therapy, support groups, workshops, and professional consultations to support women and families through every stage of life. Christa earned her Master’s in Social Work at 47 and brings wisdom from both her education and life’s challenges—including divorce, breast cancer (twice), and parenting. Through it all, she leans on resilience, humor, and hope, and is most proud to be mom to Isabel (22) and Tilghman (18). 

Get expert support, fresh strategies, and a judgment-free parent community—so you can stop feeling stuck and start parenting your teen with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

Contact: [email protected]

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Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching
Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry

Free Parenting Resource: Learn the L.O.V.E.D. framework for handling tricky convos.

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This podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care. 

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 Back-to-school tips for elementary kids go beyond pencils and backpacks. Sam and Melissa talk with child therapist Jennifer Ruef about what kids—and parents—really face from kindergarten to 5th grade, academically, socially, and emotionally. 

In this episode:

• The emotional rollercoaster of sending a child to kindergarten
• Why 3rd grade marks such a big academic and social leap
• How perfectionism and homework battles show up in 1st–4th grade
• The unique mix of confidence and vulnerability in 5th grade

This episode wraps up our Nature of the Beast back-to-school series. If you missed earlier episodes, check out: College Edition with Dr. Kelly Wilcox, High School Edition, and Middle School Edition with Mary Foard

About Jennifer
Jennifer is an educator and child therapist who specializes in anxiety and OCD. With 15+ years as a school counselor and pupil personnel worker, she now supports kids and parents through her new practice, KidWise Counseling

Get expert support, fresh strategies, and a judgment-free parent community—so you can stop feeling stuck and start parenting your teen with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

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Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching
Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry

Free Parenting Resource: Learn the L.O.V.E.D. framework for handling tricky convos.

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This podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care. 

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Middle school—the years of awkwardness, growth spurts, eye rolls, and endless energy. In this Nature of the Beast series episode, Sam and Melissa sit down with Mary Foard, a veteran middle school counselor and mom of twins, to unpack what parents really need to know about sixth, seventh, and eighth graders.

From the emotional rollercoasters of seventh grade to the reclusive “indoor cat” phase of eighth grade, Mary shares candid stories and practical strategies for navigating these wild years with connection, humor, and grace.

You’ll learn:

• Why middle schoolers don’t have to agree with your rules for them to follow them
• How to support abstract thinking and independence without over-rescuing
• The importance of touch points—like family dinners and car conversations—even when kids roll their eyes
• How to stay grounded when social drama and sarcasm start swirling
• Why it’s okay (and healthy) to let kids struggle a little

If you’re raising a middle schooler—or about to—this episode is full of wisdom, reassurance, and a reminder that, as Mary puts it, “It will work out.”

👉 Listen in and find your footing for these unforgettable years.

About Mary

Mary Foard is entering her 14th year as a middle school counselor at an independent school outside of Annapolis, MD and has worked in private practice with adolescents and their families. Prior to that, she was a middle school teacher for 10 years. Mary holds a Masters in Clinical Psychology and a Masters in Teaching. She’s an expert in all things middle school. 

Get expert support, fresh strategies, and a judgment-free parent community—so you can stop feeling stuck and start parenting your teen with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

Contact: [email protected]

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Work with Us:
Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching
Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry

Free Parenting Resource: Learn the L.O.V.E.D. framework for handling tricky convos.

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This podcast is educational in nature and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental-health care. 

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In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrap, Melissa and Sam dive into the unique challenges, milestones, and surprises that come with each year of high school. From wide-eyed freshmen still running to class, to confident (and sometimes cocky) seniors navigating “lasts” and life after graduation, Sam walks us through the highs, lows, and everything in between.

We explore:

• Seniors – riding the wave of early-year leadership before “senioritis” hits, juggling college applications, and facing the bittersweet reality of final seasons, dances, and games.
• Juniors – under intense academic and extracurricular pressure, balancing standardized tests, varsity sports, jobs, and the social changes that come with driving and more independence.
• Sophomores – the “present” grade, enjoying newfound confidence, trying new activities, and avoiding the frantic energy of freshmen and the stress of upperclassmen.
• Freshmen – anxious, awkward, and figuring out high school’s unspoken rules while still depending on parents for rides (and maybe still sprinting to lunch).

This conversation is part of our Nature of the Beast back-to-school series. Be sure to check out: College Edition with Kelly Wilcox and stay tuned for the upcoming episodes with the Middle School & Elementary editions for insights tailored to those transitions.

Get expert support, fresh strategies, and a judgment-free parent community—so you can stop feeling stuck and start parenting your teen with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

Contact: [email protected]

Watch on YouTube: Subscribe to Parenting Shrink Wrapped for the latest episodes.

Follow:
Sam – Instagram & Facebook
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Work with Us:
Sam – Teen Savvy Coaching
Melissa – Annapolis Psychiatry

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. 

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College drop-off isn’t the end of parenting—it’s just the beginning of a new phase. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Kelly Wilcox, Dean of Student Success at Haverford College, to talk about what parents can expect as their teen transitions to college. From the emotional rollercoaster of move-in day to mid-semester meltdowns, we explore how to support your student without overstepping.

We cover:

• What the “invisible fifth class” really is
• How to foster independence and resilience
• What to do when they want to transfer two weeks in
• How parenting evolves sophomore year and beyond

Whether your teen is heading off for the first time or still finding their way, this episode is full of real talk and reassuring perspective.

🎧 Listen now and share with a fellow college parent!

Resources

• Learn more about Dr. Wilcox
• Read this related blog post: Parenting with College Kids

About Kelly 

In her role as the Dean of Student Success at Haverford College, Kelly strives to foster advising relationships that feel accessible, welcoming, personalized, and meaningful. As an undergraduate she studied Political Science and International Relations at Swarthmore College, with a focus on East Asian Studies. She completed her Master's in Psychological Services at the University of Pennsylvania, as well as her Doctorate in Higher Education Administration.  She is also a certified Life Coach, ADHD Coach and Health Coach.

Get expert support, fresh strategies, and a judgment-free parent community—so you can stop feeling stuck and start parenting your teen with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

Contact: [email protected]

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

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. 

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In this powerful conversation, Sam and Melissa welcome Dr. Katie Lawliss—a licensed psychologist specializing in chronic illness and ADHD, who also lives with cystic fibrosis. Katie shares her personal journey from childhood diagnosis to becoming a health psychologist, revealing how chronic illness shaped her identity and sparked her passion for normalizing mental health care in this community. Together, they explore the unique challenges parents face when their bodies don’t cooperate: navigating fatigue and “brain fog,” coping with the unpredictability of flare-ups, and maintaining presence and connection with their children.

About Katie
Dr. Katie Lawliss is a clinical psychologist specializing in chronic illness, trauma, and ADHD. As both a therapist and a person living with a chronic illness, she brings personal insight and professional expertise to the challenges of navigating caregiving while managing health. Katie is passionate about helping others feel seen, supported, and empowered to create meaningful lives even when things feel uncertain or hard.

Resources

• Episode 25 – Shots, Swabs & Stress: Helping Kids Cope with Medical Anxiety with Dr. Missy Hendricks
   Listen on Parenting Shrink Wrapped
• Connect with Dr. Katie Lawliss
  Website: www.drkatielawliss.com

Get expert support, fresh strategies, and a judgment-free parent community—so you can stop feeling stuck and start parenting your teen with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

Contact: [email protected]

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

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. 

Send us Fan Mail

We’ve all had moments where a messy room or a missed assignment feels like the end of the world—and we explode. But is it really about that sock on the floor... or something deeper?

In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Sam and Melissa explore the moments when we, as parents, “flip our lids” over something small—only to realize it was connected to big fears, old baggage, or past patterns. Sam shares her powerful Sky Mind metaphor as a way to get grounded and stay present, even in the chaos.

🎙 What you’ll hear:

• Why we lose it over the little things—and what’s really going on beneath the surface
• How past regret and future fear hijack our nervous system
• A simple but powerful metaphor: Sky Mind vs. Storm Mind
• Eckhart Tolle’s three states of intentional action: acceptance, enjoyment, and enthusiasm
• How to pause and reconnect before reacting
• Why asking “What does this moment need from me?” can change everything

💡 Resources:

• 🎧 Episode 14: The Power of Mindful Parenting
• 🎧 Episode 29: Trauma Doesn't Have to Define Your Parenting
• 🎧 Episode 30: Trauma Is Real, Healing Is Possible: Understanding ACEs and Resilience with Laura Reagan
• 📘 A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle → Buy on Amazon

Get expert support, fresh strategies, and a judgment-free parent community—so you can stop feeling stuck and start parenting your teen with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

Contact: [email protected]

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

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. 

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Is your kid constantly in motion? Refuses to wear socks? Melts down over tags in their shirts? You’re not alone—and you’re not imagining it.

In this eye-opening episode, Sam and Melissa sit down with occupational therapist and mom of three, Samantha Hyali, owner of Children at Play in Annapolis, to pull back the curtain on what occupational therapy actually is—and why more parents should know about it.

Whether you’ve heard the term OT tossed around but never understood it, or you’re deep in the parenting trenches trying to help your sensory-sensitive child thrive, this conversation is packed with aha moments, real-world examples, and strategies for supporting your child’s nervous system from the inside out.

What You’ll Learn:

• What “occupational therapy” really means (spoiler: it’s not about jobs)
• Signs your child might benefit from OT—and how to tell the difference between “can’t” vs “won’t”
• Why core strength matters more than you think for focus and behavior
• How OT helps kids with sensory sensitivities (like clothing textures or noise)
• The magic of “just-right” challenges—and how play becomes the pathway to regulation
• What therapy looks like for toddlers vs preteens and teens (yes, even your 14-year-old can benefit!)
• How OT supports both kids and parents—because parent coaching is part of the process too

Resources:

• Episode 19 – Raising Kids on the Autism Spectrum with Dr. Taylor Day
• Children at Play, Annapolis on Facebook
• Follow Samantha Hyali on Instagram @childrenatplayannapolis
• Learn more about free consultations and services at Children at Play

Get expert support, fresh strategies, and a judgment-free parent community—so you can stop feeling stuck and start parenting your teen with more clarity, confidence, and connection.

Contact: [email protected]

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

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.