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October 20, 2025 35 mins

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From pumpkin costumes and family trick-or-treating to teen parties and candy negotiations, Halloween looks different at every stage of parenting. 

In this episode of Parenting Shrink Wrapped, Dr. Melissa Wellner and Sam Straub share funny memories, honest confessions (including Sam’s strong feelings about chocolate), and practical advice for navigating Halloween as your kids grow up. They talk about the chaos of toddler meltdowns, the bittersweet shift when tweens want independence, and how to set healthy limits around candy without losing your mind. 

Whether you love Halloween or dread it, this conversation will help you enjoy the season and keep perspective through every spooky stage of parenthood. 

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.

You know when your kid screws up in some way, and you're sure of the lesson you want them to learn from it....but you’re not sure how to say it in a way they’ll actually hear?  

Download Sam's free video guide that walks you through a simple, step-by-step process for handling these tough conversations called the L.O.V.E.D. framework.  

Contact: parentingshrinkwrapped@gmail.com

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

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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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