Quick, honest reflections on parenting, playfulness, and finding more joy in everyday family life, each with one simple idea to try. Browse the latest reads below, and subscribe to never miss one in your inbox each Tuesday.
"A sticky clump of earwax riding a skateboard" by my 78-year-old dad
|
My parents and sister were visiting the other day for my son's birthday (he's 5 now!!! 😭), and I asked my 78-year-old dad if he wanted to try my silly drawing prompt app, "What Should We Doodle"... Let's just say he understood the assignment. 😂 My sister pulled up the app and tapped the "gross stuff" category to give him a doodle challenge. His first mission was to draw a "sticky clump of earwax riding a skateboard." He spent so long on it and was cracking himself up in the process.
He wanted another one, so my sis tapped the "Magic and Make Believe" category and assigned him his next doodle: "a grumpy royal horse climbing a giant beanstalk." He kept giggling to himself as he drew, and when he finally revealed his masterpieces, he was beaming with pride and self-amusement. We all burst out laughing. His extremely detailed artwork is now proudly displayed on our fridge right alongside my kids' drawings.
He even painted it with watercolors while the kids were painting, too. 🥰 We had lots of other silly moments that weekend, too, including playing my Plot Twist storytelling game with my mom, dad, and sister. And listen... the random twists and turns my dad added to our story (without even needing the prompts!) reminded me exactly where I got my love of off-the-wall, completely absurd humor. 😂 A lot has changed as my dad's gotten older, but watching him get such a kick out of being silly reminded me that the joy we feel playing as kids doesn't have to disappear when we grow up. The ways we play might change (and sometimes not!), but the joy of playing doesn't have to go anywhere... Even 70 years later!! 🥹 My invitation for you this week: Challenge your kids to do a random silly doodle. You can draw it together or separately and then reveal your masterpieces to each other when you're done! Need a prompt? Here's one straight from my app: "a sassy frog pop star realizing they have very stinky feet!" Cheering you on always, P.S. Both the silly drawing prompts and Plot Twist storytelling game are included in my Silly Moments Bundle: Instant ideas that make play effortless. 💞 More from Playful Heart Parenting:HALLOWEEN FREEBIE: Tap HERE to download it! |
The Playful Heart Journal
Quick, honest reflections on parenting, playfulness, and finding more joy in everyday family life, each with one simple idea to try. Browse the latest reads below, and subscribe to never miss one in your inbox each Tuesday.
My parents and sis were in town this past weekend and, as usual, we played improv games. And, as usual, I laughed so hard I screamed, cried, and... got a hangover!? (No alcohol involved). Yes, the other night, my sister made me laugh to the point of tears... my kids looked concerned at one point. What was the game that got me so good, you ask? TV Talking. We've been playing since we were little kids and, yep, here I am about to turn 40 and we still play every chance we get. All you do is mute...
"Can you play a quick game with me pleeeease?" I asked my husband before bedtime the other night. (I wanted to demonstrate one of the games from the Halloween freebie!) It had been a REALLY long work day for him so, rightfully so, he was a little reluctant but agreed. What a guy! 😍 I closed my eyes, pointed to a random square on the sheet, and landed on a silly family storytelling game: CHALLENGE: Make up a story together, taking turns every few sentences. Use this title to get you started:...
I got a comment on Instagram the other day that got under my skin and I just couldn't shake the frustration... ...even after a magnificent therapy call that just happened to be right after I saw said comment! I was sharing my frustrations and my hurt with my pal Jen (yes the same Jen I always talk about here). She is also a content creator and just GETS it. I vented, she listened, validated, we had the whole convo, but THEN, before moving on with the day, Jen said: "Before you get wrapped up...