I’m a mom, stepmom, and theatre educator helping exhausted parents access their inner creative playfulness for more connection and joy. No messy crafts, complicated setups, or sensory bins here! Just simple, silly moments that bring your family back together through laughter. My short weekly emails share reflections from real life and a simple invitation you can try for yourself or with your kids.
How are we gonna teach them to be responsible if we make things fun?
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Recently I shared one of our favorite ways to get in pajamas... I say, "Who wants to do an Abra-pajama?" and then the kids pose while I film them saying "Abra-pa..." in their normal clothes - then I pause the video - then they rush to get in PJs - then I resume the video once they're back in their original pose and they say "-JAMA!" And it's like a magic trick! (aka a "transition video") (here's the video if you want a little more explanation!) Lotttts of parents tried this with their kids and loved it, which made me so happy! But I did get a few comments that brought up something worth talking about... Comments like this: Here's what I wanna say about this: Playfulness and responsibility are not opposites. (and playfulness is a way of connecting, which is very different from the transactional nature of bribery). Adults make tasks more enjoyable all the time, right? We listen to music while cleaning, call a friend while walking, put on a podcast while folding laundry... some of us (👋🏼) even like making time lapse videos when tidying up to see the satisfying transition or puting on a timer to challenge ourselves to put the dishes away in three minutes! The task still gets done. We're just removing some of the "BLAH" feeling from it! Same goes for kids. I'm not trying to raise kids who need everything to be made fun. I'm raising kids who know that responsibility and joy can coexist. Getting dressed, brushing teeth, cleaning up, following through... those things don't always need to be paired with stress and a power struggle. Life is gonna give them plenty of opportunities to practice hard things, and I'm certainly teaching my kids the reasons behind why we do what we do as well. But the truth is none of us need more seriousness. All of us need more joy. And sometimes that joy comes from pretending the pajamas are magical. My invitation for you this week: Take a moment to wonder: What did I learn growing up about responsibility and fun? Is there any part of that story that could soften a little? Cheering you on always, Mia 💞 P.S. I made a FREE Father's Day Fun pack with silly little mini-games to celebrate Dad! It's like a Dad-themed version of some of my favorite games from my app bundle. Tap the link below to print it out and play! MORE FROM PLAYFUL HEART PARENTING: My all-time favorite improv games for family connection! Prompt-based games and easy, silly moment ideas (1500+ prompts and counting!) 11 core strategies for using play as a tool for more ease and joy in parenting. |
Playful Heart Parenting
I’m a mom, stepmom, and theatre educator helping exhausted parents access their inner creative playfulness for more connection and joy. No messy crafts, complicated setups, or sensory bins here! Just simple, silly moments that bring your family back together through laughter. My short weekly emails share reflections from real life and a simple invitation you can try for yourself or with your kids.
I am historically very emotional person. A CRIER. No, no, no not THAT kind of "crier" Yes, THAT kind of crier. That's the one! But to be vulnerable with you, since taking medication for my anxiety, the tears don't come as often. I'm not complaining, per se, because I still feel my feelings, just not quite as heightened all the time... but it is a little weird when I feel like I need to cry but kind of... can't? Anyway, last Friday an unexpected spider-related incident happened that made me...
I have a new, wonderful friend named Jen. We met in person here in Nashville at our mutual friend Eli’s book tour stop (shout out @attachmentnerd and her awesome new book!!), and Jen and I had one of these moments: We bonded immediately over our love for improv, fart humor, being stepmoms, and just general jolly weirdness. A few days later, she texted me that she was having her weekly “inner child date” and was using my new “What Should We Doodle” app (part of the PHP app bundle). She then...
Yesterday while I was on a call upstairs, my stepdaughter (10) ran up and said, “Mia, look! My nose changed” She was grinning, holding up a wrinkly piece of skin-colored clay that she’d shaped into a fake, pointy witch-looking nose. “Yes!! Put a wart on that thing, poke two holes in the side, and throw it in the oven. I’ll add string to it for you so you can wear it!” I said excitedly. She was thrilled. Several hours later, we put the finishing touches on her freshly baked witch nose and were...