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 one game set the tone for the week:
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I was feeling annoyed… or so I thought. It was “transition” night — my stepdaughter’s first night at our house after being with her mom for the week. It’s always a big adjustment for everyone — and the summer schedule is a particularly jarring shift. She was being short and seemed distant. I felt myself getting irritated. I asked myself, “What’s under this annoyance?” and quickly realized… … it was fear. Old insecurities were coming up. Guilt. Worrying she’ll always miss her mom more than enjoying time at our house. And under that fear is love. So then I asked myself... “What would playfulness look like right now?” “Wanna play a game?” I asked her. She lit up and said, “Sure! Like what?” We ended up making up a new, simple game together called, “What have you DONE!?” How we played: • We took turns asking, “What have you done?” using different accents or dramatic emotions. • We answered in the same tone or expression. • Responses varied from “I had a playdate” to “I ate a PB&J.” As we played, she inched closer to me on the couch. Before long, we were not only physically closer, but more emotionally connected through silliness and sharing moments from our week. Play is healing — this has been studied and proven. This is especially true when it comes to working through separation anxiety or trauma. And it’s been transformative for our family. This simple game helped both of us:
Invitation for the Week: Notice when you’re feeling annoyed and ask yourself what’s underneath. Curiosity alone can be powerful. As always, feel free to reply with your thoughts if any of this resonates! I love hearing from you. Love, Mia P.S. I’m now offering one-on-one support through my Personal Play Plan & Coaching service, where we work together to develop playful skills for connecting with your kids. Tap the button below for more info + a 5% discount as a thank-you for subscribing!
*Discounts available for stepparents and single parents; reply to this email if that’s you! ____________________________________ By the way... do you have my $5 guide, "From Tired to Playful?" It's packed with mindset tips and over 50 creative games for connection! |
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.
An unfortunately true haiku: Virus number fourWe should just get a punch cardBetter be the last 🙃 My invitation for you this week: Find a moment to stop the scroll (literally or figuratively) and give your brain a mini-creativity break. Like making up a haiku! (5 syllables, then 7, then five). Cheering you on always (and hoping next week’s email mentions nothing of germs), Mia P.S. FAMPROV is available to preorder for a couple more weeks at the earlybird price! Info below :) MORE FROM PLAYFUL...
I don’t know about you, but we are on our THIRD virus within a month. Over it!! 😩 Yesterday was just one of those days where I felt tempted to go into “woe is me” mode (and I did slip into it a few times, let’s be honest!) One super random thing that helped me a little bit was a game I played in my own head throughout the day… and it all started with a stinkbug lying dead on the floor next to the couch. For some reason the phrase “Stinkbug Revival” popped into my head (don’t ask why because I...
My sis came to town this past weekend and, yep, per usual I peed myself from laughter. Listen, this is actually not a common thing for me, so please don’t worry about my pelvic floor. It’s just my SISTER makes me laugh so hard I literally lose control of my bodily functions. The night before she left, we decided to go live on Instagram (something I never do) and take requests for inspiration to do games where we make something up by trading off every other word. We did: GPS directions to the...