Let me set the stage:

• 99° with humidity + 8 months pregnant
• Patio umbrella about to go over the fence
• A HUGE wasp flying at my face
• Banging my eye into the corner of a chair to avoid the wasp
• Furiously throwing said chair
• My stepdaughter yelling, “MIA!” from inside over and over again...

… all this led to me whirling around and yelling, “WHAAAAAT?!?!?!?”

My stepdaughter (8) defended herself, “That wasn’t me!” and pointed to my son (2.5).

He had been the one shouting, “Mia!!” over and over again.

He calls me “Mommy” but has been hearing "Mia" a lot (summer schedule with my stepdaughter).

Oops.

Once I got the umbrella under control and got back inside, I instantly apologized.

Immediately after yelling, I felt a pang of guilt.

But the guilt went away quickly because:

1. This outburst was a chance for me to model repair and how to calm back down after a stressful situation.
2. I knew we could use playfulness to reconnect.

We settled on:

“Alphabet Conversation:” Each turn starts with the next letter of the alphabet.

(example: "Are you going to eat that?" "Bananas are my favorite... of course!" "Can you share a bite with me?" etc...)

We were back in balance in no time.

I cried laughing with my family several times this past week.

Our current favorite is playing “Popcorn Stories” in the car, where we make up a story but trade off every few sentences.

My son is already picking up on how to play these games and is adding his own plot twists — usually about monsters, bugs, or poop.

(psst -- my $5 guide, "From Tired to Playful," is packed with games like these -- and much more!)

My invitation for the week:

If -- and when -- you “lose it” with your kids:

1. Remind yourself it’s an opportunity to model repair.
2. Consider reconnecting with a silly game (when you’re ready).

Laughter is magical for healing from tough moments.

Love,
Mia

P.S. This past week, I learned that my friend Chiara Rossetti, passed away. In honor of her playful spirit, I shared six of her silly ideas for kids in this Instagram post.

Here's a past interview I did with her that blew my mind: Teens Need Playfulness​

Chiara was the first person to encourage me to develop my own style of “playfulness coaching" for fellow parents (more info below).

I hope to make her proud as I work to make this world a “little less serious,” one family at a time. 🙏 ​

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• 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!
• I'm now offering one-on-one-support for parents through my "Personal Play Plan & Coaching Service" -- that link gets you 5% off! If you're a stepparent or single parent, reach out to me for additional discounts.