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.
Is it our “job” to play?
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There’s a big debate on social media about independent play vs. interactive play. “Play is the work of children. It’s not our job to play with our kids!” I see it all the time—hundreds of parents (who struggle with playfulness) jumping in and shouting, “Yes! THANK YOU! I hate playing, and now I don’t have to!” You might be surprised to hear this… …I don’t totally disagree. Despite what it might look like on my Instagram, I’m not playing with my kids all day. Most of the time, they’re playing on their own. And while I talk a lot about collaborative play, independent play is just as important in our home. You won’t often catch me on the floor building with magnatiles or even coloring. And if my son’s happily playing with his monster trucks, I’m not jumping in with, “Hey, I’ll be the red one!” Kids don’t need us to interrupt like that. AND, interactive play is a huge part of our family’s dynamic too. It’s a joyful way to connect that really matters to the kids and is fun for us, too. Is it the only way to connect? No. But it’s a big one. So, which is better? Independent or interactive play? I just think it’s a silly question. They’re both wonderful for different reasons!😉 Here’s my invitation for you this week: • When you see your child playing independently, stay curious from a distance. Just watch. It’s amazing what they process through play. • If they invite you to join and you’re up for it, jump in without worrying that it’s disruptive. Trust me, one type of play doesn’t cancel out the other. Love, Mia _________________________________
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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.
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...
My sis and her partner were here this past weekend and as usual there were lots of laughs.(If you’ve seen our FAMPROV videos… you know exactly the vibe!) Yesterday on the drive home from a park, my son (4) asked to play “Plot Twist” - making up a story together using prompts from my app.It ended up being one of my favorite little parts of the whole visit, because “Aunt Naddy” and “Tuncle” (tío + uncle) are professional improv performers and just so happen to be endlessly creative, hilarious,...
I recently got back into doing at-home dance workouts. Aside from walking, this is truly the only form of exercise I enjoy, and it’s been YEARS. Why do I love it so much? Because it’s fun, challenging in an enjoyable way, and brings back a big part of myself (the performer part)! But what I didn’t expect to happen was for it to become a new bonding activity for me and my 10yo stepdaughter! Surprisingly, she’s taken an interest in doing the dance workouts with me when she’s here, and I have to...