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.
It’s just a room!
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“This room is driving me CRAZY!” I huffed as I pushed a couch to the other side of the room while holding a clingy baby on my hip The living room was crammed with stuff, the furniture so oddly arranged that walking wasn’t even possible. “Why is it driving you crazy? It’s just a room!” My 3yo… The voice of innocence… and wisdom!! All I could do was laugh. Because he was RIGHT! It reminded me of a song that Leah S., one of the parents in the first round of Activate Play Mode, made up. The lyrics are: “I want my space to be more beautiful
The shift is attitudinal
The beauty’s already here
The beauty’s already here”
It’s all true… and two things can be true at once. The beauty is already here for SURE. The love, the laughter, the life being lived in our home. And if you’ve ever seen my walls in my Instagram videos you KNOW I don’t have a conventionally beautiful home and there’s no point in trying, nor do I care. BUT I do need to be able to walk and breathe better in our space. So I laughed at his comment, acknowledged he was right, and explained we needed to move things around so we’d have more room to play without tripping over everything. And I did it. Rearranged the dang room with a baby on my hip, a dog jumping on everything, and my 3yo asking a million questions and telling me everything I did was “weird” 🤣💪💪💪 Wouldn’t ya know… we felt so much better in that space after! My invitation for you this week: If you’re flustered or stressed about something but know deep down it’s not that big of a deal… Remember: two things can be true, and we can laugh while we power through. (hey that rhymed!) Love, Mia P.S. I’m so excited so many of you are using and loving the new apps!!! If you’ve grabbed em and want to share how your kids (and you!) are liking them please reply and let me know. Also. I already dropped a new batch of prompts into each one over the weekend and it was so much fun to imagine them popping up and bringing laughs to families around the world! 🥹 MORE FROM PLAYFUL HEART PARENTING: Simple, creative apps that take the brainwork out and put connection and laughter in. LITTLE MOMENTS FOR BIG LAUGHS: Quick and easy, random, silly moments to share with your kids. The program for you if you feel like the “fun version” of you has left the building. 🫶 |
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 turned 39 yesterday. Here’s what I’m taking with me into my last year of my 30s… …and what I’d like to leave behind! TAKING WITH ME (Or prioritizing if I’ve let it slip lately) • Games at mealtimes (Plot Twist is still a hit with my son!) • Being my authentic, comfy, messy self online • Laughing more with my husband (not just with the kids) • Trying at least one silly little thing a day (lately I’ve been pulling from my own Little Moments collection) • Telling my kids how much I love...
My fam was in town this past weekend. My sweet son turned four(!!) and my mom, sis, and dad flew out to celebrate. We packed a lot in and while sometimes quick visits like this can feel stressful, this was a great weekend full of moments that helped everyone laugh and loosen up so I want to share them with you now! 1- Name That (Minion) Tune We sang songs like the minions from “despicable me” and it’s literally so fun for all ages (even grandpa played) - tip, just sing the syllables...
The other night, I caught myself thinking something that wasn’t true. It had been one of those tricky days. The older two were bickering. My son was being too rough with the baby (my biggest trigger). I lost my temper. But then dinner shifted everything. Just me and the kids, waiting for my husband, connecting through my favorite way: collaborative storytelling. (We each tell a few sentences, then say “popcorn!” to pass it on.) That night’s story was called Nigel and the Beast 😂 Quick...