I got this message yesterday on Instagram:

“Your videos are always so amazing. It seems like you have endless patience. How do you have the capacity at the end of a long day to still be silly? I find myself wanting it to move quickly and them just do what they need to so we can get to bedtime.”

I’m going to be completely honest…

I’m not a patient person by nature.

I can lose my patience easily.

I usually want things to move faster.

I often start eating my food before I even get to the table (is that a cringey confession? I get hangry, don’t judge!)

So if I don’t actually have “endless patience,” how am I able to be playful in tricky moments?

Well, first let’s be clear: I do NOT always have the capacity to do that.

But here’s what I’ve learned:

Playfulness in parenting is like a muscle.

The more you work it, the stronger it gets over time.

So I can tell you with certainty that I have a heck of a lot more capacity for it than I would have a few years ago, when I never intentionally worked that muscle.

As for the specific question about bedtime…

For us, bedtime has just become more lax than it is for most people I know with young kids.

Focusing on playfulness (when we can) leads to a smoother transition to rest for all of us rather than rushing and stressing.

We try to view it as a time to connect, to laugh, and to enjoy each other before the day ends.

BUT, please hear me:

We definitely have our rushed nights and plenty of moments of frustration.
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But at the end of the day, we know the silly, playful moments are the ones we’ll all remember.

So we just make time for it.

Even when it’s getting late and we’re tired.

We are far from perfect, but this is the goal we come back to.

So if you’re feeling impatient and just want things to move faster, know that I get it.

Here’s my invitation for you this week:

Check in with yourself when things start to feel chaotic and ask yourself if there’s a chance to slow down, even for a second, and find some silly joy in the messiness of it all.

(The answer won’t always be yes and that is okay!!)

The more we practice, the easier it gets.

Love,

Mia

P.S. Thank you so much for all the thoughts and ideas you’ve shared on the silly moments program — I’m really excited to dive into creating it! In the meantime, feel free to send any more thoughts my way.

And for those of you who’ve sent well wishes for my baby girl, I can’t thank you enough. We’re trying a bunch of things, and I’m definitely feeling more hopeful (and less screamy) than last week. Your support means the world!