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.
Romance these days…
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I got back from a walk the other day and saw a bunch of stuff set up in the front yard. “We’re playing arcade games. Pay up!” said my stepdaughter who was “working the ticket booth.” My husband leaned over, handing me two quarters saying, “They only take real money.” We laughed that the kids were the ones sitting and watching the grownups playing. I managed to win four tickets by bouncing a ball into a bucket! When my stepdaughter told me to pick out a prize, I selected a pink football. But she said, “Sorry, that actually costs five tickets. You only have four.” “Oh…” I answered. “Well, what can I get with four?” She pointed to a sad, small plastic shovel. “That’s okay,” I said. “I’ll just donate my tickets to that cute guy over there” pointing to my husband who was kicking a ball with my son. She gave my tickets to him. “Can I get a pink football?” he asked. He handed me the football and I said, “Aaaand THIS is peak romance when you’re parents.” We were cracking up. Because it’s so true. Romance just looks different in this season. Little moments that we add in during pretend play with our kids that say, “I still think you’re cute.” Leaning into silliness and play as a family isn’t just for the kids. It brings my husband and me closer together, too. When we all laugh together, it’s just as good for our marriage as it is for our parenting. And for those of you doing the hardest job — parenting solo… Romance isn’t just “hubba hubba” moments with a partner. Laughter through play can be your fast-pass to get there. My invitation for you this week: Reflect on one tiny funny or joyful moment you’ve had with your family lately. Take a second to relive it — or set the intention to create a new one today. 💞 Love, Mia P.S. I’m excited that many of you have grabbed the “Laughing All the Way” advent calendar! It’s so fun to picture all of us playing the same silly little games with our families each day in December. 🥰 If you want to join us, tap here! *If you want to keep getting these weekly emails but don’t want reminders about the calendar, tap here. If you already opted out but got one on Sunday, my bad! I’ve got it fixed now. 💞 |
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.
In case you missed it... a couple months back I shared a video of my stepdaughter and me playing our favorite game: "One Word Commercial," where we make up a fake commercial on the spot, trading off every other word. It ended being about ointment for an itchy butt... but with lots of disastrous side effects. The video went viral, with folks chiming in with their own playful comments and excitement to try this with their own families (yay!!) (If you want to watch it after you read the rest of...
The other night, when I was fatigued and had a sore throat, my stepdaughter (10) said, “Hey. You’re not happy. Let’s play a game.” Ohhh that made my heart so happy that she noticed this and wanted to play to cheer me up with a game—our favorite way to connect! 🥹 AND, I didn’t know if I had much capacity to even talk… and most of our favorite games require a bit of that. My son (4) then said, “I know what we should play!” and he ran over with a piece of paper and pen. “The drawing a person...
I was EXTREMELY grumpy last Friday night… The kids wanted to paint and there’s just something about paint with little kiddos that gets to me if I'm not in the right headspace to manage it. On top of that, 1.5yo little gal kept getting hurt… first her finger got smashed in the door while I was going in and out getting supplies… THEN she somehow busted open the little ice pack for her finger while I was trying to get her dinner and I freaked out that she was going to eat the gel inside and be...