I usually send these emails on Tuesday mornings, but yesterday, I felt I needed to give my son some extra playtime.​
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Things have been pretty chaotic here.
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Baby girl is still struggling (though improving!), but she screams in her car seat and stroller, so even mental health walks are far from relaxing these days.

My son’s understandably got cabin fever, and as for me—postpartum anxiety (and maybe a bit of depression) has been kicking my butt. I’m getting the help I need and feeling hopeful, but yesterday, I knew my priorities had to shift.

So I asked my son, “If you could do anything with Mommy all day, what would it be?”

“Wrestle in my room!” he squealed without hesitation.

“Okay,” I said. “Let me finish my coffee, and let’s do it.”

Magically, my baby girl stayed asleep, and we got a solid hour of uninterrupted wrestling. I soaked up the giggles and snuggles while he burned off some of that wild three-year-old energy, basking in some rare, undivided mommy time.

As we wound down, we recorded a spontaneous birthday story about a troll for my sister.

You know what I noticed? ​
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​I felt less ragey, anxious, and full of dread.

My son still whined for snacks, the baby still screamed, and I was still overstimulated and stressed, BUT starting the day off with play really set a different tone.

For one, I didn’t feel as guilty when I turned to Bluey for backup later (Bluey’s been helping a lot lately).
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​But more than that, releasing stress and connecting first thing in the morning made a big difference.

I thought, “No one’s going to be wondering, ‘Where’s my email from Mia?? It’s Tuesday!’ So why not just play and write about it tomorrow?” And it was such a good decision.

Not every morning will be like this, but I’m glad yesterday was.

My invitation for you this week:

Is there anything you can cut from one upcoming day to make room for play, ideally in the morning?​
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Often, we feel things are urgent when they’re really not, right? I’m definitely guilty of that.

Check in with yourself and see if you can put something on the chopping block—even a 15-minute task—and replace it with play. See if you notice a difference.

And I highly recommend asking, “If you could do anything with Mommy/Daddy, what would it be?”

Love,

Mia

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