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.
The simple game that helped 10yo with school jitters
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My 10yo stepdaughter was feeling too nervous to eat breakfast before school. School-related anxiety is a thing we’ve been navigating for about two years now, and it ebbs and flows. Reasoning with her and telling her she had to eat was only making her cry and resist more. So I said how about we play a game to help your mind move through this? And if you can, eat some while we play? I was grateful she instantly agreed… we’ve done this before and she knows it helps. She chose “word ball” - a simple word association game where: - one person says a random word - the next person repeats that word, then says whatever word pops into their mind based off the word that was just said - And passes it back to the first person who does the same thing Example: - Beans… - Beans… fart - Fart… stink - Stink… trash - Trash… can - Can… can of worms… No right or wrong answers. The goal is to not anticipate your next word, but to truly base it off whatever word is said in the moment. This helped her almost instantly, and even got her laughing. She was able to eat some breakfast and leave for school in a good mood. Playfulness does not have to be overtly silly or wildly energetic to be impactful and help us be present with each other. And presence is the enemy of anxiety. Did I just make that up?! Please tell me yes. My invitation for you this week: Try the word association game! It’s such a simple tool for coming into the present moment. (I literally play this game in my own head to fall asleep at night when my mind is racing and it works like a charm!) And if you want more improv games for presence and connection with your family, here’s your reminder that I have a whoooole video library and guide full of my favorites (FAMPROV: family improv games for connection). Cheering you on always, Mia 💞 P.S. Last reminder! If you are an Activate Play Mode member, we just moved our community onto the Circle app and it's AWESOME! This is included with your APM purchase, no matter when you grabbed it, so if you haven't seen an invite from me, reply here and I'll make sure to get you in there. 🥰 MORE FROM PLAYFUL HEART PARENTING: Never wonder how to turn the moment around again. Instant games, hilarious ideas, and printable activities that make connection easy. Apps for any device + printable cards. Learn 70+ ridiculously fun improv games that naturally help you be present with your family. Video demonstrations + printable guidebook. Turn everyday parenting challenges into moments of laughter, connection, and cooperation. Private podcast course + community. |
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.
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My nervous system was shot the other day and I was really on edge and agitated. I felt stuck in “serious mode.” Part of me knew that if I could “activate play mode” even just a little bit, we could all feel a little better. But another part of me was like: “NO. I don’t WANT to lighten up right now. I deserve to feel this way!” It’s true, I did deserve to feel that way. AND yet there was also this tiny voice asking: What if you let go of clinging to serious mode… just for a minute? That...