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 tables have turned!
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This past weekend was full of a lot of big emotions for one of our kiddos and it was a bit of a roller coaster for us all. We’ve been looking for as many moments as possible to lean into playfulness—and it’s been so helpful! I was surprised when my stepdaughter said, “Oh, I made up my own fun game today!” She then taught us her new original game, which I’ll now teach to YOU! (She was very excited when I promised to email it out to everyone 🥰) “What’s the World Record…?” How to play:
No wrong answers! You can look it up if it sounds like something there might really be a world record for (like how we looked up the longest anyone went without a shower - 60 years!). It’s just meant to be funny, imaginative, and hopefully lead to more conversation! Examples from our night:
Even though she didn’t understand, 1.5yo was laughing along every time we laughed. 🥹 My invitation for you this week: Try this new game brought to you by my brilliant 10yo stepdaughter! And above all… keep modeling family connection through play. It matters. Cheering you on always, Mia P.S. Our Activate Play Mode private online community is now open for free to all who’ve taken the course! It’s a safe place to brainstorm playful solutions and share ideas with other parents from around the world who are actively pursuing a more playful approach in general and especially when it comes to tasks, routines, and general day-to-day challenges. I also give easy little weekly check-ins and play moment invitations. If you’ve purchased the course, check your email for an invitation from me to the community! And if you’re interested in joining, the link is below! MORE FROM PLAYFUL HEART PARENTING: Family improv games for connection! A digital library with demonstration videos plus printable guide of fun improv games to bring you closer together through laughter and creativity. Simple, creative apps + printable card decks with 1400+ prompts that take the brainwork out and put connection and laughter in! Audio course + community: Playful strategies for navigating everyday parenting challenges and reducing power struggles. |
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.
My favorite part of the day yesterday was oinking like a pig with my son for five minutes. Hear me out, because it wasn't your typical "let's just act like animals" kind of play... I know that can feel unbearable for parents! It was because he ran and jumped on me before bed and did a little snort-laugh so I said, "Aww is this my little piglet?" He said yeah! Let's snort! I couldn't snort because I've already had a stuffy nose, but I could oink! So of the cuff I said, "Let's oink messages to...
Welp... just realized I never sent an email last week! If I didn't notice, I'm willing to bet nobody else did either... but just in case you were sad about it, here's this week's email a day early 😂 I recently told my therapist that, other than playing games as a family, I don't really do anything to relax and unwind that's just for ME. Some of my friends read fantasy romance novels. Some watch TV shows. I don't really have a "thing" and whenever I have downtime I find myself trying to cram...
An unfortunately true haiku: Virus number fourWe should just get a punch cardBetter be the last 🙃 My invitation for you this week: Find a moment to stop the scroll (literally or figuratively) and give your brain a mini-creativity break. Like making up a haiku! (5 syllables, then 7, then five). Cheering you on always (and hoping next week’s email mentions nothing of germs), Mia P.S. FAMPROV is available to preorder for a couple more weeks at the earlybird price! Info below :) MORE FROM PLAYFUL...