I'm a mom, stepmom, and theatre educator who helps parents connect with their children by accessing their silly side! No messy arts and crafts, complicated activities, or sensory bins here -- just easy, simple, silly moments to share as a family. Short weekly emails include free resources, exclusive discounts, inspiration, playful tips, and easy game ideas.
The time I wore my son’s Pull-Ups (yes, for real)
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Note: This email includes a story about a medical emergency and premature labor. Please read with care. “Mommy, what are you doing?!” my son sleepily giggled, confused. It was 2am, and I was stuffing two of his Pull-Ups into my pants because my water had just broken... at 33 weeks. We were heading to the hospital, and I was shaking with fear. My baby girl wasn’t supposed to arrive for another seven weeks, and I didn’t know what to expect other than what I was frantically googling. I mustered up a smile and said, “Mommy needs to wear your Pull-Ups right now because the baby’s water balloon popped.” (This was how I had explained it to him.) “This looks kind of silly, huh?” He nodded and smiled. In that moment, I thought, This is motherhood: Putting on a brave face and finding a way to make my child feel safe, even though I don’t feel safe myself. When we pulled up to the hospital, I turned to Steve and said, “See? I TOLD you I had a bad feeling about you going on that work trip!” He joked back, “Okay, well you didn’t need to go THIS far to prove it!” Somehow, we shared a laugh as we got our toddler into his stroller. As I waddled through the hospital doors at 2:30am, holding my belly, the security guard asked, “Do you need to be seen?” I nodded but muttered to my husband, “What gave it away?” We laughed again. Humor is one of my coping mechanisms, even in times of crisis. It keeps me stable until it’s safe to feel all the emotions. Later, once I was settled into my hospital bed and my son had fallen asleep on my husband’s chest, I broke down. I sobbed to the nurses, pouring out all my fears for my daughter. Nurse Margaret hugged me. Finding the humor helped me stay strong until the right, safe moment to let the sadness and fear out. It also helped my son feel safe in a moment of crisis. When it’s “safe enough to be silly,” our kids can feel that. Would it have been okay if I hadn’t cracked any jokes at all? Of course. It was an actual emergency. But I’m grateful for the ability to access humor, even when it feels impossible. It’s powerful. My heart goes out to parents navigating their own emergencies right now and having to stay strong for their kids, especially those affected by the wildfires in California, my home state. My invitation for you this week: Wherever you are emotionally right now, see if you can notice and appreciate a moment of humor, even the smallest passing one. Love, Mia P.S. If you are someone affected by the fires and happen to be reading this, please feel free to hit reply and let me know. I’d love to send you my new ebook for free to help you easily initiate laughter with your kids when you’re ready. Humor can be a powerful part of the healing process and even provide a sense of normalcy in a crisis. P.P.S. I was honored to be a guest on the Hey Girl Hey podcast recently! Tap here to listen to our uplifting and funny conversation — I promise it will make you smile. (Spoiler: I sing about butts) Resources: Little Moments for Big Laughs: Quick, super-easy ideas to connect with your kids through silliness and laughter!
Pretend Play Pro: How to stop dreading pretend play and start using it as your parenting superpower. Simple concepts, theatre-inspired techniques, and easy-to-remember formulas to make pretend play actually enjoyable and rewarding for YOU.
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Playful Heart Parenting
I'm a mom, stepmom, and theatre educator who helps parents connect with their children by accessing their silly side! No messy arts and crafts, complicated activities, or sensory bins here -- just easy, simple, silly moments to share as a family. Short weekly emails include free resources, exclusive discounts, inspiration, playful tips, and easy game ideas.
Surprise... I wanted to send you a little treat — a free preview of my new Valentine’s resource! 🥰 Whether you grab the full set or not, I hope this brings some fun to your home: My Funny Valentine FREE PREVIEW.pdf If you do want the whole thing, today’s the perfect time to grab it so you’re ready to kick off “Fun February” tomorrow! Tap here for the full version. Thank you for being part of this community! Wishing your family a February full of love and laughter. Love, Mia More from Playful...
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