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.
Why is nobody talking about THIS
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I was telling my therapist yesterday how TIRED I’ve been. Yes, I have a teething 1yo and a 4yo who occasionally karate-kicks in our one big family bed. But overall I actually sleep pretty decently compared to many moms I know… So of course my inner critic jumps in with “Why are you so tired? You shouldn’t be. You’re not healthy enough. Not active enough. Not drinking enough water. You’re lazy.” That’s all normal negative self talk, right? But here’s the weird thing. THEN, I have a critical voice above that one that goes “Why can’t you talk kinder to yourself? You know that’s not helpful.” 🤣🫠 My therapist said something that made SO much sense, and I haven’t heard anyone say this before: “I vividly remember having a 1 and 4yo. You know what I didn’t have much access to back then? My kind inner voice.” YES. 🤯!!! We hear so much about self-kindness… but we don’t talk about how not being kind to ourselves can feel like yet another personal failure. So here’s my little invitation for you this week We can’t care for everyone and also maintain a perfectly compassionate inner voice at all times. Cheering you on always, Mia Updates! 1- FREE Thanksgiving Resource: If you haven’t grabbed my free Turkey Day Play resource yet, here you go. Perfect for Thursday and a fun sampler of the advent calendar and apps: Turkey Day Play.pdf 2- Laughing All the Way Advent Calendar 3- Gift a little Playful Heart Spirit: 4- Activate Play Mode 15% off: |
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.
Surprise! I've just made a brand new play resource: "Turkey Day Play!" It's a printable Thanksgiving-themed resource full of prompt-based games for laughter and connection. If you don't have the apps or advent calendar, this will give you a good idea of what's inside -- and if you do have them, you'll love this "gravy-flavored" version! DOWNLOAD, PRINT, AND PLAY: Turkey Day Play.pdf *perfect for family get-togethers and fun even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving! If you try these out, I'd...
The other night, my stepdaughter was telling me about a cheerleading game they played called Little Sally Walker. It's a silly dancing game I used to play with my theatre students. She said that when it was her turn, she “couldn’t think of what to do” so she just gave a shy little disco finger while everyone else was being sassy and shaking their hips... I told her I understood. It’s hard to feel that pressure in the moment. I can totally remember what that feels like. Then I asked, “What if...
You know what hits me right in the gut when it pops up in my feed? Those reels about waking up at 80 and wishing for just one more day with your kids as littles. It’s not a gut-punch because it’s wrong. It’s a gut-punch because it’s true. And it physically hurts my stomach to think I might not be soaking it up enough right now. It’s the same ache I feel when someone says, “Enjoy it, it flies by.” Even as I type this, I’m lying between my sleeping 4-year-old and 1-year-old. Not petting their...