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.
Yeah. Not doing that.
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“Yeah. Not doing that.” That was a comment I got on a recent reel where my play therapist pal and I showed playful ways for overstimulated parents to reset. I’m used to the haters coming out, especially when a video goes viral, but there was something about this comment that made me feel kind of sad. I took it to say, “I’m too cool for that. You look stupid.” Now, I’m a theatre person. I’m really comfortable being and looking silly. But I also know all too well the pressure we can feel to look and act “cool.” And when someone talks like that it can take me right back to middle school. One of the most beautiful things about becoming a mom has been that I care so much less… …so much less that I now publicly act a fool on the internet to inspire other parents to be more playful! Do I look silly? Yes. And it makes my kid — and me — laugh. That’s about as “cool” as it gets, if you ask me. So if you’re holding back being silly because it makes you feel insecure, I really do understand. But pushing past that and embracing your silly side… …that’s where the best moments with our kids live. Speaking of silly… I’m excited to announce my latest creation: Laughing All the Way — an advent calendar with 25 creative, silly holiday play prompts!🎄 I know the holiday season can feel stressful and busy for families. This is an easy and fun way to be intentional about making time for laughter and connection. Tap here to grab it (for just $9.99!) before it’s released to the rest of the world… because you’re special. ;)
If you don’t celebrate Christmas, stay tuned for another fun resource coming soon! And my invitation for you this week: Reflect on times in your life you felt like you had to be “cool.” How has parenting changed that — or made you want to change it? Love, Mia P.S. If you’d rather not get reminders about the holiday calendar but want to keep receiving my weekly emails, just tap here! |
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.
In case you missed it... a couple months back I shared a video of my stepdaughter and me playing our favorite game: "One Word Commercial," where we make up a fake commercial on the spot, trading off every other word. It ended being about ointment for an itchy butt... but with lots of disastrous side effects. The video went viral, with folks chiming in with their own playful comments and excitement to try this with their own families (yay!!) (If you want to watch it after you read the rest of...
The other night, when I was fatigued and had a sore throat, my stepdaughter (10) said, “Hey. You’re not happy. Let’s play a game.” Ohhh that made my heart so happy that she noticed this and wanted to play to cheer me up with a game—our favorite way to connect! 🥹 AND, I didn’t know if I had much capacity to even talk… and most of our favorite games require a bit of that. My son (4) then said, “I know what we should play!” and he ran over with a piece of paper and pen. “The drawing a person...
I was EXTREMELY grumpy last Friday night… The kids wanted to paint and there’s just something about paint with little kiddos that gets to me if I'm not in the right headspace to manage it. On top of that, 1.5yo little gal kept getting hurt… first her finger got smashed in the door while I was going in and out getting supplies… THEN she somehow busted open the little ice pack for her finger while I was trying to get her dinner and I freaked out that she was going to eat the gel inside and be...