I got this message yesterday on Instagram: “Your videos are always so amazing. It seems like you have endless patience. How do you have the capacity at the end of a long day to still be silly? I find myself wanting it to move quickly and them just do what they need to so we can get to bedtime.” I’m going to be completely honest… I’m not a patient person by nature. I can lose my patience easily. I usually want things to move faster. I often start eating my food before I even get to the table...
7 days ago • 2 min read
Things have been rough around here. My baby girl has been very unhappy, and it’s been heartbreaking and stressful. On top of that, my husband’s been working seven-day weeks, and my almost-threenager has been having big feelings about it all. There’s been a lot of screaming from both kiddos. (And I, myself, may have stepped into another room yesterday to scream) I haven’t felt playful. I’ve been stressed and worried. And with that, the guilt creeps in—telling me it’s my fault my son is...
14 days ago • 2 min read
There’s a big debate on social media about independent play vs. interactive play. “Play is the work of children. It’s not our job to play with our kids!” I see it all the time—hundreds of parents (who struggle with playfulness) jumping in and shouting, “Yes! THANK YOU! I hate playing, and now I don’t have to!” You might be surprised to hear this… …I don’t totally disagree. Despite what it might look like on my Instagram, I’m not playing with my kids all day. Most of the time, they’re playing...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Let me set the stage: 99° with humidity + 8 months pregnant Patio umbrella about to go over the fence A HUGE wasp flying at my face Banging my eye into the corner of a chair to avoid the wasp Furiously throwing said chair My stepdaughter yelling, “MIA!” from inside over and over again... … all this led to me whirling around and yelling, “WHAAAAAT?!?!?!?” me in that moment -- except looking more like Shrek My stepdaughter (8) defended herself, “That wasn’t me!” and pointed to my son (2.5). He...
4 months ago • 1 min read
I was feeling annoyed… or so I thought. It was “transition” night — my stepdaughter’s first night at our house after being with her mom for the week. It’s always a big adjustment for everyone — and the summer schedule is a particularly jarring shift. She was being short and seemed distant. I felt myself getting irritated. I asked myself, “What’s under this annoyance?” and quickly realized… … it was fear. Old insecurities were coming up. Guilt. Worrying she’ll always miss her mom more than...
4 months ago • 1 min read
I'm at my worst as a parent when I feel pressured to do things a certain way. For example: I lost touch with my silly side when I became a stepmom because I felt pressure to maintain strict routines and discipline. It wasn’t until I embraced my own style that I found my playfulness again. I relearned that lesson again while potty training my son this past month. I confidently went for the popular three-day method that had worked well for my stepdaughter. I committed to playfulness along the...
5 months ago • 1 min read
I’ve seen this study going around on social media that kind of bothers me: It says mothers get more oxytocin from cuddling their kids and dads get more oxytocin from playing with their kids. The study itself doesn’t bother me. It’s the hundreds of comments saying: “I hate playing with my kids. My husband's the fun one, I’m the nurturing one. Good to know it’s just science.” And my most viral reel? My husband. The world loves a fun dad. Here’s what the stigma seems to be: Dads = fun, silly,...
5 months ago • 1 min read
I'm so tired... I can’t tell you how many times I got interrupted while trying to get this simple email out! As a toddler mom and stepmom with no family in town, sometimes I feel like it’s impossible to get even the most simple things done. Oh, and by the way... I’m also 23 weeks pregnant! (I haven't made this public on Instagram yet, so ya heard it here first! 😉) Add in potty-training my son this week and I feel like I'm hanging on by a thread. (Stay tuned for playful potty training tips!)...
6 months ago • 2 min read
Hi! I rarely send more than one email in a month, but to those of you who were already subscribed, I wanted to make sure you had this free St. Patrick’s Day themed Mad Libs story to play with your family tomorrow! St. Patrick's Day Mad Libs.pdfHoping it brings you as many laughs as it did to my family! Love, Mia
7 months ago • 1 min read