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 screaming, my fault he feels disconnected.

I know it’s not exactly true, but that feeling is hard to shake, you know?

Here’s what’s been helping, even on the hardest days:

ONE moment of playful interaction = goal for the day.

Here’s some of the recent hits:

• Letting him "trick" me by feeding me imaginary boogers and acting surprised and disgusted when I "fell for it" over and over again (his laughter from this was everything)
• Collaborative storytelling (I say, “Once upon a time there was a…” and he fills in the blanks)
• A kitchen dance-off to Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” (toddler laughs + babywearing + bouncing = win)
• Pretending to be confused and terrified when he roared under the blanket
• Playing “prove me wrong” about a dinosaur in his book where he gets to be right and I'm wrong over and over again (he loves this one since I actually didn’t think a Gigantosaurus was real at first!)

These short moments often lead to more because they just feel good and bring us back to each other.

My invitation for you this week:

Aim for just one playful moment each day.

Even something as small as making fart noises back and forth.

See how it feels for both you and your kiddo.

See you next week (hopefully with a happy update!)

Love, Mia

P.S. I’m thinking of creating a program where you’d get a year’s worth of creative, easy, silly moment ideas — delivered weekly to your inbox in small batches.

Each week would come with a printable or screenshot-friendly graphic, a fun, gentle reminder to keep the playfulness alive rather than having a long list you might forget about...

Would this be helpful for you? Any ideas that would make it a no-brainer?

P.P.S. Who here has cut out dairy while breastfeeding and had success? What was your favorite dairy-free food? And how long did it take to make a difference for baby?? Reply and let me know... 🙏

(so far I’m loving Oatly oat milk and Sweet Loren’s cookie dough -- shout-out to my new Internet bestie Liz for the tip!)

Need a jumpstart? Check out my $5 guide, From Tired to Playful — it's packed with mindset tips and creative ideas to help you feel more playful with your kids.

Looking to go deeper? My new Pretend Play Pro masterclass + resource bundle will transform pretend play from something you dread into your parenting superpower. Learn more here!​