Whatcha working on? “Oh, nothing – just playing.” They say. Inspired by #rubegoldberg machines we saw last year at the @pghkids (still), they are creating. Do you know what I see? More than “just playing” ? —- I see collaboration; problem solving; complex cognitive think throughs; experimentation; trial and error; frustration; emotional regulation; communication; big […]

Hey Loves. I wanted to talk to you a bit about boundaries. See, for a long time I used to push past my own “no” and allow myself to get bullied into doing things I didn’t want to do – or things that weren’t actually in my best interest. I wanted to please people so […]

What are you doing this summer to incorporate a bit of magic into your weekly rhythm? Im creating some invitations to play for my family. There is something extra special about being invited to join in. A connective quality. Knowing someone values you and your time enough to invite you to participate in something special. […]

Play is a language we all understand. Pause. And play. What does your play look like? One of mine is definitely art and another is taking pictures and yet another, writing what things light you up? What things bring you so much joy you feel like a child? When you do them, you are so […]

My kiddos were needing to get their collaboration on today. Its been a lot of inside time the past 48 hours due to the rain. Thats fun and all – except when its not. Young people dont always know when they need personal space. They get annoyed and mad and spew. Instead of realizing what […]

Tonight, little man fell asleep early which meant special time with the big kids. I pulled out the thank you notes, cards, paper, and markers and began scrolling some gratitude letter writing – soon they joined in. We listened to the radio 🎶 while writing and drawing some thanks. I had considered doing a movie […]

I loved this visual from Beacon House so much that I drew it in my journal as a reminder. A visual of the way in which a young person’s brain develops. They cannot reach their higher order functioning for awhile. 1. The first part that develops is the brain stem – which processes sensory input […]

My Loves. Kindness. Choose kindness. Be kindness. Promote kindness. Embrace kindness. Nurture kindness. Being kind is not the same thing as “being nice”. It’s about being respectful – even in disagreement. It’s about being a team. Working together. Collaborating. Being in for the greater good. The greater good of yourself and your people. Kindness IS […]

When I’m IN it – in the thick of parenting, dealing with a meltdown, tantrum, or power struggle…. in the moment…. sometimes it’s hard to remember that these big, intense behaviors are usually and almost always, actually, a sign of disconnection – a symptom of needs not being met and a child’s inability to articulate […]

One of the guideposts to living @theplayfullway is to Practice Intuitive Knowing. This is the idea of following your feet-following your joy-listening to your Soul’s radio station and making choices from that space with intuition or gut – without much deliberation. It’s about free-flow and ease and getting so connected with your inner voice that […]