Jillybeans

It’s Screen-Free Week, and as a play expert working with families through screen detoxes, I want to start with this: there is no shame here.

Most of the families I work with don’t intentionally “end up” with screens feeling like too much. It happens gradually, usually in a really understandable season of life where screens become the only thing that reliably works.

The only thing that buys a few minutes to cook dinner.
The only thing that helps a child settle.
The only thing that gives a parent a break.

If that’s where you are, you are not alone.

Here’s where I always start:

1. Notice when screens are doing the heavy lifting
Instead of immediately trying to cut screens, just observe when you’re reaching for them most. Mornings? Transitions? The end-of-day stretch? Once you see the pattern, you can actually start to shift it.

2. Pay attention to behavior and content, not just time
Two kids can have identical screen time and totally different outcomes. What matters more is what they’re watching, how they behave during and after, and whether they can easily return to play afterward.

3. What replaces screens is the real turning point
If screens come out but nothing meaningful replaces them, things will feel harder. Kids need something to step into:

simple play invitations
predictable opportunities for independent play
space for open-ended play to actually unfold

It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Small, intentional shifts in these areas can have a huge impact over time.

If screens have slowly started to take over your home, this is exactly the work I support families with.

Inside my Playful Parenting Membership, I share:

simple, realistic play ideas using what you already have
ways to build independent play without constant entertaining
support for reducing screen dependence in a sustainable way

Because it’s not about doing more. It’s about having the right tools so screens aren’t the only thing that works.

And as both a play expert and a mom, I really understand that tension of wanting more play while also just needing a minute to breathe.

If you want support with that, comment PLAYFUL and I’ll send you the link.

This last minute DIY Mother’s Day gift comes out beautifully and is super simple to make.

Take a canvas pouch and let your little one paint it with watercolor paints. They come out beautifully and are the perfect size to be a makeup bag, pencil case, or carry-all for the little items that are always getting lost in your larger bags.

Don’t have a canvas pouch? You can do the same thing on any canvas bag or tote!

I love a handmade gift that will actually be used.

And if this low-lift idea speaks to you, there are tons more like it in the Playful Parenting Membership.

Comment PLAYFUL to join!

Anyone have a little one waking themselves up at night after rolling onto their belly in their sleep?

I’ll never forget when this happened with my older daughter. She was waking up multiple times a night on her belly screaming. The same advice kept coming up again and again: your baby isn’t getting enough floor time and tummy time during the day, and they need more practice rolling from their belly.

But that didn’t add up for me. When my daughter was not napping, getting her diaper changed, or eating, she was on the floor playing. She was constantly rolling belly to back and back to belly on her playmats. She was hardly ever NOT practicing.

And that’s when Camie from shared the golden tip. It was one of those small pieces of advice that stuck. Fast forward to my second child, and when she recently entered the exact same stage, I found myself pulling this idea back out again.

Yes, baby was getting plenty of tummy time during the day. But she wasn’t practicing on the surface where this was actually happening at night: her crib mattress. It seems so obvious in hindsight, but I hadn’t thought about it before. The mattress is a completely different surface, and rolling there can feel very different for a baby. So that’s what inspired these little explorations. Take the mattress out of the crib during a wake window and let your child play and explore.

It’s important to note that either my husband or I were always within arm’s reach supervising, as should be the case with any of the play prompts I share.

Add this into your routine and baby will no longer waking herself up from rolling at night. Worked like a charm for both my girls!

This is the wisdom Google cannot provide. If you’re navigating anything sleep-related, has your back. And if you’re looking for support with play, development, and making the most of everyday moments with your little ones, I’ve got you covered too!

Earth Day always brings me back to this simple truth: children don’t need more stuff to play better.

They already see magic in what we often overlook, those flowers on their last legs, an old toy, a box headed for the recycling bin. In their hands, these aren’t leftovers, they’re invitations.

This is the heart of my approach to play: learning how to make the most of everyday household items and the toys and materials you already have. Not because we’re trying to do less, but because there is already so much available to us when we slow down and see it differently.

Less pressure. Less clutter. More connection. More imagination.

If this resonates, my Playful Parenting membership might be right for you. And the truth is, joining costs way less than constantly buying new toys.

Comment MORE PLAY and I’ll send you the details to join!