Discover the MIA™ Tea Time Reset—a Montessori-inspired mom hack that helps during meltdowns and turns kid chaos into calm, mindful moments of connection.
Imagine walking into your living room after school only to discover that your kids have turned the walls into their very own giant coloring book—with permanent markers. Yes, permanent. The kind that doesn’t just wipe off with a damp cloth.
That was my reality on the very first week back at Montessori school. My son Adrian had spent the day pin-poking 17 states on his map, and while that might sound simple, it took every ounce of his focus and left his little fingers blistered and tired.
By the time we got home, his frustration came pouring out in the most unexpected way: colorful doodles all over our living room wall.
In that moment, I had two choices: lose my calm or find a way to anchor us all back. That’s where our Mommy and Me Tea Time—what I now call our MIA™ Reset (Mindful Intentional Anchor)—came to the rescue.
Want to know how we turned chaos into calm (and how to actually make those wall “artworks” disappear)?
Click here to listen to the full episode now on The Anya Garcia Show + my go-to cleanup trick.
MIA™ Reset—Turn Stress into Connection
Instead of focusing on the mess, I gathered my kids close, brewed a cup of tea, and turned that “oh no” moment into a soft landing. The walls were still covered, but we weren’t spiraling into stress anymore. MIA™ became the pause that connected us before it corrected us—the anchor that calmed the storm before we could guide it.
Tune in to this episode of the Anya Garcia Show for the mindset shift that can change your day—and your life.
For the Full Experience, Watch on YouTube
This episode of The Anya Garcia Show takes you behind that marker-covered disaster and into the heart of how simple rituals can transform chaos into calm. I’ll share how to create your own MIA™ Reset, why it works (hint: Dr. Siegel’s connect-before-you-correct principle), and three simple techniques you can use to bring more peace into your back-to-school rhythm.
And for my fellow mamas dealing with “artwork” on the walls—don’t worry, I’ll also share the unexpected hack for actually removing those marker doodles. (Spoiler: it’s hiding in your sunscreen bottle!)
So if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the mess, the meltdowns, or the back-to-school chaos, this story is for you. Because sometimes the disaster isn’t the problem—it’s the invitation to pause, reset, and reconnect.
Watch Now On YouTube
From Wall Scribbles to Calm: The Power of a MIA™ Reset
In the end, this story isn’t really about walls or markers—it’s about what happens when life gets messy and our children test the edges of our patience. We can choose to spiral into frustration, or we can choose to anchor the moment. MIA™—the Mindful Intentional Anchor—isn’t another task on your list; it’s the gentle pause that shifts the whole atmosphere of your home.
It’s the breath that steadies you before you speak, the warmth of a shared ritual that turns a meltdown into a teaching moment, the reminder that connection always comes before correction. When we slow down to create these little anchors, we aren’t just calming chaos—we’re modeling resilience, emotional regulation, and love that lasts.
Because motherhood will never be free of markers on the walls, spills on the floor, or tears before bedtime. But with MIA™, those moments stop being disasters and start becoming invitations—to pause, reset, and reconnect.
With you, permanent markers and all,
— Anya
Listen now to the full episode of The Anya Garcia Show and discover your own MIA™ Reset. Your reset starts here.
P.S. If you are new to my show, make it this one.
It’s the mindset reset you didn’t know you needed. Click here.
