Valentine's Day- Family Style

Valentine’s Day - Family Style

by: Jasmine Reed

Undoubtedly, Valentine’s Day takes on a whole new meaning when kiddos come along. But that doesn’t mean it can’t still be exciting! Making it a family affair allots for tons of bonding as you’re able to dedicate time towards creating a deeper connection with your child. It also teaches them, early on, the importance of cherishing loved ones. Surprisingly, there are a lot of ways to do that without chocolate. But let’s be clear, the chocolate stays!

One way to cherish our loved ones and show them how much they mean to us, especially on a day like this, is with our words. You can never go wrong with a heartfelt Hallmark card. Even better than that though, is a homemade card made with love and filled with words right from the heart. If you keep some craft supplies on hand at home, grab some construction paper, glue and crayons. Gather your spouse and kiddos around your favorite crafts spot in the house, and have fun creating sweet valentines’ for each other and anyone else you’d like. If you can, hand deliver the cards to your lucky receiver, as a family, and watch them beam with so much joy and appreciation that you all thought of them on this day.

Another way to show your child how to cherish loved ones on days like this, is to ask them what they think someone in the family would like as a gift, if they’re of age to answer that question. Either way, they learn to pay attention to the interests and likes of those they care about, and develop some level of selflessness that is required in any type of relationship (friendship, family relationships, etc.).

Though it may seem like activities such as these don’t really have immediate effects, children are very impressionable and mimic what they see. If they see love and kindness expressed and celebrated, they’ll grow up doing the same.

Wishing you and your family a Valentine’s Day filled with a little bit of chocolate and a lotta bit of love.