If you’re a parent like me who thinks that Valentine’s day is overly commercialized, below are just 5 ways that can inspire you to make it fun and meaningful for the entire family. I personally really like what Valentine’s day stands for and I hope that by teaching our kids the values of caring and expressing appreciation will carry on for much longer than just one day…
Plan a Special Valentine’s Breakfast (or Brunch!) with Kids
What better way to start out Valentine’s Day than with a yummy and unexpected breakfast? While my kid isn’t much of a helper in the kitchen, we start out the preparation by going to the store together. I let my son pick one or two treats that normally we’d pass on and then ask him to pick something special for me and my wife (e.g. fruits, different flavors of yogurts or whatever) – they key here is to let the child make that decision. It creates a good vibe and sets happy energy of anticipation. As far as making the breakfast, here are a few quick ideas you can do yourself or have them help:
- Flavored milk and cereal: probably the easiest thing to prepare is to add a strawberry (or other red-colored flavoring) to the basic milk and cereal bowl. If they like “other stuff” in it – feel free to add berries for a touch of extra color
- Heart-shaped pancake delights: use a cookie cutter to create pancakes in a heart shape and let them put some chocolate syrup or whipped cream (or both!) on it. Easy!
- Toast and eggs: the classic with a twist if you cut out the middle of the toast in the shape of the heart, and then fill it with sunny-side-up egg. Add heart-shaped bacon to it, and you have a winner!
Help Kids Make Valentines
Chances are that you’re inundated with boxed and overpriced Valentine’s Day cards in the stores. But making cards is a great way to keep children busy and help them be more personal. You can use construction paper and get creative – they can paint, draw, or glue stuff to it. Make sure you ask them to express why they appreciate someone and write (or help them write) this message. For an extra bonus, you can also help with the creation of the Valentine’s box to store cards and trinkets. You may use an old shoe-box, or any box for that matter, and let them decorate it with colored paper, stickers, or markers. You’ll have a pretty and functional storage box for days to come…
Give Them Something Special to Wear
While I’m not a big fan of one-time-only clothing, why not give your child something new to wear for Valentine’s Day? It doesn’t even need to have hearts on it, it can be red or pink. The item doesn’t have to be showy, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. But Valentine’s Day is a fun time to introduce something new to their wardrobe.
Create Surprises With Hand-Made Valentine’s Gifts
There is something fundamentally satisfying about getting or giving a hand-made gift. And when it comes to kids, there are a lot of simple ideas you can try at home.
- Boxed fruit/candy: why not surprise them with a small box of candy or fruit? You can either put it on their bed after they’ve gone to school or put it at their place at dinner. Or surprise your loved one by making it with your kid – it teaches them how to show care and appreciation, and that gifts don’t have to be expensive, just a little token.
- Friendship bracelets: all you need is a string or colored thread, a small piece of colored paper with a message, and that’s about it. You can cut out the heart-shaped notes, write on them, poke holes on each side for the thread to go through, and then connect everything together.
- Wall art: this is super simple and could be a lot of fun for the young artists. Imagine finger painting around a stencil. The stencil could say “LOVE” or “FAMILY” and the idea here is to have your little one finger paint the space outside of the stencil on a sheet of paper. When finished, this colorful art could be displayed anywhere on a wall or a desk.
End the Day on the Right Note
After a long day, why not create a special meal for your spouse and your children? Even if you have picky eaters, you can find something that you can create that they will love. Love, Valentine’s Day, get it? you can even make it special by getting napkins with hearts on them and putting them on the table. If you usually eat at the kitchen table and have a dining room table, why not eat there instead? And don’t forget to have a special dessert like strawberry shortcake, cupcakes with Valentine’s Day decorations on them or brownies in the shapes of hearts with whipped cream on top.
After dinner, you can always watch a fun movie as a family.
These are five things you can do to help your children feel special on Valentine’s Day. They don’t cost a lot of money and they can make your children feel special. Show your children how much you love them and make the day memorable for them too. It’s a day that they won’t forget.