Valentine’s day is almost here and I started to reminisce about what this day meant to me as a child. I remember every year my mom, a single parent, would walk through the door after a long day of work with a gift for my sister and me. It would always be something small and meaningful, like candy and a little bear. As I look back on it, the reason this gesture meant so much to me was that after working hard, my mother still took time to make the day special for me. I cherish these memories the most because it showed me another aspect of love; the selfless love of a parent to a child.
Now that I have children of my own, I also want to teach them levels of love. Love is not always buying things or just saying it out loud. Of course, I show my kids love daily, but we have this whole day where the act of love is on display, Valentine’s Day. Just like my mother did all of those years, I have created special routines that I do with my children and I want to share them with you. Mom’s have to help each other out, right? Mom life is hard work, but here are my tips:
- Create a craft– I know what you are thinking, “I could have thought of that.” Crafts are a way to see your child’s creative side. Sometimes when you are doing a craft, your child will open up about everything that is swirling in their head. What they are saying doesn’t have to make complete sense to you. It just matters that you are taking the time to listen.
- Have a movie “date night”– My children love to watch movies with me and my husband in our room. So, we all gather snacks and snuggle in our bed. This form of love is touch. Think about it, we run around all day and sometimes we forget to slow down and snuggle our children. Yes, even the older kids.
- Donate old clothes and toys– Have your children go through their things and pick out items they may want to donate to others. This act alone is showing love in the form of service. You should also explain to your child what they are doing and why.
- Baking something sweet– What kid do you know that doesn’t love sweets? My kids love to get dirty, have fun, and spend quality time with me in the kitchen. So, I make my children their favorite dessert which is cupcakes. Doing this activity creates so much joy when you are calm and don’t allow yourself to worry about the messy kitchen that will come after. Boy, does it get messy sometimes!
- Writing a short note to each other and reading them– There are some people who are just simply not as expressive as they would like to be. So, writing short love notes to your children, and reading them, shows them how to express themselves and to be confident in their feelings. These little gestures help the whole family to be comfortable with sharing how they feel.
- Give a special gift– Of course, you can give a gift. Who doesn’t love gifts? Just make sure it’s a gift that has meaning. You can add candy and whatever you would like. But sometimes I like to buy my children books that have a theme of love; such as sharing and forgiveness.
I hope that you find these tips useful! But, remember the most important thing is just to show your children you love them because that is something they will never forget. You don’t have to use these tips just on Valentine’s Day. Whenever your child needs extra love in their “love tank,” pull out your big bag of tricks. Your turn! Tell us your favorite way to show your child love.
