There is a need to explain to children the genuine essence of celebrating Valentine's Day. There is too much commercialization being practiced by people all over the world for this occasion commonly celebrated on February 14 that I feel that children might just look at it as a day of giving flowers and chocolates. There are so many ways to express love, beyond just saying "I love you", and I think this is how we should share Valentine’s Day with children. Let's teach children that Valentine's Day is...
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1. A Reminder
It is a reminder that on this particular day, you give extra special attention to the ones you love and the ones who love you. Remember when Mommy reminds you to practice well for your school presentation? She does that because she loves you and she only wants the best for you. Valentine’s Day is just like that. It reminds you to be extra good, extra helpful on that day.
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Just like when Daddy shows you how to tie your shoes or when Grandma bakes your favorite cookies, they do it out of love. Valentine's Day lets us put those feelings into action a bit more. We can make homemade cards, give hugs, or share a special treat to show how much we care. It’s a day filled with love, not just for family, but for friends and even new people we meet. It’s about spreading kindness and joy, just like how your heart feels full when you play with your best friend.
2. A Celebration of Love
And love is not only limited to lovers. I once greeted my 10-year-old cousin on Valentine’s Day and she replied: "No! We don't have boyfriends." Clearly, the entire Valentine's Day concept was not explained to her well. This day is a celebration of love and that means love in all shapes and sizes.
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Love comes in many forms—it's the kindness we show to friends, the care we give to our family, and the joy we share with our pets. Encourage your children to see Valentine's Day as an opportunity to express their gratitude and affection to everyone they hold dear. They can make handmade cards for grandparents, share special treats with classmates, or simply spend quality time with their siblings. Let them understand that love, at its core, is about connection and appreciation, transcending beyond romantic relationships. This holistic view can help them embrace the day with an open heart, celebrating the love that surrounds them in everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
3. A Day to Spend Time with Family
How can you express love beyond saying "I love you?" I think that teaching our children about the value of spending time with each other is a great manifestation of love. Hanging out with family and just having a simple dinner on Valentine’s night even when you are so busy is one way to tell your parents that they mean a lot to you.
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Quality time can serve as an everlasting gift that costs nothing but is invaluable in its emotional returns. Imagine the joy on your parent's face when you choose to play board games or watch a favorite family movie together. It's the togetherness, the laughter, and sometimes even the comfortable silences that convey a deep-seated affection. Building a tradition of face-to-face connection on Valentine's Day can impart the lesson that love isn't confined to grand gestures, but is often found in the simple, shared moments that stitch the fabric of family life together.
4. Not about the Chocolates
Yes you can give chocolates, flowers, teddy bears on this occasion. But Valentine's Day is not about all this stuff (which is usually overpriced on days leading to the red day). They are mere material things used as accessories to make someone feel special. The most important thing that comes with these gifts is sincerity. Add the gift of presence to sincerity and you will be able to express your love beyond the sanitized, formulatic utterance of the three-word expression.
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Valentine's Day, darlings, is about showing love and care in heartfelt ways. It could be through a handmade card or spending time together doing something you both enjoy. Love is beyond commercial gifts—it's found in laughs shared, hugs given, and time spent. Whether it’s baking cookies together or reading a favorite story, these moments create memories that are far more precious than any store-bought present. The essence of this day is the love you give and the love you receive—it's all about the heart's connection, not the price tag.
5. A Day to Share
I believe that to love is to share. Since Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love, then sharing is one way to truly celebrate this occasion. For children, this means sharing toys or snacks with other children. Valentine’s Day only happens once a year but it can be a good kickstart to teach children the values of giving and sharing.
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Sharing is caring, and what better time to instill this precious lesson in the little ones than on a day devoted to expressing love. Encouraging your child to exchange handmade cards with friends can be a simple, yet heartfelt gesture. It’s an opportunity for them to practice empathy by thinking about what messages will bring joy to others. A sweet note or a small treat can make a peer's day special. Additionally, involving children in the act of donating to a charity can broaden their understanding of love to include acts of kindness towards those in need.
6. Almost like Christmas
That's because on this day, you also give, share and generally want to be nice to most, if not all, people. Although Christmas is a bigger celebration, Valentine's Day is also a time to get-together with family, spending time together, smiling and greeting random people at the grocery store. There's a V-Day rush too as people scurry to buy those romantic gifts straight from work and proceed to their dinner dates. Like Christmas, early planning works for Valentine's Day so you don't get stuck in traffic or in the long grocery line at Walmart.
7. A Time to Make Handmade Cards
I cannot remember how many times my siblings and I made handmade cards to give to our parents on different occasions. I just remember seeing my Mom's surprised face as she gets teary-eyed because she received a very precious gift.
How are you celebrating Valentine's Day?
Comments
Shammy: And the first point shows that you have a limit to your niceness and for giving advice and for working hard at school or whatever, you should be nice every single day of the year no extra special niceness just be the way you are every other day. That's my opinion. Love and hard work and being nice should be something within us all the time and not expressed only on 14th Feb
shannon: Explain what ?
Shammy: You shouldn't have an assigned day to telling the people you love that you love them, you should do it everyday
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