How My Kids Changed my Mind about Valentine's Day...

This picture has not a whole lot to do with this post, except that mustaches are cool!



For much of my adult life, I've been a "Valentine's Day Hater".  I dislike Valentine's Day for the same reasons I don't like jewelery stores. So much of the merchandising and marketing around the holiday seems like a crass marketing ploy to get you to attach a dollar amount to your love for someone.  Also, I can't forgive Valentine's Day for ruining the excellent songs "Wild Thing" and "Born to be Wild" with countless  singing stuffed gorillas/monkeys/elephants in chains/cages.  Seriously, do yourself a favor and go listen to those two songs without the cheesy Valentine stuffed animal. You're welcome.

It also seems like a holiday that leaves many people feeling left out- little brother's and sisters are left out because they don't get tons of valentines from school.  People without significant others feel left out because it is a "romantic" holiday.  Even people with significant others sometimes end up feeling bad because they have unmet expectations.

I've learned to like Valentine's day more and more as EJ has gotten older and started going to preschool and now elementary school.  Her anticipation and joy in the holiday has nothing to do with "will that boy I like give me a giant singing gorilla?" (Please, please say that we are years from that!).  It has everything to do with doing something nice for her friends and taking a special day and way to say she loves them. I learned from her to ignore the marketing messages telling me that it is a holiday only for lovers (as if that is the only kind of love).  I also learned that we should be happy to take any opportunity to tell people they are loved.

I know that we should find ways to say "I love you" every day to those around us, but let's be realistic, some days are better than others :)  I appreciate that Valentine's gives me a reason to stop and focus on letting people know they are special to me.   The spirit of the holiday is nice, even if the marketing makes me want to vomit.

So, with that in mind, this is how we've decided Valentines day should go: spend little money (voting with our $$ so to speak), and think of heartfelt ways we can show others we love them.  We still bought Valentines for EJ to pass out in her class, decorations and chocolate (of course).  But we try to make our Valentines for each other and focus on really telling each person how and why we love them.

Preparing for this Valentine's day has been a joy.  My girls made special valentines for their Daddy (since he away this week) and some of their friends and Papper and each other.  Birdy made little cards to go with her Valentines for her friends (books from the Library book sale- score!) I made the kids rice bags (you know, the kind they warm in the fridge) and Daddy left them a treat and a note telling them how much he loves them.  We are planning on having a special dinner (Happy Meals on a fancy table cloth and plates!) and home made cupcake dessert. Simple and focused on spending time with each other and showing love.

What about you- how do you like to spend Valentine's Day?