WINTERFUNGUIDE
Share theLove! 28 WAYS FOR PARENTS TO SHOW KIDS THE LOVE THIS VALENTINE’S DAY SEASON
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alentine’s Day gifts are nice, and maybe gifts are your love language. But remember, to celebrate this holiday you don’t have to buy your kids’ or your spouse’s love. You can show your affection for them in other ways. Think presence, not presents— and why not do that for the entire month of February? We’ve come up with 28 ways to show your family the love this season—in all love languages.
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Make heart-shaped pancakes one morning before school and deliver them to your kiddos while they’re still in bed. Add whipped cream and top them with red and pink sprinkles. Or make them together on a lazy Saturday while listening to some upbeat tunes in the kitchen.
Decorate your kids’ (and your spouse’s) paper lunch bag with hearts and doodles or include a special message inside. Lately, I’ve been drawing cheesy pictures on my son’s lunch bags.
If you own an Amazon Alexa or Echo Dot, you might try this idea (if not, just skip to the next day’s suggestion). Set your children’s alarm to play “I Love You, a Bushel and a Peck” or “Skidamarink (I love you)” when they wake up in the morning.
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Write your kiddos a note on the bathroom mirror. You can do this for your spouse, too. Say something as simple as, “I love you. Have a great day today!” You even can go so far as to list 10 things you love about each one of them (depending on how old they are and whether they can read yet, of course). For your preschooler or kindergartener, draw a picture of the two of you with hearts and smiley faces.
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kcparent.com february 2021
Plan to make a special stop after school pickup. Run through the Starbucks drive-through for a cake pop. Stop by the park to spend some quality one-on-one time with your kiddo. Whatever you do, make it something out of the ordinary to make your youngster feel extra loved. Eat dessert before dinner. If this is out of the ordinary for your family, your kids will probably love this idea and feel like it’s a special occasion. Let them choose ice cream, cake, pie, cookies, whatever their favorite is.
Tune in and listen attentively. This seems simple, but to kids it means a lot. Some days it’s hard to truly sit and engage with your children, giving them your absolute undivided attention. Carve out a chunk of time to listen to everything your children want to tell you—listen to all of their stories. No phone, no distractions. Make eye contact. Maybe include snacks. Answer every question they have, and when they get excited about a particular thought, tell them, “Wow, that’s really cool!”
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Play a game of their choice. Board games, hide-and-seek, I Spy—or even have a tea party.
