A Family Valentine

To many, Valentine’s Day is a not just a romantic holiday, but a celebration of love for the entire family –- even the kids. So how can you celebrate this love-filled day with the whole family?
Here are a few low-cost tips for celebrating family, starting traditions, and reaching out to those who might be feeling a bit lonely:

• Heart shaped pancake breakfast
• Heart shaped pizza dinner
• Doing something fun together like a movie night at home or skating at the park
• Having a Valentine’s Day party with neighbors and friends
• Place a special card on the pillow of each one of your family members. Design it yourself or buy one. Either way, personalize your message with your true feelings about your spouse, daughter or son.
• Do a charitable deed together. It can be something as simple as clearing out your closest to donate clothing, shoes or toys to those who are less fortunate or spending a morning feeding the homeless at a local soup kitchen.

Remember, a surprise visit from a child can brighten spirits and remind everyone that Valentine’s Day does not just have to be about being with that one special someone. A great family tradition would be to help those not feeling so great on Valentine’s Day feel a little bit better by giving:

• A funny card or a child Valentine’s card with a few candies to a single friend who might appreciate being thought of on Valentine’s Day
• Any person who is alone for any reason might like an invitation for coffee and cookies. The gesture is thoughtful and the person, especially if a widow or widower might enjoy a few moments to reminisce about past Valentine’s Day celebrations
• A phone call to someone who moved away and might be missing friends.

As a family, Valentine’s Day traditions can be started to help kids know no matter who the someone special is or isn’t in their lives. Make the day special and fun by making heart shaped things and doing stuff together. Reaching out with kind gestures to others to help make a potentially lonely day a little brighter is a great addition to a family tradition.

One Response to “A Family Valentine”

1. Patricia Smith says:

   February 14, 2010 at 2:36 pm

   Great ideas for us “old folks”. Valentine’s Day can be very lonely for those who have lost loved ones. Keep up the good work.

   A Greer Mama