Is Valentine’s Day Overrated? How to Spend Valentine’s Day with Your Family

By Nohad Mouawad

 

Remember those romantic days before you got married? When Valentine’s Day was such an exciting holiday? Wouldn’t you just wait for a sign that your crush likes you or that your boyfriend or fiancé are madly in love with you? Back then Valentine’s Day was a day for roses, chocolates and everything that you imagined romance to be.

If you’re several years into marriage and kids, then you know that with each passing year, Valentine’s Day can get a little less magical, and a lot more like a day on the calendar when you’ve forgotten to plan something special. Add kids to the mix, and it might be hard to even get a night alone or have the energy to get dressed up and go out. If you dread Valentine’s Day, or find it cheesy and commercial, maybe it’s time to rethink this occasion and go back to the true meaning behind it: Love.

Love doesn’t have to mean “romance” in the way we think of it today. It can mean chocolates and flowers, but it can also just be sharing special moments with our loved ones and letting them know how we feel about them.

Valentine’s Day with your kids and family can simply mean spreading love and kindness and celebrating the love you have for each other as a family. There are lots of fun things you can do together that can range from very simple and practically free to more elaborate and over-the-top:

Do a Valentine’s Craft: One of the sweetest and most memorable ways to celebrate the day of love, is to do a Valentine’s craft with your kids. On the QiDZ app, we have so many cute ideas that rival Pinterest and are even easier. They start as easy as a pasta necklace to paint and give to mom, grandma or aunty, and go all the way to DIY string art.

If you’re not very crafty, choose something as simple as making homemade playdoh and cutting it out with a heart cookie cutter. You can also get some construction paper in shades of red and pink from any stationery or craft supply store, along with some glitter or heart shaped confetti and let your kids make their own designs. Check out the QiDZ app again for lots of cute paper craft ideas. If they are little, you can pre-cut heart shapes out for them and let them use glue sticks to make whatever they like.

Write a Love Note: A lovely idea is also to write a sweet “love note” to dad, grandparents or even a friend using your crafted designs or store-bought cards. If your kid is old enough to write themselves, this is good practice, and if they are too little, they can tell you what they want to say. If your kid knows how to write but needs ideas, you can even do a little funny Valentine’s mad libs, where you start the first lines of the poem for them and they fill in the blanks. Their card can start “Roses are Red, Violets are Blue…” and end with something loving or just plain silly. Their thoughtful cards are sure to make anyone happy!

Have a Family Movie Night: Turn the idea of Valentine’s Day on its head and make it into a cozy family movie night. Get some sweet Valentine’s treats, add red M and Ms to your popcorn and watch a family favorite in your living room. You can also take it up a notch by setting up a movie projector in your backyard. If you don’t have a screen, just project it onto a large white sheet that you hang over a washing line, and put out some cushions or beanbags and a few blankets, and enjoy the show! If you want to share the love, invite another family and make V-Day a lot more fun.

Bake Cookies: Valentine’s day is the best excuse to make something chocolatey and sweet and get your kids in the kitchen. Chocolate chip cookies and brownies are very easy first recipes for kids to try, and they will love scooping and measuring the ingredients. It even helps them learn fractions! If you don’t want to use the oven, then try a simple Rice Krispie treat recipe and add some pink or red sprinkles in to make it more Valentine-y. For a last minute save, order a Whatsinzbox baking kit for your kids. They’ve got a molten lava cake box and a cookies box that are just perfect for Valentine’s Day, and you won’t have to rush out to the shop at the last minute for ingredients or look up any recipes.

Set Up a “Romantic” Dinner: Another way to think of Valentine’s Day is a day to show your kids that romance and a loving relationship are important parts of family life. Let them help you plan a “romantic” dinner for your family by setting the table with a pretty tablecloth and nice table wear, candles (they can be electric) and some flowers. They can also help you plan a special menu for Valentine’s night. In fact, Mamalu’s Kitchen has special February cooking classes for kids, where your little ones can actually learn to cook everything from appetizers and desserts to a full Valentine’s menu to impress you and your partner. Sign your kids up and have them make Valentine’s night extra special for your family.

If you want it to be really romantic, then set the kids up to have their dinner separately while watching their favorite movie, and mom and dad can have their meal together. The kids might join in again if you tell them that dessert is “chocolate fondue,” or melted chocolate that you dip strawberries and marshmallows into!

 

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