How to teach your children the concept of Valentine's Day

Valentine Day is a wonderful opportunity to show appreciation to the people whom we love; it starts off for most children in school. Children are taught by teachers to give valentines to the whole class so as to prevent hurt feelings in some children who may not receive any valentines. Parents too can do a lot their bit to put Valentine’s Day in the right perspective to make children understand the difference between meaningful gift-giving and more broad gift-giving.

Teaching the children about broader gift giving would make children learn tolerance and an appreciation of the differences among their classmates. We as parents can use Valentine’s Day and how we celebrate it to examine our own attitudes toward the holiday and the effect it has on your children.

Here are a few tips to teach children about Valentine Day:

Consider your feelings about Valentine Day; if you consider it as a holiday think over how you are going to give and receive gifts.

Have a talk with the teacher of your children to ascertain their approach to Valentine Day; if your child is expected to give valentines to every child in his/her class and make sure he/she does it. Listen carefully to any reservations that your children may have and explain the reason behind the rule. At the same time acknowledge that your child cannot love everyone in class.

 

If the classroom rules are that your child should give a valentine to everyone or to no one, make sure he/she complies. It is however important to find out why and to help him/her think through how he/she may feel if everyone else in the class gives valentines and he/she does not. Also if your child wants to do something special for a best friend make arrangements for the two of them to get together outside school.

You may want to initiate to children an important family aspect of the holiday is the exchange loving gestures between them and their parents to express their love for one another. Parents play a vital role in transmitting these values to our children through our behavior. Children will also follow us if we celebrate Valentine’s Day by exchanging gifts.

Lastly help children to learn and understand through observation to express love and friendship in non-material ways; most young children are concrete thinkers and you can teach this important concept by modeling gifts of kindness, time, compassion, respect, and thoughtfulness to the people you love not just on holidays, but throughout the year.

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