Everyone wants to feel appreciated and loved, no matter what day of the year, and kids are no exception! Each Valentine’s Day, I try to make the day extra special for my littles, because hey…they are only little ONCE! Oh, who am I kidding?! I’ll probably be doing these things for their entire life, lol! Here are 5 great ways you can show your kiddos just how special they are…on Valentine’s Day…or any day of the year! The littlest things make the biggest impact!
- Make heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast. I have to admit…I do this almost every time I make pancakes for the kids; not just on Valentine’s Day. Such a simple thing makes your kids feel loved and appreciated. Making heart-shaped pancakes requires virtually zero extra effort. When you pour the batter on the heated pan, just use the spoon or cup to move it around to make a heart shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect! Sometimes if I’m feeling extra creative, I’ll put some chocolate chips inside the heart to make a smiley face. You are now winning at being the BEST MOM EVER!
- Write a love letter to your kids. This by FAR has had the biggest impact on my kids. The first year I did this, we made a special box in which I told them they would keep their special letters from me and dad year to year. I bought heart bins and stickers from the dollar store in February, and let them decorate as they wished. Each year, I write them a letter (and at random other times during the year) and they keep them in the box they created. They talk about these letters and how excited they are to get them every Valentine’s Day.
- Decorate the kitchen table the night before. Again, a very small thing for adults, but a HUGE thing for kids. I always decorate their chair and the kitchen table the night before Valentine’s Day with items purchased at the dollar store. The tackier the better. They love it because YOU went out of your way to make them feel special. And the smiles on their faces in the morning are worth every penny!
- Gift something to them that is an experience: Valentine’s Day is about expressing your love and appreciation for someone. We show this in our family by making a point to spend time with our kids. Give your kids the gift of going somewhere or doing something special as a family. It could be of little to no cost to you! Simple things come to mind: going to the movies, getting ice-cream, taking a bike ride, baking a special meal together, having family game or movie night at home, or doing an art project together.
- Make them something special that reminds them just how lucky they are to have family. This past August, we moved into a new home, and the girls’ both have a wall in their room that needed some extra love. I bought a canvas from Hobby Lobby and some gold starred garland from Amazon to create a “Wall of Memories.” I attached pictures of special moments in time spent with family on the garland on each side of the canvas. It turned out so cute, and the girls appreciated the effort it took and loved the pictures showcasing a special moment about them or our family. Some pictures I made sure to include were: their first time stepping foot in an ocean, losing a tooth in Disney, making homemade pizza (one of their favorite pastimes), some highlights of our national park trips, hiking up a mountain, and dance recitals. We talk about the pictures every night before bed, so it is also the perfect conversation starter!
Love and Dirt 