Wondering how you’re going to celebrate Valentine’s Day with Kids? If anyone, knows about this one, it’s me. Between you and me, my husband and I haven’t yet had a chance to celebrate Valentine’s Day without our kids soak in the middle of it for the last four years. Mind you, Valentine’s Day is also our wedding anniversary. It not so much about our kid as it id that we like to spend time together as a family since we haven’t had a lot of family time these past few years with the husband being in Residency and us being a stand-alone family in our city. To be truthful, past a dinner date, we often feel a bit guilty for doing anything too out there and not including her.
As a baby, it was much easier to celebrate with her in the middle. But now that she is four and just a big ball of personality company, we’re going to fashion our day, so that we can make it special for her too. After all, for her, February 14 represents the official coming together date of The Reid Life.
1. Have a Big Loving Breakfast
A family breakfast involves two of the best things that life has to offer, Food and Family. Make the breakfast together, eat together, without the electronics and clean up together before moving on for the day.
2. Bake/Decorate Valentine’s Day Cookies
Small kids love the kitchen. They are happiest when they get to feel helpful, included and like they are doing important big boy/girl things. Have the help to make and/mix the batter, lick the spoon, etc. Make it fun and let them get a little messy too. If you’re like me and definitely not a baker, you can buy cookies and then decorate them. There are cookie decorating kits where you can play Picasso on each cookie.
3. Valentine’s Day Family Photoshoot
Me, love tek pichu.
Translation: “I love taking pictures.”
As a matter of fact, I am my family’s resident stalker. Between my daughter and my husband, I am always stalking them with a camera, and no, not (just) for the gram. I love recording memories and being a mother has definitely taught me how much can change in weeks and months, let alone years. So taking pictures is another great way to spend the day. Wear t-shirts or color coordinate and take photos or something. It doesn’t need to be super formal or anything.
4. Play Valentine’s Day Family Feud
I love Family Feud, and I’d definitely play it with my family if your family is bigger and/or you have older kids. You can find questions online or you can g a bit further and make them up yourselves. Whatever the spin you put on it, it should be fun!
5. Make Crafts and Cards for Each Other
Smaller kids get excited about cartridge paper, scissors and glue. At least, my kid does. Last year (Pre-Covid), our daughter brought home a Valentine’s Day card she had made us at school. We had the biggest and grin and she was so proud of it. We placed on display in the living room and he made her so happy. So you can make it a special day for the kids by making cards for each other. If they are red and involve glitter, all the better.
6. Family Movie Night
Alright, alright. This has been done to death. Doesn’t mean it’s not fun, right? Do a movie night with your kids. Pop lots of popcorn, buy chips and make dips, or other snacks. They’ll even enjoy it more if you let them pick the movie. Don’t go being a grown-up about it, watch Finding Nemo or Moana with them. They’ll love it.
7. Wait Until After Bedtime To Celebrate
And if after all that you still have the energy, send those babies off to bed and have a slow, wind down without them in the middle. As a parent’ this is easier said than done, but hey! Valentine’s Day this year is a Sunday. So you can definitely pull the school night card. No-one’s judging.
What about you? How are you planning to spend Valentine’s Day with your kids or other family members around?
Xo, Shandean,
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