Teach Love and Kindness

With Valentine’s Day, you probably fall into one of two camps: you either love the holiday or you don’t. And if you don’t, it’s probably because you associate the holiday with a bad experience from when you were younger or are not a fan of how it has been over-commercialized through the years. We get it, but we also understand that it is a chance for you to shape how your children view it and interact with others in the future.

 A holiday formed around telling other people know that you love them can’t be all bad, right? So, as you prepare for Valentine’s Day this year, think about how you can show and teach your children about kindness, friendship and appreciating those that they care about and who care for them. If your kids think it is only a day for romance, you have been presented with a wonderful teaching moment to talk with them about all the different kinds of love: sibling love, friend love, significant other love, and love shared between parents and children.

To help you plan for this year’s holiday, we are sharing some of tips for making the day (and everyday) special, books that support love and friendship, and some craft ideas to do together.

Tips to Express and Teach Your Children About Love

1. First and always, take every opportunity to tell your children that you love them.

2. Discuss what love means to your family. Share what makes you feel loved and ask your children when and how they most feel loved.

3. Be present: Spend meaningful time with your child that is void of screens and other interruptions.

4. Create a special Valentine’s Day tradition for your family, such as having a family dinner with a special dessert, maybe eating dessert first, or taking turns sharing one reason that you love everyone around the table.

5. Help them be a good friend by teaching them to be inclusive and accepting. For instance, if your child’s class is celebrating by trading cards, make sure that every child in the class receives a card from your child. Help your child address the cards and ask them to share one thing that they like about each of their classmates while doing it.

6. With your child, make a list of all the people they love and encourage them to write them a “love note.”

8 Favorite Books About Valentine’s Day and Love

1.  “Me & Mama,” by Cozbi A. Cabrera: A 2021 Caldecott Honor picture book is an ode to the bond between a mother and her daughter as they spend a rainy day together.

2. “Tiny T. Rex and the Perfect Valentine,” by Jonathan Stutzman: This lovable board book shares the adventures of Tiny as he tries to make the perfect Valentine for his best friend.

3. “I Love You More Than…” by Taye Diggs: A father shares his love for his child and reassures them that he always will even when he is away.

4. “Besos for Baby,” by Jen Arena: This bilingual read-aloud book shows that love means the same in every language!

5. “Love Is,” by Diane Adams: A sweet tale about a girl who finds and cares for a duckling until it grows up and must leave the nest.

6. “Love Monster,” by Rachel Bright: Poor Love Monster is looking for someone to love him just the way he is.

7. “Dear Boy,” by Paris and Jason Rosenthal and “Dear Girl,” by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Paris Rosenthal: Love letters to the special boys and girls in your life.

8. “One Hug,” by Katrina Moore: This rhyming book with bright illustrations shares how a family helps a little girl with her anxiety.

We “Heart” Crafts!

1. How Wee Learn has compiled some fun crafts for preschoolers using materials you most likely have access to at home, so no special trips to the store needed!

2. Looking for something easy and creative to do with toddlers? Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds has a new list of the best 15 Toddler Valentine Crafts that includes ideas for making wreaths, suncatchers and stamping.

3. We especially love crafts you can eat. Chocolate covered strawberries? Fruit kabobs? Hearts in apple sandwich? Yes, please! Check out the kid-friendly treats from Cute DIY Projects here.

4. We can always count on The Spruce Crafts for seriously imaginative ideas, including step-by-step instructions and free printables.