Our kids need a Valentine Date like never before!
We all know the stories of how Valentine’s Day came about. And though we don’t know for sure, how it started, we can definitely say that the sugar industry and card industry have turned things around and this holiday of love is here to stay!
The first Valentine was actually a poem written from prison in 1415. Charles, the Duke of Orléans, wrote this poem when he was 21 years old to his wife Bonne of Armagnac.
My very gentle Valentine,
Since for me you were born too soon,
And I for you was born too late.
God forgives him who has estranged
Me from you for the whole year.
I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine.
Since then the heart-shaped boxes of chocolate by Richard Cadbury in 1861 have now become a symbol of the day. And Valentines are given to wives, friends and pets and exchanged between teachers and children.
But what about between parents and children.
A group of us Mom’s with only-children were talking last year. Only-children have so many benefits and challenges. They get all the attention but you are the playmate ALL the time! They can many times be more mature, but they have a hard time sharing. The sad thing is that many only-children tend to get bullied a lot.
In school there are many anti-bullying programs. Those programs are there to identify the bullies and sometimes punish them. At the same time it puts those who get bullied in the spotlight. Both bullies and those who get bullied will have to deal with self-esteem issues.
So we came up with the ‘greatest’ anti-bullying campaign! Something that both siblings and only-children can benefit from.
The Great Valentine Date!
What is an amazing way to help with self-esteem and build self-confidence? Words of love! Nothing makes you feel better than hearing a compliment from someone you love, someone whose opinion matters to you. The best place for that compliment to come from – Your parents.
Parents are caught up in the everyday parenting and disciplining of children. . We know that we have to give positive feedback to our kids. But oh! It is so easy to say – Billy again? Alisson you never listen; Charlie clean your dirty room. We have nice things to say about our kids when we talk to our friends.
But the kids don’t always hear us talking a lot when it’s time to praise them. We generally shout when it’s wrong and are quiet when it’s good. Even with a healthy dose of I love you’s, there is this one thing that we found really stirred the hearts of the kids.
The Great Valentine Date – 5 days of positive, self-confidence building love from parents to their children. Each day leading up from February 10 to February 14 we leave a one word or phrase message for them, somewhere they will see. The word describes something we admire about the kids. You can say things ranging from – Loving, Responsible, Gentille, Good at sports, One of a kind special! You chose because you know your children best. But if you need some ideas of confidence building words, check this out
https://agelessinvesting.com/positive-words/ and https://www.mindfulmazing.com/101-encouraging-words-for-kids-powerful-positive-things-to-say-to-kids/
Some parents put sticky notes on the bedroom doors or in the lunchboxes or set up a ‘calendar’ so the child can reveal each word of the day. The kids are excited each morning to see what you think of them! Those words become a part of them and eventually they believe these positive things about themselves. They gain self-confidence and that is the best gift for Valentine’s Day. The day of love for children. They can keep these notes in a scrapbook and look back at each year when they are feeling down.
Try out this Great Valentine Date with your child and leave your feedback for us, let us know how your kids react and how you feel as an ally for anti-bullying.
Guest blog from Gabrielle!!