On Valentine’s Day, schoolchildren all over Charleston will be celebrating the designated day of love and joy with cards, candies and parties. Fortunately, the majority of youngsters will receive Valentine cards in return for the ones they give to their classmates. Local elementary teachers know how important this give-and-gift process is for our children.
On a personal note, our group of homeroom parents at Kenna Elementary here in Charleston made certain that gifts and goodies were ready for the children down to the last detail. Often, the money for these Valentine's Day presents came from our own pockets. I knew my two daughters would have plenty of cards and candy, although other children would not. We made sure to remedy that situation.
However, if your child for some reason lacks a return Valentine’s Day card, Mary Muscari, associate professor in the Decker School of Nursing at Binghamton University and the author of Let Kids be Kids: Rescuing Childhood, offers some suggestions for parents. After all, Valentine’s Day can be pretty painful for those children who do not receive their share of heart-shaped cards. If your child comes home empty-handed, try some of these ideas:
- Keep card handy to show her that you care.
- Play a Valentine's Day version of the television show Cupcake Wars. Have some crazy ingredients ready to make various versions of cupcakes for your family to judge after dinner.
- Buy a box or two of bulk Valentines and bake some cookies. Make little gift bag for the cookies, tie a card on each and bring them to a nearby nursing home. Handing them out one-by-one will also allow your child to see the joy it brings to the residents.
- Make a giant heart out of poster board, and put it in front of your house. The world is not always a nice place, so let's put our hearts out there to show we care.
Third Grade teacher Karin Milligan Copper Canyon Elementary School in Phoenix said it's important for kids to get a Valentine card from someone. "Especially those kids who don't always feel like they're loved or liked a lot by others," said Milligan. "It really makes them feel good."
According to Milligan, Valentine’s Day is full of love and caring for children. “We talk about caring throughout the year," she said. “This is a great way to show it."
After all, children should enjoy Valentine's Day while they're young. Later they will learn the true origin of Valentine’s Day - remembrance of a beheaded Christian saint!
To read the entire article, click here.
Sources: Science Daily and KTAR.com
Comments