If you’re the type of parent who avoids crafting articles around Valentine’s Day, I can sympathize. Inside my house, you won’t find heart wreaths and love banners. We have one string of heart lights, and we keep them out all year. With my birthday in February (you can check out my Instagram for our celebration), my family focuses on making that one day special for me. By the time Valentine’s Day happens a week later, it’s easy to forget about, but there are several reasons to remember it.

3 Reasons You Should Teach Your Children About Valentine’s Day

Getting in the spirit of Valentine’s Day doesn’t take too much effort. You can easily turn a small plastic Christmas tree into a Valentine’s Day tree with a few heart ornaments. Whether you are busy or simply not that into the holiday, today I am sharing three reasons you should teach your children about Valentine’s Day.

1. Make it a reminder to celebrate love all year

Valentine’s Day isn’t just about romantic love. You can celebrate by showing that you love all people. Teach many ways that you can show kindness. Even something as small as a smile makes a big difference in other’s lives. Other ideas include giving gifts for no reason, keeping good friendships, and congratulating others. Write down 52 different ideas of how to show love and kindness. Put all of your ideas in a jar. Pull one out each week for the rest of the year to celebrate all year.

Another idea is to take on a charity project for Valentine’s Day. Giving your time and money to others can make a big difference. Whether you start a coat drive or collect food for a food pantry, you can use this as a special reminder to show love for your community.

2. Spend more time together

Making Valentine’s Day crafts is a good opportunity to spend time with your children. You can check out my list of 5 DIY Valentine’s Day Crafts Children Will Love. From homemade play dough to lacing hearts, these simple crafts will entertain your children.

Making Valentine’s Day cards together is another nice way to spend time together. Buy heart doilies and some decorations, and watch your children have fun! I shared on Instagram how much my daughter enjoyed making her cards this year. Writing people’s names was also a great way to practice handwriting. She can’t wait until next year when she can practice writing cursive on the cards.

3. Inspired by St. Valentine of Rome, the holiday is a lesson in history

Did you know that St. Valentine was a Roman bishop? During the third century, the emperor Claudius II prohibited all soldiers from marrying to build a stronger army. St. Valentine believed that the sacrament of marriage was too valuable. Without marriage, many women would be vulnerable, and people in love would face too much temptation. He began marrying couples in secret. Ultimately, he became a martyr for his beliefs.

You can find some interesting videos online to help teach about the historical background. Fiveminded has a fun animated explanation that children can enjoy. You can check it out here.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day in your house? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments.

For more parenting tips, you can find Theresa’s Reviews on FacebookTwitterPinterestInstagramFlipboard and Youtube.

About The Author

Theresa has been writing since 2010 in magazines and online. Her lifestyle and parenting expertise has been featured in publications, including ShopSmart and Scholastic. She earned an M.Ed in Elementary Education from Vanderbilt as well as a BA in History from Flagler College, and she is a certified teacher.

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33 Responses

  1. Shann Eva

    I actually really like Valentine’s day. It brings back happy memories from childhood…being in school and passing out Valentine’s for everyone. I can’t wait to help my kids make their’s this year.

    Reply
  2. Kimberly

    Great reminders about this holiday. Sometimes I forget how simple things can make my girls so happy. Happy Birthday & Happy Valentines Day!!!

    Reply
  3. Jaimie

    We do celebrate Valentine’s Day in our house. My daughter has been making cards for the whole family and she loves anything with hearts. Have a great Valentine’s Day!

    Reply
  4. Jessi

    I love a good teachable moment. This reminds me I need to find a way to tell my daughter about the background behind Valentine’s day.

    Reply
  5. Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh

    I had no idea about St. Valentine! Huh, makes Valentine’s day a little different now. We used to celebrate when my husband and I were younger. However, we’ve been married…forever! lol. So we choose to celebrate our love year round as opposed to a day told to us on the calendar.

    Reply
  6. CoCo

    Too often we get caught up in the hallmark/consumer version of a holiday! Its important to know why we are celebrating!

    Reply
  7. karen

    You had me at the charity project! I love the idea of giving back for Valentines Day and showing love all year long. Its not just about “if you have a boyfriend” but its about being kind.

    Reply
  8. Shelby

    We always celebrated Valentine’s Day growing up, but my mom made it clear that we should always show love and that Valentine’s Day was, in her words, a Hallmark Holiday. I love your reasons for celebrating it! Great post.

    Reply
  9. Tereza

    This is a wonderful post. As a non-mom it’s never occurred to me that things like this need to be actually discussed with your children. I love you take it as a history lesson too, I always think of Valentine’s Day as that! x

    Reply
  10. Terri Steffes

    I love your take on this. Just like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are reminders that we should appreciate our parents, Valentine’s Day is a reminder to say I love you to all that you love!

    Reply
  11. Di Hickman

    Love #1. Making it about giving to others in the community as whole, or to charity. So many get caught up in just their inner circle on the holidays. Love is for all!

    Reply
  12. Debra

    I think this is fun, I don’t think my children could tell you why we celebrate Valentines Day!

    Reply
  13. Nikki

    These are great reasons and I have definitely been teaching my boys about valentine’s day. My oldest has brought his crush stuff for valentine’s day the past 2 years and he is so thoughtful. My youngest still thinks it’s about him lol and that I will always be getting him candy and a card. I love it that they love their momma and want to celebrate with me.

    Reply
  14. Robin Rue

    These are definitely great reminders that kids need to know that love needs to be shown all year long. Valentine’s Day is just a small bit in the big perspective.

    Reply
  15. Brandi with Big Fit Fam

    I love celebrating Valentines day with my kiddos, they have a good time making special dinner for us all and I always leave little gifts for them in the morning. Your first reason is my favorite, celebrate love all year…don’t forget to LOVE until V-day

    Reply
  16. Roxanne

    We don’t really make a big celebration on Valentine’s Day because we like to celebrate love all year, but I love the idea of teaching the history behind the holiday!

    Reply
  17. Jeanine

    Love these and couldn’t agree more. I always try to make sure my kids celebrate love all year long, its super important!

    Reply
  18. CourtneyLynne

    Love this!!!! It really is important to teach kiddos these things. Teaching them love is something that will stick with them for life

    Reply
  19. Barbie's Beauty Bits

    Make it a reminder to celebrate love all year to me is important. But because of people’s crazy schedules, if setting aside a certain time works best, than I’m all for it!

    Reply
  20. Blythe Alpern

    My family has a tradition of giving each other cards for Valentine’s Day. We started it when were kids. Everyone would put their cards on the kitchen table before breakfast and then we would all open them.

    Reply
  21. Reesa Lewandowski

    My husband and I love to include our kids in our Valentine’s Day celebration. I love having my little loves and valentines. These are such great ideas and I will include them in our celebration!

    Reply
  22. Brittany

    I love this. I was just talking to my husband about Valentine’s day. I was asking him how we can include our kids in the holiday.

    Reply
  23. lydia

    Love this post! When I was younger, my family and I always celebrated V-day with a really nice dinner, gifts, etc. We want all out!

    Reply
  24. Amber

    All great reminders of why to teach the littles about Valentines day! We just see it as another excuse to make time of one another!

    Reply
  25. Chelsea Damon

    Making valentines day crafts is a great idea! My son and I made a card for his daddy by tracing and coloring his hands and he had a lot of fun giving it to him!

    Reply

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