Use Valentine's Day to Keep the Family Connected

The days go quickly with four small children.  And what seems like a small project can take a very long time with our age range.  This is where planning comes in.  About two weeks before Valentine’s Day, we started working on cards.  That way, the crafts part could be spread over a day or two, the writing names on the cards part could be done another day, and the envelope addressing (which I mainly do still) could get squeezed in before mailing cards to out-of-town folks.  Hooray for repeating events in my phone’s reminders app because motherhood has destroyed my memory; I just scheduled an annual reminder for February 1st.

Holidays like this are a wonderful opportunity to connect with people.  We send cards to nieces, cousins, uncles, grandparents, friends, etc.  When you’re focused on your nuclear family for so many years, you may lose touch with other important people.  And when traveling becomes more complex and more expensive with kids, it’s easy to miss out on visits with family and friends.  But these relationships are essential and must be nurtured.  You and your children benefit from a greater sense of family and community connection.

Little gestures like a simple Valentine’s card can help keep you connected.  You’re probably not even realizing that you’re using nonverbal Communication (see The 5 C’s to Amazing Parenting) to show your children that family and social connections are important.  You’re taking the time to show others that you are thinking of them and value your relationship.  According to social learning theory (see What Does Amazing Parenting Look Like), your children are taking mental note of that and will likely one day replicate that behavior.  Who doesn’t appreciate an adorable homemade card with little kindergartener misspelled words?  We are not an incredibly crafty family, but a quick trip to Michael’s to get some heart-shaped paper, glitter glue pens, and cute paper cut-outs will do the trick.

And, of course, don’t forget to make a card for Dad or other caregivers!  Community building is part of the Communication category in my 5 C’s parenting framework (see The 5 C's to Amazing Parenting).  To find more posts in this category, use the category search menu on the right of the screen.  Keep up the good work on your amazing parenting journey!

P.S. If you like the idea of getting intentional about your parenting, you might be interested in learning more about my 5 C’s parenting framework and continuing your amazing parenting journey with my free Bootcamps.  Find a Bootcamp specific to your child’s age and save your spot today.