Very soon children in the United States will begin gearing up for Valentine’s Day if they haven’t done so already. There are cards to buy, candy to select, and projects to make in art class. What parent doesn’t remember his or her own Valentine’s Day experiences from elementary school? (There were plenty of construction paper red and pink hearts, pasted together with glue and adorned with glitter and doilies for me).
It may be hard to remember the feelings that went along with this special day when you were a child. Were you in love? Did you hope to receive a special Valentine from a certain someone? Did your heart break when you didn’t receive one from the person you most admired? Were you elated when she handed your Valentine card to you instead of putting it in the box?
If a parent of an elementary age child, please realize that love is very real to a child this age. No, they don’t understand everything about love yet, but they do know what they feel. And their feelings can be intense. In a child’s developing mind, this “first love” brings a rush of new sensations, including both joy and eventually, sorrow.
For these reasons, never make jokes about who your son or daughter “likes.” Also, don’t ask her to discuss the Valentine’s party at school if she comes home crying. Let her approach you when she is ready. Finally, don’t put pressure on your son or daughter to like someone if he or she doesn’t already.
It is best to approach the day and the party with a positive attitude, one that emphasizes that a child is loved no matter what. Even if love is unrequited, the child should still know that he has a loving place with mom and dad. If a parent is relaxed about the day and what it entails, the elementary child will be more relaxed as well. The key — focus on the fun aspects of the day, and let the child guide any discussions about love. Finally, always have frosted heart shaped cookies on hand; they really help!
Cute Kid’s Quotes on Love
From AmO:
“Love will find you, even if you are trying to hide from it. I’ve been trying to hide from it since I was five, but the girls keep finding me.”
From So Bad So Good:
“Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.”