Valentine’s day is right around the corner. We love “love,” roses, and chocolate. Nothing wrong with that! But is this all Valentine’s day is?
This Valentine’s Day, let’s focus on the power of presence and the importance of intentional parenting. We can redefine what it means to celebrate Valentines Day, and use it as an opportunity to teach our kids how to express affection towards one another in a healthy way.
The Gift of Time
Sometimes just finding the time to spend with our kids is surprisingly hard! We get it. Take away the screens, and it’s extra hard! The good news is that giving your kid the gift of quality time doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.
Not all presents come in the form of wrapped gifts. Your presence can mean the world to the kids in your life. What are some simple ways we can spend time with our kids?
- We can give language to the bright qualities we see in our kids. Affirmations like, “I’m proud of you!” can be a sweet, small gift.
- Get to know your kid's “Superpowers”--we have a saying at MILLU that everyone has unique superpowers. For example, in one of the MILLU playtime sessions, one family said “Shortly after the kit, our child had a hard time comparing herself to others at school. We went back to the storyline of the kit and reminded her of her uniqueness and how differences make us special.”
- This Valentine's day, spend time with your kids in a way that feels authentic for your family to celebrate — a special meal together around the table or making handmade valentines. There’s no one right way to spend quality time.
- Know every kid is different! We can give messages of love through acts of kindness or words of encouragement too; after all, there are five whole love languages – words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, and receiving gifts – that describe the unique ways that we receive and express love
The good news? None of this is rocket-science, complicated, or expensive. It’s just being yourself with your kids and knowing that your intentionality as a parent, grandparent, aunt, or uncle can go a long way.
Let us embrace Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to show our kids how much we value them, and to remind them that they are seen, valued, and loved.
Happy Valentine’s Day, from the MILLU team!
Post is contributed by MILLU's in-house Research & Development team.
