Valentine's Day is one of the most family-friendly holidays. Sure, it's a time for those in love to express their affection to one another, but when kids join the mix, Valentine's Day is a bit different from the "I only have eyes for you" kind of holiday. 

Kids are super excited to make and share their little love poems and pictures with everyone- their friends, grandparents, neighbors, you, and yes- even with their siblings! There's nothing like watching the kids proudly share their little expressions of love with everyone. How can we make the most of this time in their lives? How can we make this last?

 

We know that the source of love is God, Himself. Focusing first on Him has a direct trickle-down effect on others. Pointing your children to Christ and reading about His compassion for even His enemies is a life-long lesson. Understanding that God, the Father, loved us first- even when we were in our trespasses and sin (Ephes. 2:1), teaches us to love and pray for those who hurt us. These lessons are significant to our growth as Christians- even through adulthood. Learning to love despite hurt because Christ loves us unconditionally is part of our sanctification. Your children can learn from your teaching and example.

 

So how do we make these love lessons last? Will heart-shaped pancakes do the trick? Well, perhaps not long-term, but you can create memories for your children that are filled with expressions of love, and as you do so, talk about and involve yourselves in acts of love and service to others so they can practice the love lessons you and God are teaching them.

 

I remember the days of heart-shaped pancakes and sandwiches for my kids. They had their own special meal of their favorites with all the pink and red heart-shaped treats on Valentine's Day. We celebrated all day, and it was so much fun! We blessed others with little notes of kindness and treats. It was truly magical to see everyone full of love, at least on this one day of the year- with Christmas coming in at a close second.

 

My husband and I were blessed with four boys- and there was no shortage of “mush” and love around our house- even on the mushiest of days! I tried to make a special dinner and evening for my husband after the kids had their own special meals and treats. It's not easy to create memorable moments with a spouse on those days. It’s hard to find a babysitter or get a reservation at a restaurant without some planning, but it can be done. That might be another blog post in the future. J

 

So, within our own little family, we have demonstrated and enjoyed a day of love. It’s a shame for it to end so quickly. But does it need to? How about a 14 days of kindness activity?  . Beginning Feb. 1, make up a list of people your family wants to bless and then share acts of kindness for them. This could include your mail carrier, a restaurant server, a caregiver, or anyone with whom your family interacts.

 

You could do an activity for just the people within your home- or you could create hearts and mail them to someone you can’t visit right now. This is the 14 days of love activity. Beginning Feb. 1, your family members write a brief note on heart-shaped paper to express a kind thought about another person. Then you post these to the bedroom door of that person. By Valentine's Day, the doors are covered with kind words for each occupant.  Hint- If you cannot start early, you could start on the 14th and continue the activity till the end of the month. Same for the 14 days of kindness list above.

 

You could make a family love jar - where everyone tosses in their heart-shaped thoughts of kindness, and you read them aloud to each other. This could be an actual jar or a picture of one posted on the wall where you post the hearts onto the paper jar as a display.

 

You could do a scavenger hunt, which gives some physical and intellectual activity to the day. (I did this for my husband once- using the names of candies as the answers to the clues). I must admit, it was really “mushy,” but it was fun to watch, and he indulged me by playing along.  

 

There are many great and meaningful ideas to create and share as a family, including a Wordless Book Valentine, Scripture printables, and more. You can find these on our Valentine’s Day Pinterest board. You could decorate your home with a 1 Corinthians 13 banner (might not be a bad idea to have that up year-round or in another form). As each of you talks about what love means from the passage, you create the heart. What a great way to talk about love the way that God does and to make that a hands-on activity! This can grow into so many acts of kindness, letters of love, and prayers of gratitude.

 

May your family enjoy the many fun activities and expressions of love that Valentine's Day affords. Still, more than that, may you be blessed by the love that God has given us by the Father through the Son and continually encouraging and teaching us through His Holy Spirit. 

Happy Valentine's Day! 

 

1 John 4:9-11 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.