Spread the Love

Showing your children extra love during this month of love is a joyful reminder of how important they are in your world. With a little imagination, and a lot of happy thoughts, it’s a snap to create tiny moments in each day of February.

One wonderful, simple way to make each morning before school inspirational is to get little pads of red and pink sticky notes. Write loving words on each one and place the sticky note on your child’s mirror, breakfast cereal box or in his or her lunchbox, alternating places so t your kids find it a fun treasure hunt. Try words such as “You light up my life,” “You are special in every way,” “I love you to the moon and back,” “You are in my heart forever” or, simply, “Smile!”

Bring food into the spotlight by freezing pink lemonade in ice cube trays and serving them in water for a pink Valentine treat. Make heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast, cut sandwiches into hearts for the lunchbox, make cookies together using that heart-shaped cookie cutter and decorate them with sprinkles, red icing and red-hot candies. Bake a pan of chocolate brownies and cut them into different sized hearts. And why not serve something heart-shaped with every meal? Cut biscuits, meatloaf, hamburger and more into hearts. Cut a heart shape into a piece of toast and place an egg inside. Use your culinary imagination. You might even have dessert before dinner once in a while.

Get the pets involved too. One local mom has a fun tradition.

“I buy red and pink fabric from Hobby Lobby and then together my children and I cut it into scarves. Then we take them to the local animal shelter and tie them around the dogs’ necks, and even the cats,” she notes. “And we dress up our own dogs and cat for the month.”

Spread love as much as you can. Talk with your children about the true meaning of love and how important it is to love beyond differences. Think about making your own valentines for your child’s school party, and get kids involved with cutting them out and putting stickers on them. Think about making one for the elderly neighbor down the street, the mail carrier or even the grocery store clerk you see all the time. Have your child decide who to give them to. Your child will understand that making others feel loved on a daily basis is a lifelong goal. This will strengthen your family bonds and help make lasting memories.

One Kansas City psychologist suggests that children feel value when complimented daily, explaining, “Today’s world is filled with negativity and fear, and a strong, solid belief in a child’s mind that he or she is smart, kind and loved makes a big difference.”

For a fun project, and to begin a family winter tradition, how about making a heart-shaped bird feeder? Simply melt coconut oil, then add a variety of bird seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. Place the mixture on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper, let it cool a bit and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut the bird food into hearts. Then, poke a hole in the top of the heart and hang it with red ribbon near a window so everyone can enjoy the birds.          

Plan some quality time with your children to do something fun. This does not need to be something expensive. Simply stop for a snack after school, go for a walk in a park or plan an activity outside of your daily routine.

Many nail salons offer fun discounts during February, so take your daughter to the salon and sit together while getting a manicure and pedicure, which they now call a mani-pedi. Red polish! Or pink, with hearts on the toes. Then go for ice cream. Create a fun adventure and make sure loving words are spoken on your outing both to your child and others you meet along the way.

Purchase a special journal for your child. Tell him or her to find one thing or person he or she is thankful for each day and write it down in the journal throughout the month of February. You never know, he or she may like it so much it will become a year-round hobby.

            Happy Valentine’s Day!

An avid outdoors girl, Judy Goppert live in Lee’s Summit and enjoys all seasons, especially summer. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to write about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.