To think this is a bit much for 8 year olds?

Sounds more like mums using their kids to establish their popularity

@Scbchl that’s awful! Can you imagine how the children who don’t find a card on their table will feel? Then to go on half term for a week with that feeling still on their mind. Awful awful.

When my DS was in year 2, they were all asked to put their name on a piece of paper and the other children were encouraged to use adjectives to describe the child and to write them on the piece of paper. One child described my DS as ‘weird’. He was so upset. 6 years old. 😡

Parents calling each other to find out who their 8 year old is dating is creepy and crazy. Taking photo of little children kissing and putting them on social media is truly nauseating.

8yo Children exchanging Valentine's Day gifts is creepy as hell. YANBU

Another vote for this. Another one nauseated by it.

Taking pictures of primary children kissing, encouraging it and then probably plastering them on social media makes me feel very uncomfortable. The children don't even know what they're doing! I think that's the worst bit. Who benefits from it? It doesn't sit right with me at all.

My DS school in Reception does "Wedding Day" where a boy and girl from the class get "married" say vows and everything, and the other children are bridesmaids/groomsmen/guests. Me & another Nursery mum have said we're not looking forward to it next year! feels really weird.

That's just weird.

Valentines is banned in our primary right up to year 6! It’s weird and creepy and a total veil of adult insecurity acted out through small children. Just horrible.

Defo complain to school. No one would consider that behaviour appropriate for 8 year olds and there could even be safeguarding issues here (photographs of 8 year olds kissing is grossly inappropriate any time, let alone on school grounds in plain sight).

The only way that could be remotely acceptable is if everyone drew names from a hat so everyone would get one. Basically holding a popularity contest in the classroom is appalling.

meant to say "it isn't confusing for him"!

@Scbchl: one of my primary school teachers did the same thing back in the 90s, and I still remember how confused and embarrassed I was by it all :-( Most of the kids in my class (me included) had no idea who to give a card to. So one or two boys and girls got most of them by default, because we all copied each other.

Here in the US little kids give everyone in their class a card. The first year I lived here, I remember being very surprised by multi-packs of valentines day cards in the shops!!

Yesterday my 4 and a half year old made cards for all his school friends, and today they will have a little party at his preschool. It's cute when its kept at this kind of level, and everyone is included. He talks a lot about how he loves his friends, so it is confusing for him. He doesn't really know what romantic love is, but its quite nice that they get to talk about how they love their friends.

I asked my DH (who is from the US) what age kids stop giving a card to everyone in their class, and it starts to feel more selective/competitive. He said around 9 or 10ish.

Once again, adults pushing 'adult' ideals on children. When will we learn that the breakdown of innocence in society is partly due to this type of rubbish. Let kids be kids, they say they love each other because they do, as in the love their peers with a childhood purity but silly adults try and make it into dating and who wants to marry who etc etc. I think it's so weird and creepy.

Taking pictures of them kissing? Creepy as fuck!

Awful. No doubt done by parents wanting to be cool who are then tearing their hair out when the kids are teenagers and a nightmare. I rolled my eyes at my MIL sending valentine cards to my kids when younger and binned all I found when tidying the loft.

These parents seriously need to give their heads a wobble

Crazy stuff!

Bless my kids 15 & 18 and have never had a card between them 😂😂😂

That’s absolutely shit, Scbchl

My sons class teacher, had them all make a card for family and one for their chosen class Valentine. They all gave them to her yesterday and she was going to leave them on their cards last night for them to go into. My son said this morning "oh I wonder who did one for me". Had to tell him not to get excited, as he may not get one. Was thinking it's ashame for kids who maybe wont get one. His class are six and seven.

My sons old primary were the same, last year a girl in his class (y6 so 10/11) came out with a teddy the same size as her.

Absolutely ridiculous!

Never heard of such nonsense - parents calling each other? Twats

@HomeMadeMadness I agree. It is vicarious living, which is never a healthy sign

Are the parents the kind that post on FB about their 'sexy little man/ princess' when talking about their children? It's all cringeworthy.

... and the same parents who are first in the mob with pitchforks at the first hint of a suspicious stranger innocently going about their business.

This is bloody ridiculous. There's a massive difference between playing at getting married, having a "boyfriend" or "girlfriend", giggling that Tom likes Sally which is all fairly normal and making a huge song and dance over valentine's day at 8 years old. Clearly an 8 year old isn't going to be able to independently sort something out so it's actually all orchestrated by their parents and happening at school in a really public way that is going to create pressure and make some feel left out.

I do think some parents are massively over invested in their children's social lives. Of course you are going to be aware of who your kid's friends are and want them to have secure, healthy friendships but this kind of thing reeks of projection onto your kids lives to an unhealthy degree.

But that (for me) extends to you OP buying cards for your sons. It’s all part of the same thing, to me. Utterly unnecessary.

Completely agree. I've always disliked Valentine's Day - except in it's original sense of expressing anonymously your interest in someone else. Have never understood couples doing it (I married him didn't I, isn't that proof enough of how I feel?), let alone parents to children!

wow that's so cringey...that is way over the top. I dont ever remember people making a fuss when i was a kid. My kids aren't interested in the slightest and would die of embarrassment if someone gave them a gift / card. I had to remind them this morning to be polite if someone did happen to give them one at school haha

Horrible to push kids to imitate sexual relationship
How is getting someone a card and a present imitating a sexual relationship. What do you think they are buying for each other? handcuffs and lube? Having a girlfriend or boyfriend at that age has nothing sexual about it, my DD doesn't even hold hands with her 'boyfriend' let alone kiss or do anything inappropriate. It's just a bit of silly pretend play.

I got ‘married’at 8. Can’t say it’s had any lasting effects to be honest!