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Original poster

Is this a thing for valentines now???

298 replies

DailyMailHater · 14/02/2022 15:53

Now I will start this by saying when we were dating / engaged my husband and I did do gifts / cards for Valentine’s Day but since we have been married we don’t and our wedding anniversary is the day we tend to mark.

Well this morning, my social media is full of pictures from people I know and the valentines presents they have bought for their children, the kids seemed to be getting multiple gifts…chocs, flowers, pjs, clothes, toys, sweets…One had all the gifts for her child on the sofa like it was a birthday, with a caption “can’t wait for (child’s name) to see this in the morning so they know how much I love them”
it never even occurred to me to purchase valentines items for my children I didn’t realise this was a thing if it had been one person I wouldn’t of thought much of it but seems to be the majority around here….I think it is madness.

OP posts:
Teachertired92 · 15/02/2022 18:03

I think buying for kids is an American tradition. I bought my daughter a small teddy and intend to buy her chocolate each year (she can’t have chocolate this year yet!) but definitely wouldn’t go to the extreme some people have. And I did it without posting any pictures on social media!

Missingindevon · 15/02/2022 18:07

Me and my dad made a valentine's card together and for her father and family, shared a box of lindor chocolate. But I am a single mum with no partner and just wanted something nice.

No gifts or anything crazy lol 🤣 she seemed to think she would get gifts but we set her straight .

Missingindevon · 15/02/2022 18:08

Not dad dd

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Events & celebrations
cherish123 · 15/02/2022 18:13

Not normal.

JerryGiraffe · 15/02/2022 18:24

Ah I bought my ds (7) a new book, he is a real bookworm! Also cooked a special meal for us all. It used to be a romantic meal for 2, now a special meal for 3. It isn't something I felt I had to do, but I think it's nice to do a little something special every now and then. It isn't expected but was appreciated. I know people go bonkers at any excuse these days but I guess it's live and let live from my point of view

Mirw · 15/02/2022 18:26

Ridiculous. Kids get birthday presents snd Xmas presents. End of. Same with adults. Far too much money spent out on crap. What of children whose parents can't afford crap just now? Some parents are very unfeeling of others.

Insertcreativenamehere · 15/02/2022 18:33

Please God Nooooo shakes head

HelterSkelter224 · 15/02/2022 18:36

I was the only mum in my antenatal group who didn't dress my 3 month old in a Valentine's outfit 😂

Mummyto2rugrats · 15/02/2022 18:39

@Fl0w3ry

You made me giggle that is something I would do.Grin her you go kids some sweets for valentines these lovely choccys are mine and mine alone! that's if I got any but which I don't as me a dh don't celebrate valentines just our anniversary.

Even when we did do gifts and or cards we didn't/haven't ever gotten the kids anything they know we love them as we show it and say it every day valentines should be for the romantic love I think but then again each to their own

pollymere · 15/02/2022 18:44

Mine's boyfriend doesn't live nearby so I bought a fun gift (Valentine's was an excuse!) And DH bought them chocolates independently. Said child thinks cards from Mother to Son is a bit Oedipal! 😂 But did appreciate gifts. I wouldn't do anything for Valentine's for them though!

SpidersAreShitheads · 15/02/2022 19:10

Generally I love any opportunity to have some fun with DC, and I love the chance to give them presents or make an occasion. We love Elf on the Shelf, Christmas Eve Boxes, Easter hunts and we also have our own personal tradition of a Boxing Day box **

**(the Boxing Day box came about as both DC are autistic and when they were little, it was too much to give them multiple presents in one day - giving them some on Boxing Day was a way of spreading things out so they didn't get overwhelmed - and the tradition stuck).

Having said all of that I feel really uncomfortable with the idea of giving your child things on Valentines Day. It's explicitly about romantic love so I don't know why it's been shoehorned in. It feels very odd, and not quite right at all.

For me, giving your DC a V-Day gift/card is in the same box as people who describe their children as "sexy" - meaning cute or attractive. It's just not quite right.

Morgysmum · 15/02/2022 19:13

Complete madness, kids know they are loved all the time, I don't get it🤷‍♀️
I don't buy my mum a mother's day card from my son or my father days card from him either. Mother's day is for me says thanks for putting up with this annoying kid and not drowning it in, the bath when she was a complete little shit.

lucybluebella26 · 15/02/2022 19:19

Wow, if anything this thread has shown me I probably don't belong on mumsnet 😂
I've always done it and my eldest is 19, my parents always done it for me and I'm in my mid 30s. Admittedly it's only small gifts, but gifts nonetheless.
The fact that so many people think it's weird is baffling to me. It's a day of love, why wouldn't you share it with your children??
Honestly, some of the judgements in here are shocking.

Broody1976 · 15/02/2022 19:22

I sent my son a card (he’s 10!) he doesn’t know it’s from me. Can’t understand why it isn’t signed …. I said - that’s the idea, it means you have an admirer. His reply, ugh mum have I a stalker?…. 🙄🤷🏼‍♀️

Lipsandlashes · 15/02/2022 19:27

I do buy DDs a little net of chocolate hearts from M&S or similar - definitely not a pile of presents though!!

MRS54321 · 15/02/2022 19:30

I saw a mum recently ask “ what do I put my DCs Easter Box?”
Wtf is an Easter box? Eggs not good enough anymore ?
It’s pressure on families at a time when no one can afford this sort of nonsense

StupidAdvice · 15/02/2022 19:30

@SpidersAreShitheads

Generally I love any opportunity to have some fun with DC, and I love the chance to give them presents or make an occasion. We love Elf on the Shelf, Christmas Eve Boxes, Easter hunts and we also have our own personal tradition of a Boxing Day box **

**(the Boxing Day box came about as both DC are autistic and when they were little, it was too much to give them multiple presents in one day - giving them some on Boxing Day was a way of spreading things out so they didn't get overwhelmed - and the tradition stuck).

Having said all of that I feel really uncomfortable with the idea of giving your child things on Valentines Day. It's explicitly about romantic love so I don't know why it's been shoehorned in. It feels very odd, and not quite right at all.

For me, giving your DC a V-Day gift/card is in the same box as people who describe their children as "sexy" - meaning cute or attractive. It's just not quite right.

I agree with you about Valentine's Day being for romantic love, and can't bear the Elf on the Shelf thing (though I dare say I'd have been sucked in if it had been around when my DC were little) - but just have to say that I completely agree with your username Grin
erhellerr · 15/02/2022 19:36

A work colleague treated the day like it was her little girl's birthday or Christmas. Heart patterned pyjamas the night before, she woke up to living room decorated in balloons, garlands. Presents to open, heart shaped toast then a valentine themed dinner. Same at Easter and Halloween

LovelyIssues · 15/02/2022 19:51

It's ridiculous and quite frankly a bit creepy

Morgysmum · 15/02/2022 19:52

Lucybluebella26
I guess if it's something your parents did, then i get why you think we are weird.
My parents didn't, so the concept to me is baffling. My parents didn't really do, the whole romantic side of valentines day, 9 times out of 10 I was give a fiver, to go into the shop to buy my mum a card for valentines day, from my dad.
I knew my parents loved me without a card, i was also told that, valentines day was actually about a mass murder in the olden times and nothing to do with love. I guess I am sinical and see giving kids valentines stuff, a way for the card companies to get rich off people.

Lynz78 · 15/02/2022 19:55

@SarahJessicaPorker

I am American born tbf. But I also grew up in Ireland in the 80s/90s - we did not "catch Halloween from the yanks" god damn it! It was very much A Thing in Ireland 30 odd years ago. This comes up all the time on here. It's an ancient festival which has always been big in Scotland and Ireland
Nice to see someone remembers where Halloween came from. In Scotland in the old days the outfits where made using animal skins or skulls and the lantern was made from turnips or swede. 35 plus years ago I would come home with a carry bag full of sweets too thankfully no animalskin outfits. Hear of so many kids now who seem to equal how much they get monetary wise with how much they are loved so sad. Last year I noticed people where giving their kids presents like days out PlayStation games for Easter !
Trainbear · 15/02/2022 19:57

@Valhalla17

Its absolutely ridiculous OP! Shock

People seem quite happy to chuck money away these days...

And therefor cannot afford to buy houses....
Lovely13 · 15/02/2022 20:07

Did contemplate buying some cute cupcakes yesterday for young people staying. Then saw they were £3 each. And tiny. Decided, nah. So just bought bread, which will sustain us for a lot longer!

Franklyfrost · 15/02/2022 20:22

I got the kids a small box of chocolates to share and we had tea together with the table laid nicely (flowers AND tablecloth). There’s many types of love worth celebrating and it’s easy to just let life go by without stopping and explicitly appreciating the love we get to give and receive. No need to buy lots of stuff or post pictures online, that’s a whole other argument.

Phormiumjester · 15/02/2022 20:34

It's not very good for the planet - wasteful consumerism and it's not for me but it isn't actually that big a deal around my circle, that I've noticed. But then our kids are a bit older