Is this a thing for valentines now???

[DailyMailHater]

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.

Agree with @fingersdoublecrossed -Valentines is about all types of love not just romantic love. I actually think that’s a nice message for children and don’t see the harm in a little treat.

if its now for kids....how come it never was before....certainly don't remember kids being involved back in the 80's,90's

why now?

Hmm, I must confess, last year I did a big valentine's brunch for my husband and children, bought little gifts, teddies, chocolates for them and decorated the room. In my defence, I mainly did it because it was lockdown and I was bored and any excuse for a bit of a celebration. I'd have chewed my own arm off before I put it on social media though. This year I gave them a heart-shaped chocolate and waved them off to school. No fanfare or fuss. Definitely no social media appearances. I don't know anyone who makes a big deal of it although my mum always used to buy me a Valentine's card when I was younger so I don't think it's anything new.

My DD has been very excited about VD this year. We're pretty low key about it do suspect it's school/something she's watched on TV. She's been making us cards and little gifts, and because her joy in it all is rather infectious, I ended up buying both DC cards and a chocolate rose each. They're not in school today (half term here) so no comparison to spoil things!

I've seen some pretty ridiculous FB posts though, including a room filled with helium balloons for a very disinterested looking child! Quite apart from anything else, will it not set them up for future disappointment when partners make a lacklustre effort or completely forget VD??

It's right up there with Christmas Eve boxes, flower walls and the huge helium balloons that seem obligatory on birthdays these days.....

There are lines, a friend of mine in school, her dad used to get a card for her and her sister every year and insist it wasn't from him. This was mid 00s so no FB to post on. That's kinda sweet.

Another girl I know posted a pic today of her two kids with a massive card and big teddy each. She does regularly post pics of crazy amounts of gifts crap she buys them for birthdays/ Christmas. Their house must be wedged with junk! That is too much and I don't see the point in it.

I get each of my children a chocolate heart lollipop but that’s all - definitely none of the over the top actual presents stuff! I don’t think a small gesture is new though, as my parents used to do the same for me and my sisters - and I’m not on social media.

It's the towie!/instagram/you OK hun crowd that do this and there's plenty of them in my dc's school. I'm deliberately not going on social media this week so I don't have to see the fake love displays.

I haven't put anything on social media but I must admit that I was given beautiful flowers and I've put them in the window!!! 😂

I’ve always done it for my dc. I was a single mum for 7years, and it’s was just me and dd and yes I used to buy her a small gift and celebrate together. I’m now married with 4 more kids in the mix and have just continued in on. Only spend £5 max though, just chocolates and sweets.

I really hope this doesn’t turn into the same America bashing BS like the same style thread that was going around a couple weeks ago. It descended into xenophobic/racist chaos. The long and short of it was:

• live and let live
• it’s not a recent development and it’s not just Americans

-someone from Norfolk will try to remind everyone of the Valentine’s traditions there and will be IGNORED as more posters pile on about Instagram oneupmanship or being influenced by American Tv programs/Netflix

• there will be a pile on about environmental damage and consumerism and how that’s all America’s fault
• people will say it’s gross because it’s a holiday that they think is about romantic love, not live in general, putting their own emphasis on no matter the fact that’s not how small children will see it.

Yes! My 6yo asked me if I love them because I didn’t get them a card and chocolates I don’t have social media or really talk to mums at school gates so I didn’t realise either

Oh good grief, just no. People should really start using their brains. Valentines is to do with romantic love and fertility rites. Why the fuck do you want to blur the lines with sex and kids because its "fun". February 14th is adult stuff. Not kids, not family, not pets. You can tell your kids you love them lots every single day anyway.

I don't get anything for DP so I'm definitely not getting anything for DD.

I got chocolate hearts for the kids. DD1 made brownies for us all. I'm not on FB so no idea what is normal there.

You lot are just plain miserable.

This morning I woke everyone up at 5am by playing "my heart will go on" on full volume. Heart shaped pancakes all round.

I sent both of mine to school today clutching a bow and arrow and wearing only nappies.

Tonight it's chocolate fondue for dinner while we talk about our feelings.

You all really need to get into the Christmas spirit.

I haven't seen anything like this tbf but DH and I took DS out on a Valentine's meal. Since we both work full time and DS is only 5, we hardly get to see him midweek so don't want to send him away at weekends all the time, so we had a cheap and cheery pub valentine's dinner on Sunday afternoon and brought DS along.
I've also got him a card as he got me one. Only fair!

Maybe for people with no self-respect.

I've just received a lovely whatsapp from my 22 year old DD, who lives 200 miles away, thanking me for the card and chocolate I sent her to tell her I love her. But then I send something small almost every week to say the same thing just not with the word "valentine" in it. But I'm a soppy mare who misses her DD so I don't really care what anyone else does!

Yuck! On a par with Daddy and daughter date nights, IMO 🤮

I suppose it’s just the Instagram/Fakebook huns doing it to show off and prove they love their kids more than the rest of us do.

I too find it cringey as Valentine’s Day is about romantic love. When I was younger having your parents give you a valentine was considered a bit pathetic!

Just throwing my two-penn’orth in - I think we’ve ‘caught it’ from the US … like Halloween.

In the 70’s Halloween and ‘trick or treat’ was a minor night and the big celebration was 5th November/Bonfire Night/ Fireworks night and Penny for the Guy… then ET (and other films) came out and kids cottoned on to the sweets and costumes involved - and a more fun
holiday developed! Encouraged of course by savvy marketeers…

In the US - kids in Elementary (Primary) school have been giving Valentine’s cards and sweets to all their classmates for years… it’s even a bit of a contest sometimes who gets most - but meant in a friends way, not a romantic love. And of course that includes parent/child gift & card swaps too… They were mostly homemade, and tiny gestures in the past but I suspect like everything else SM has made it much more competitive and commercial
Shame really, it becomes meaningless now

My late dmum used to send me valentines cards at uni ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

We got our ds a little traffic light toy thing and dd a chocolate stir in thing for hot chocolate. I've done cards before for them too. Not sorry mwahahaha

My cat got her human siblings a card and chocolate... she is so passive aggressive of how she would raise them better than their human mother.

Ive been buying my dc a teddy for valentines day, because it is a day to tell people you love them, for years. My ds used to put a piece of jewellery in the shopping trolly since being a preschooler for me to buy for him to give me . This year they got a chocolate orange each. None of it is on social media. We also do presents and just one egg at easter as ds didnt eat chocolate as a toddler. Id rather spend money on a gift theyll want and use rather than a disgustingly huge pile of chocolate eggs i see some people do.

I think we are just more aware of people’s traditions now we use social media every day.

But ultimately, people do different things to you. It doesnt make them wrong and you right.

DD(5) came out of school demanding to know what I've got her / done for her because apparently it's the 'day to celebrate someone special'.

I've made her a strawberry milk and let her eat pink marshmallows in front of the tv.

Bah humbug.