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.

So who does observe Valentine’s Day? Judging by the number of cards and tacky gifts available, as well as hothouse fragrance free roses, there must be many who do.

Should we bother in this day and age?

Yes I got my kids a token gift and a card. It’s the result of a lovely tradition my deceased mother introduced when I was a severely bullied teen, with bucket teeth, zero friends let alone boyfriends and obesity issues.
Don’t judge others is the lesson I’d like you to take from this. I’m really sick of posters saying it’s horrible on other kids who think their parents don’t love them. So if I am a loving mum I should forever not show it because there are people out there grieving the loss of theirs? No one has that respect for me on Mother’s Day! No one stops celebrating Christmas because there are people who can’t afford to. Why can’t we create our own traditions and butt out of others? Do what you’d like with your kids, you have every right to.

I have never bought anything for my dc for valentines, seems a bit silly, it’s a day for couples and for people to send cards to people they are attracted too.

Oh, I'm glad to be old!

The pressure to 'keep up with the Joneses' these days due to SM seems to be never ending. It must be utterly exhausting to have to do this sort of stuff or be left feeling either neglected/failing at life.

It's the main reason why I don't have FB, Instagram or any of the other things people seem to worry over.

It drives me potty and my kids aren’t even young now. Christmas Eve boxes are one thing, advent boxes another but this is ridiculous. Get a rose, a chocolate heart maybe, but a load of gifts? Ridiculous

My DIL is American. Its a thing there to give cards to people you love in your family not just for 'lovers'. It's growing here, I think, because Instagram is a beast that apparently needs constantly feeding. Must be exhausting to think of things, so if the world gives you a thing to post, I guess you grab it.

@Valhalla17

Honestly it's pathetic and largely done for pics on "social media"

My mom did it for me when I was a kid and I'm 44. It was not done for social media.

Also, a thread on this comes up every year around Valentine's day. IIRC, there was on a couple of weeks ago. How much discussion does this actually warrant? People do things differently.

Definitely not a thing. Never heard f this before your post!

Howling at the ‘Cupid for stupid’ comment. That made my valentines! fools indeed

I got my dd a card and ‘Connie the caterpillar’ cake.
We went out for lunch too but it was also her first day at new nursery school, so it was more to celebrate that.
I don’t have social media, so it was for no nobody else’s benefit but hers.
I wouldn’t go that OTT but I can’t get mad at other parents doing nice things for their kids, given some of the horrendous examples of ‘parenting’ we have seen in the news lately.

@Florencenotflo

Yeah I think more people have jumped on this, this year. A friend of mine put pictures on Instagram this morning. Red helium balloons all over the ceiling, heart shaped breakfast items, her girls wearing pink/red valentines pyjamas, roses everywhere.

DH and I always get each other a card, but neither of us really know why. Every year we sort of say we won't bother next year. I always get DH a rude one anyway so it can't be displayed 🤣

So landfill then?

What a waste.

DS made us a card at nursery which was so cute, but yeah I find it a bit much like everything else these days.

Not really an American thing, In school there the kids write a card for every person in the class, you get the cards in packs of thirty from places like WalMart for a few dollars, they are themed, lots of marvel super hero cards and kittens and puppies or Disney princesses. Some kids attach a piece of wrapped candy to each envelope and They all make their own letter box from a shoe box decorated in red crepe paper with a small slot in the top, then take them all home at the end of the day. No one we know did cards, dinners out or over the top chocolates for the kids. That was saved for the grown ups.

I think the whole kids thing is a ridiculous americanism.

I received some chocolates and a card, which was a photo of us but with Aiden Turner photoshopped over DP.

All I needed really...

I get a card for DD, sometimes some flowers or a teddy or something small. She's 7, she has had a really tough time of things and suffers from anxiety, depression and tourettes. It gives her a lift and I like her to know how much she's loved...not that I don't constantly tell her but it's a nice thing to do in my opinion.

Me and dp don't usually do valentine's though 😂

We didn't get the DC cards/presents but we gave them the pudding (churros) from our M&S dine in for 2 meal as they are DS1s favourites.

@NoLongerTroels

Not really an American thing, In school there the kids write a card for every person in the class, you get the cards in packs of thirty from places like WalMart for a few dollars, they are themed, lots of marvel super hero cards and kittens and puppies or Disney princesses. Some kids attach a piece of wrapped candy to each envelope and They all make their own letter box from a shoe box decorated in red crepe paper with a small slot in the top, then take them all home at the end of the day. No one we know did cards, dinners out or over the top chocolates for the kids. That was saved for the grown ups.

I agree. In the US, Valentine's day is less about romantic love, and more about nice gestures to friends/classmates, but it's not insanely commercialised. You take in some chocolates to the office.

I get DS's a box of pop tarts and a card every year.

No big "Tah-dah!" no facebook posts. Just something to make them smile in an otherwise dull February.

I can't imagine why anyone would be bothered about it.

Please no! Can’t anything just be for adults anymore - just feel kids have enough occasions with Christmas, birthdays Halloween etc

I made mine a heart shaped themed packed lunch

That really is ridiculous. The celebration for children is Christmas, there really is no need to convert Valentine's Day into something else that forces us to buy consumer tat for them.

It’s lovely to show your children you love them, nothing wrong with that. Social media makes people go over the top for attention though. Sadly I suspect people wouldn’t bother going to so much effort if it were just for the benefit of their children.

My 10yo got a cuddly toy from her “boyfriend” but nothing from me. Dd age 14 made dh and I “Valentine’s breakfast” - I’m happy for that tradition to continue!

Utterly ridiculous and reaffirms my decision to avoid Facebook to avoid seeing this kind of stuff