Valentine cards for your children?

[queenoftheknight]

I saw these for the first time today, and my first thought was that it was a bit weird, in quite a yuk kind of way.

Added to which, if I got my children valentine cards, they would die of terminal embarrassment.

Is this very, VERY weird, or AIBU?

In our house Valentine's is a day of showing you love each other. It's not all romance and sexy outfits, we have kids and we need to involve them as no option of baby sitter. So family meal and the kids get a little gift bag with sweets and box of chocolates.

A card is only a card, it doesn't mean you view your kids in a romantic way asif!

I've got DP a Valentines from the cat, yep, the cat.

I started when my eldest was an only and asked where his card was! I felt mean because everyone else in the house had one.
Its just a day to say "i love you" nothing sinister. We also have no childcare so its not like we really celebrate it as "lovers"

YABU. Whats with the sexualisation with everything? I got a home made valentines card from ds1 every year he was at primary. Was sad when it stopped. ds2 gets extra kisses and cuddles on valentines day. Id buy a card but im too tight to waste money on cards but in general i think they are a lovely idea. The world needs more love of all varieties.

Don't care so not judging re valentines cards but curious by the "oh they felt left out" parents what you do on birthdays? Anniversaries?

Well my DC have gone to 4 different nurseries and schools and every single one has done a card for valentines.

Fhs, some people love to suck the fun out of everything and attribute sinister motives to where there are none.

As previously stated, various members of my family receive Valentine's cards from the dog and the budgie. When I was a teenager, my god-father used to send me a card that supposedly came from whatever show jumper I admired that month.

It's all the secrecy and disguised writing that appeals to children -its just a bit of fun - nothing remotely "adult" about it.

We always make heart shaped chocolate cakes together nowadays and dh brings me a heart shaped piece of toast with an egg in it for breakfast.

It's about love! Lighten up people!

My Dad sent us an anonymous card every year until I moved out at 21! They were always on the doormat when we got up. Miss him so much now it's a lovely memory to have.

Will be getting my 2 a small card each for Tuesday

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day in a romantic way so getting our daughters a card and a little present is just an extra little 'I love You!' Not weird at all!

I grew up in Canada and its as much a holiday for children as it is for adults.
We always made little boxes at school in the week before valentines day for our friends to pop our cards in.
I find it weird that in the UK people think its all about sex and only for adults.

Getting valentines cards for your kids is just weird.

I think it's a bit weird.

I think this is yucky. But I see valentines day as about romantic love or crushes between people who fancy each other.

I'm Canadian but live in the U.K. It's always been about all types of love & friendship. I'm in my 40's and always got a card from parents and grandparents. Young kids exchange little cards with everyone in their class. My mum would bake cookies or pancakes in a heart shape and we do the same with our kids. It never occurred to me that it was foreign. We celebrate romantic love between partners and love with kids. Never heard of giving cards to co-workers though. Perhaps that's American? It's probably not the origin of Valentine's Day but it's been celebrated that way for quite a while.

It's actually a whole family thing here in the USA, i.e. not solely the preserve of erotic/romantic love, just about love in general, and I think it's lovely to get handmade valentines from my step-grandchildren.

Doesn't anyone remember the Valentine chapter in 'What Katy Did', all the family (and Katy's friend Cecy I think) send each other valentines. That was published in 1872, so hardly a modern idea.

I struggle to get uptight about it. It's just another totally commercially abused day. In my parents' house we were always involved in valentines day, there would be a small heart shaped chocolate near my bowl of porridge in the morning and maybe a little treat after dinner. There was nothing yucky about it. Maybe that's why I still see this day as to do with love in general, not just adult sexual feeling. TBH DP doesn't even get a romantic card or presents, maybe a heart shaped sandwich for lunch because I am childish or a funny card like "you're a twat but you're MY twat.
DS has been bringing a handmade card from nursery every year and I love it. It's sweet, that's all.

In Katie did it wasn't the family sending each other Valentines. it was Katie (and I think friend Cecy) write some anonymous ones to them all for a fun party while she's ill. It's not to present it as a family all giving to each other, they're pretended to be from an anonymous sweetheart. (I don't think Clover was fooled, but Elsie and younger seemed to be)

I kind of put it in the same category as giving every child in the family a present for one child's birthday:
I can see why it's done, but find it a bit not-in-the-spirit type feeling. That's not quite right the way I've put it, but I suppose making it into a bigger deal than it is perhaps... Still not quite right, not too good with words.

I knew a couple whose parents still did this at secondary and they found it really cringy. I'll note they now don't do it for their children.

But then we don't really do Valentine's day, we celebrate the anniversary we got engaged which is a week after.
The only valentines cards I've sent were 8 identical ones we sent for a joke 4 years running from different parts of the country. Took some organising that!

I don't buy them a card, but usually I'll make some gingerbread hearts for them, or a chocolate heart lolly or something. It's just a little treat in a grey February. If you look on Pinterest/Ebay for vintage valentines cards you'll see a lot of them aimed at children. They're American and most of them are very funny in an alarming kind of way!

We used to get a card and a present from "Jack Valentine". I believe it is a very localized tradition.

So you're supposed to take Valentine's day seriously? I always saw it as a bit of a joke with anonymous cards and things. My Mum often sent me one as a kid for a joke. And I'm from the UK and 49, so it isn't modern and commercialised as far as I'm concerned!

I don't think I've ever sent a serious Valentine's day card, but then I don't really do romantic stuff

If you're sending you're kids a Happy Valentines Day from mummy/daddy/granny because we love you then fair enough i guess. Personally the day is about romantic love to me so it wouldn't occur to me to send one to my DC.

A 'secret sender' card is all about a shy expression of romantic love though; so - bit odd to send one of those adult to child IMO. Obviously meant well, but odd when you think about it.

My mum would always send me a secret valentine from when i was quite young and i knew it was her and i found it odd even then. Especially when she carried on after i started getting real ones! (early teens). She used to send them (The secret ones) to my DDs too until they got to about 16. They were always a bit as it was obvious it was her. We never discouraged her mind you, not worth the upset.

I don't get the problem. I see Valentine's Day as being about love. Not sex. I love my kids and if they make me a card saying they love me then I'm delighted!! I've never given them a card before but you've inspired me. I might this year.

I am planning on getting my three year old and my husband one too. It's just a card. Don't see what the big deal is personally