Valentine's Day in primary school

[usedtobeaylis]

Just following on from a thread earlier re parents - well, mums - getting their children gifts for Valentine's Day, which I'd never heard of, I'd also never heard of girls giving their friends Valentine's Day gifts either and wondered if this was common.

I had known about Galentine's etc, except for grown women. I know girls relate to each other very differently than when I was a kid, and talking to some women in my work it seems primary aged girls do give each other 'bestie' Valentine gifts. My daughter was talking about getting something for her best friend too. Is it a thing now, or becoming a thing? Can any teachers shed any light on if this is normal in schools now?

Nope banned at work , absolutely do not want some children upset because they haven’t gotten a gift , parents complaining that their child hasn’t received a gift, kids using it a a chance to be mean (and they absolutely do , yes even your angel child) parents using it as an opportunity to gift selected children a gift while excluding others, children crying because they no longer have a boyfriend/ girlfriend.
absolutely unnecessary in primary schools.

Outside of school it’s up to the parents 🤷‍♂️

I would tend to agree with you. I guess I was thinking more along the lines of within friendship groups but of course that can spill over. I really don't believe I had ever heard of this before this year.

It's been celebrated today at my daughter's primary in Scotland. It's a general love for friends and family type of thing and it was tied into kindness I think.

As a father of a ten‑year‑old, yesterday’s Valentine’s Day made me realise how quickly children are being pushed into adult roles. I grew up abroad in a family of mostly boys, spending my childhood playing sports, riding bikes, collecting stickers and posters, and only rarely playing video games. That kind of carefree, play‑centred childhood feels very different from the intense relational focus I’m seeing among kids today.

My daughter spent the day upset and giving us attitude because some girls in her group were allowed to receive gifts from boys. In past years our Valentine’s was quiet and just between us as parents; this year felt more dramatic and pressured. This creeping adultification seems to hit girls hardest, and while I’m not a social scientist, I suspect it contributes to the rising rates of anxiety and depression in preteens and teens. Kids have plenty of time to be adults — judging by the unhappy situations on Mumsnet, there’s no rush.