Gifting Acceptance This Valentine’s Day
Have you thought about Valentine’s Day yet? It’s usually filled with chocolates, flowers, and heart-shaped balloons. Rather than mulling over drug-store holiday cards, allow this year’s Valentine’s Day be an opportunity to acknowledge what is already in front of you.
As a parent, you have likely witnessed your child go through changes and challenges. Maybe they’ve moved schools, lost and made friends, been diagnosed or medicated. Or maybe they’ve even taken on a new extra-curricular activity. They might not be strangers to new beginnings. As they handle these new disruptions and opportunities, what your child might need now, more than ever, is your acceptance and unconditional love.
This Valentine’s Day, we encourage you to express the outright love you have for your children. You probably do this everyday, but we challenge you to put it into words!
When you talk to your children, it’s likely your message falls into two categories: supportive or controlling. Supporting your child is so powerful, impactful, and are moments your child will remember forever.
This year, you can show your child you love them on Valentine’s Day by having an appreciation and understanding for who they are. You can do this through words and your continued actions. Both of these will help your children to feel understood and to feel your love. There’s nothing but positiveness that can come from this! For example, increased self-esteem, open communication, and less acting out to name a few. The acceptance you offer your children encompasses all of this and so much more!
Here are some ideas for ways to communicate through words your love and respect for your children, regardless of their age:
“You’re special to me! Really, you’re special to a lot of people and especially to me!”
“I enjoy spending time with you! Do you want to join me on a walk today?”
“Thanks for helping me with those errands! I appreciate you!”
“I loved the idea you shared with us at dinner! What other ideas do you have?”
Let this Valentine’s Day be the beginning of accepting your children for what makes them unique. Our favorite way to think about this sentiment is reflected in the poem, Holland by Emily Perl Kingsely. This metaphor helps us learn and realize that sometimes the unexpected events in our lives can be the most rewarding, beautiful, and exactly what we needed in the end.
How will you be using Valentine’s Day as an opportunity for reflection?
This week, we’ll leave you with a poem from one of our favorite books, Heal. Grow. Love by Pierre Alex Jeanty:
You will realize you are enough when you recognize there is no measuring stick.
It’s all made up.
The ruler itself doesn’t even know the rules.