Blog Post: Tell Your Kids They Are Loved

Ferris Bueller said, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." As Valentine's Day approaches, take this perfect opportunity to slow down and savor moments with your family.

Many folks tend focus on their partner or spouse on Valentine's Day, but it's also nice to celebrate our children. It's fun to make Valentine's Day an event to remember (especially if you're like me — my children seem to be growing up too fast).

Here are a few suggestions for showing your Valentine how special they are to you:

Visit the book store or the of the Howard County Library to pick up one of my favorite love books. Then, cuddle up on the couch and read together. 

• I'll Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw — "I'll love you forever. I'll like you for always. As long as I'm living, my baby you'll be." I used to sing these words to my sons, each in turn, as I rocked them to sleep each evening as part of their bedtime routine. Even thought my sons have grown older, I'll still sing this ditty to them when they've had a tough day. The message still works its magic.

• Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney — I can still hear my youngest giggling as he asked me to read the book about the "to the moon and back." He'd quote along, tugging on his own ears, that little hare of mine.

• The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein —Oh, this beautiful tale of a tree who loved her boy so much that she gave up everything to make him happy.

• Snuggle Puppy by Sandra Boynton — I admit to being a huge Sandra Boynton fan; her books are fun, irreverent, and just plain silly. The words in this book have a cadence meant for singing. Snuggle Puppy, I'm awfully fond of you.

• The I LOVE You Book by Todd Parr —You can't go wrong with a book whose message is I love you just the way you are.

Create your own love scavenger hunt by following these simple steps:

1. Make a quick stop at Michael's to pick up craft supplies.
2. The night before the hunt, after the kids go to bed, cut out paper hearts out of construction paper.
3. Write clues to different places around your house. For example, “Mommy loves to drink this in the morning” (which lead them to the coffee machine) or “Daddy loves to watch football here” (which lead them to our TV).
4. Hide the clues around the house before going to bed.
5. Have the last clue lead to a small gift (a book from the list above, a love letter from you, a poem you've written, a photo book you've made with pictures from the last twelve months, a heart-shaped box of candy, a certificate for a special date, etc.)
6. Complete the scavenger hunt first thing on Valentine's Day morning.

For additional ideas for how to show those you love how special they are to you, please visit www.weeAdventure.com or find us on Facebook.