Valentine's Day is just around the corner, a chance to show the ones you love just how much you love them. I love receiving cards from my kids on Valentine's day. They make them themselves, usually at school and I treasure them every year. Whilst some people see Valentines as a way to express your love for a partner or a friend, I personally think it is a lovely way to show your love and appreciation for those in your family. It is after all open to your own interpretation but for us, it is for the family.
There are so many different gifts out there targeted specifically at Valentine's day from stuffed bears to heart-shaped chocolate but what do Mums and Dads really want for Valentine's day? After all, there is only so much space for stuffed bears. The things they love, of course, or maybe even the things they miss?
One of my favourite gifts is to receive something homemade, especially from my children. When the children were younger this was anything from a love heart foot print to an egg box made to look like a bunch of flowers [5 years later and I still have this on display in my bedroom]. My eldest daughter is now into cooking and baking and so she has already said that for Valentines she is going to bake us all a cake and put heart sprinkles on top. I think that sounds amazing and very thoughtful or her.
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One year my Mum offered to have the children for us, which in itself is an amazing gift. Giving a Mum or Dad the gift of time is just fantastic. It meant I had a bit of time to myself to sort out housework, read some of my books and even go out for lunch together. I love my children dearly but sometimes you feel you lose who you are. Giving the gift of time gives you the chance to reconnect with yourself and in some ways recharges your batteries.
On the same topic, the gift of sleep is also really appreciated. No matter how old your child gets there is always a possibility they will wake during the night. I always feel alert at night as if I am waiting for one of them to get up. Giving a Mum or Dad the gift of sleep for one night is another opportunity for them to recharge those batteries. A lie-in is a wonderful feeling and one that is missed and often it is worth its weight in gold.
Perhaps the best gift for any Mum or Dad is for their children to eat their dinner and not exclaim they hate it hundreds of times. For Valentine's day, we always have a takeaway and we always have it from multiple places. This way we all get to eat what we enjoy, the kids have dinner they like plus it is a treat for them as we rarely have takeaways and it makes for a peaceful evening. A peaceful evening with no cooking and kids that have eaten their dinner sounds like the perfect gift to me.
