For a few years, I was kind of ba-humbug when it came to Valentine’s Day. I was over the commercialized, sugar-coated holiday. Who still really wants to own a life-size teddy bear beyond February 14th? Can we say “donate pile”?? And conversation hearts? They’ve gotten somewhat inappropriate in the past decade, and they have always tasted like sour chalk. Not to mention the fact that I’m trying to LIMIT my kids sugar consumption, so I really don’t need another holiday that revolves around piles and piles candy, ya know?
But then it finally dawned on me… What if we use February to focus on how God defines love? What if we really dig into the topic and compare His definition with the world’s definition? What if we work on loving our own family and friends better? And all of the sudden, I was fired up about Valentine’s Day again! So, I’ve got 4 simple ideas to share with you that can help you approach Valentine’s Day in a way that points your family back to God’s great love. Ready?!
1. Heart Garland Featuring 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
I made a simple heart garland for our family. There are 14 hearts in all, and I’ve broken down the passage on love from 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 into 14 parts. If you memorize one heart per day from February 1 until February 14, you’ll have memorized the entire passage by Valentine’s Day! What a fun challenge for kids!
In my house, after we’ve finished reading our daily Bible passage, someone holds the new heart up for all to see. We practice it a few times together to make sure we can pronounce the new words (Words like “arrogant” and “resentful” don’t really roll of the tongue for little ones!). Then, we practice saying the passage from the beginning all the way to the new heart. Finally, we take turns reciting it on our own.
We also spend some time talking about what that description of love might look like in real life. We can also compare that description to the way we see God’s love in the Bible. It’s a fun way to cover big truths.
You could make your own garland, or you can get a FREE download of my 1 Corinthians Garland in my Freebies Library! I chose to print mine on white cardstock and laminate them so that they can last many years. It’s a fun tradition that I hope they’ll always associate with this holiday.
2. Christian Valentine Cards
This Valentine’s Day, rather than buying a box of corny Valentine cards with some sort of cartoon character on them, what if your kids gave all of their friends and neighbors cards that contain scripture verses and point them to real love? Wouldn’t that be a better way to celebrate?
You could look up scripture verses that talk about love, give your kids some basic craft supplies, and let them get creative. Or if you need to keep it simple, you could download my Valentine’s Cards from my Printables Store. These Bible verse valentines come in 6 different designs. Print as many copies as you need, have your child fill them out, tape a piece of candy on the back, and you’re done!
And from a nutrition standpoint, may I suggest Zollipops? They have no sugar, just natural sweeteners, and no artificial flavors or dyes! They’re the perfect size to tape to the back of Valentine’s cards. You can remind them about the love of Jesus AND not bombard their little bodies with sugar. I’ll call that a win-win!
3. Heart Attacks from Mama
During the month of February, I like to surprise my kids with “heart attacks”. I’ll use little paper hearts to write short love letters to each of my kids. I’ll tell them something I love about them, and then I’ll tape up the hearts somewhere around the house without telling them. If you want to keep it even more simple, just pick up a pack of sticky notes for your quick messages. Easy peasy! Below are some examples of love notes. Each of my children may get 10-12 notes from me in all.
- Whitt, I love the way you always give your sister piggy back rides. You are putting others before yourself!
- Eliza, I love the way you always ask if I need help in the kitchen. That’s so kind!
- Dean, I love the way you always snuggle me on the couch when we watch movies. I hope you never stop!
The notes can be simple, one-liners. They love to wake up in the morning and run around the house looking for “heart attacks” Their faces always light up when they read my messages for them. As a busy mama, I don’t always take the time to point these things out to them. So, I’m grateful that Valentine’s Day gives me the opportunity to thoughtfully express my true love for them. Isn’t it sad how we sometimes let the most important things slip by us?
4. Dinner Time Conversation that Focuses on Loving Others
Another Valentine’s Day tradition at our house revolves around a special dinner together. I usually set the table with Valentine’s decor, we dim the overhead light, and we make it feel like a really important event! The kids are usually bouncing up and down waiting for Daddy to get home and join us.
I make something everybody loves for dinner, and I also bake a giant chocolate chip cookie heart for dessert Still sugar, I know, but it’s made from scratch to avoid all of the extra junk. I love this silcone heart mold for the cookie.
After dinner, we enjoy our special dessert while we go around the table and tell each family member something we love about them. Life gets busy, and this is a great way to slow down and really tell your family members how you feel. And after they’ve received my “heart attacks” all month, they have a good idea of what they should say to each other.
It’s pretty sweet because, even though they sometimes fight like cats and dogs, they really are each others’ best friends! It’s good for their little hearts to hear these comments from their siblings. And, it gives us a chance to put into practice all that we’ve learned in God’s Word through memorizing our garland verse! We always have a great time at our little dinner.
Final Thoughts on Valentine’s Day for a Christian Family
There are so many ways to take back this overly-commercialized holiday and use it to celebrate the love of God. I hope I’ve got your wheels turning with new ideas. I’d love to hear from you if your family has any Valentines Day traditions that point to the love of Christ! Most any holiday can be a special holiday if “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”- 1 Corinthians 10:31.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your family! (from the reformed Valentine’s Grinch)
Lots of Love,
Ivy
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. -1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
Looking for more ideas on Christian parenting? Check out my Raise Them with Diligence page!
