Valentine’s Day is the time of year when children can experience and learn the importance of showing kindness towards others.
While parents are busy planning their own romantic evening or getaway, they sometimes forget about incorporating their children into their plans. To help make Valentine’s Day a memorable and enjoyable holiday for every family, Rachel Charlupski, founder of The B a b y s i t t i n g Company, has created a list of her “Top 5 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Children.”
Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity to spend quality time not only with your significant other or spouse but with your children. By creating a fun and interactive agenda around Valentine’s Day, children can take part in simple activities that instill valuable social and creative skills. Charlupski recommends the following ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with children:
Cook Valentine’s Day Treats — Allow your children to help you prepare Valentine’s Day-themed recipes such as cupcakes, cookies or other tasty desserts. Select recipes that can be followed easily. Incorporate holiday toppings to your recipes and play festive music while they mix. Children feel a sense of accomplishment and pride with the end result, plus they love to decorate and personalize their own treats.
Create Valentine’s Cards — Ask your children to help you gather materials from nature or from your local crafts store to create and design your own Valentine’s Day cards. By having your children write their own messages inside of each card for their friends and family members, you are helping promote their creative writing skills. The cards even may be mailed to long distance relatives if prepared ahead of time.
Play Outdoors — It is important for children to play outdoors to help them develop their bodies while exercising at the same time. Turn their favorite outdoor activities into a Valentine’s Day-themed game. For example, children may play a “Heart Scavenger Hunt” which is a great way for them to exert energy, to exercise and to enjoy the local environment.
Invite their Friends Over — Play dates help children develop their social skills. Invite their friends over for any of the activities mentioned above and make sure to maintain close s u p e r v i s i o n . Parents also may read Valentine’s Day books to the group of children and give each child a Valentine’s Day goodie bag filled with tasty treats, Valentine’s Day cards and their favorite book inside.
E n c o u r a g e Volunteering — There is no greater act of kindness than giving to others. Bring your children along with you to visit a homeless shelter or deliver Valentine’s Day cards to a nearby elderly center. These experiences show children to care about others in their community while giving back.
By taking part in some of these Valentine’s Day activities, parents will be able to create lasting memories with their children. Once parents are ready to take some time off, Rachel Charlupski recommends hiring a trustworthy and experienced babysitter to take care of your children. Her company matches highly reliable, fun and energetic babysitters to parents’ needs and requests. By providing parents with a sense of security and a professional child care experience, the babysitters truly help make Valentine’s a more enjoyable day for the entire family.
For more information on Rachel Charlupski or The Babysitting Company, visit www.TheBabysittingCompany.com or send email to rachel@thebabysittingcompany.com
