Make Valentines’ Day a Family Celebration

Feb 10

Reading Time: 2 mins

two children surprising parents with valentines day cards

Many children look forward to receiving candy and cards from classmates, but Valentines’ Day can be a great excuse to celebrate the love we share within our families.

Try engaging with your child in their own unique love language.

Author Gary Chapman long ago made a name for himself with the couples’ book, “The Five Love Languages.” This book can help shed light on the most effective ways people give and receive love. It has since been adapted to consider the love languages of children, as well.

To learn your child’s specific love language, start by taking this quiz.

Parents can take the assessment on behalf of your child, but it can be fun to ask your child how they’d answer.

Once you’ve taken the quiz, you’ll be given a report of the ways your child best receives and gives love, which are:

Words of affirmation
Gift giving and receiving
Acts of service
Physical touch
Quality time

How to implement these love languages into your Valentines’ Day celebrations:

Words of affirmation
Write your child a loving message in dry erase marker on the bathroom mirror. You can also write a quick note of affirmation and put it in your child’s lunchbox.

Gift giving and receiving
Give your child a small gift bag with treats and trinkets. These items can easily be purchased at a dollar store. Remember, it’s not the extravagance associated with the gift. It’s the act of giving something tangible to the child that makes the most impact.

Acts of service
If your child has a daily chore, offer to complete this task for them on Valentine’s’ Day. It might not seem like much, but for a child who feels loved through acts of service, these small actions can mean the world!

implementing the touch and quality time love languages on valentines day

Quality time
Ask your child what they’d like to do with you. If they’re a quality time kid, they will likely have a variety of ideas. It might be going to the movies, or simply staying at home and participating in one of their favorite activities.

Physical touch
Offer your child a massage, or snuggle up together to watch their favorite movie or read a book.

For even more insight into implementing love languages into your daily life, visit 5lovelanguages.com.

Valentines’ Day has a complex history. If you’d like to learn more, This YouTube video blends a variety of the historical stories in a concise and child-friendly overview.