Give Me a Valentine, Please

How many times have you had someone commit an act of kindness unexpectedly either for you or for someone near you?  The whiter my hair gets, the more this happens, it seems.  I have had college-age kids hold the door for me, folks offer a few pennies to keep me from having to return to my car for them, and I even had a young clerk cover the cost of an item I was getting because it had taken him so long to get the correct amount to ring up.

Did I expect any of these (and other) random acts of kindness?  Absolutely not.  Did I do something to earn them? No.  Did I appreciate them?  You bet!  Did they brighten my day? You better believe they did.

As February 14th nears, I begin to think of ways I can show my love to others with some random acts of kindness.  I came up with several that I intend to carry through on.  Then, I also began thinking of ways young children can learn how to give of themselves during this season of showing love.  One of the ways our children learn to give of themselves is by giving to others and feeling good about it.

Some of the things I came up with include:

Making valentines with them to give to family, friends, and neighbors

⁄Saying Happy Valentine’s Day to clerks and other helpers

⁄Letting them make a heart-shaped cake or cookies and sharing them

⁄ Encouraging them to sing happy songs to people they love                                                                                                          Drawing a heart with chalk on the sidewalk near a lonely neighbor

⁄ Having them pick up something dropped and smiling as they hand it back

⁄ Putting a hand-made Valentine on the top of a garbage can thanking those helpers

⁄ Donating some toys that they no longer play with to the doctor’s office

⁄ Helping you pick up around the house and telling them you appreciate them

⁄ Cutting out paper hearts and leaving them at the Laundromat with some stickers

⁄ Collect trash to show the Earth a little love

⁄ Teach him to say I love you in American Sign Language (begin with all fingers open then fold the two middle fingers down to the palm)

As you can see, there are lots of simple, easy, and inexpensive ways to let others know they are thought about, loved, and appreciated.  Ask your wee one if he can think of other ways to show our love. Talk about how showing our love not only makes others feel good, but it makes us feel good, as well.

Don’t stop putting feet on your love when the week is over.  Make every day Valentine’s Day!  Have a wonderful week.  Happy Gentle Parenting and God bless.

©2016 Brenda Holland-Robinson