Kids & Valentines Day - Like Fire and Dynamite
Monday, February 12, 2007
This is the week of love; a classic time to show those you love how much you love them and how willing you are to go out of your way to present them with an appropriate sentiment. But lest we forget, The biggest celebrators just may be your kids. So while your own drama is just getting underway, (trying to find an hour of alone time with your honey) your little ones are dealing with all that comes with this interesting American Holiday.
Wile at school, your children are stuffing their faces with cupcakes, Cola and candy hearts - getting higher every minute on sugar and caffeine. Depending on your child's hierarchal placement in the class, s/he is either really thrilled with all the valentines cards they get - especially that one from handsome David Moor. Or perhaps your child is the one who feels unpopular in general and takes each card with the feelings of formality and dread believing that non of them have any real sentiment attached to them.
Either way, when they get home from school you are going to have to put your plans on hold to listen, to sooth and support your sugar-coated drama queen long enough to allow them to fully express their jabbery rendition of the day and all of its important details. This will help deflate any unpleasant feelings the child has been storing up all day; and it will help to vent some of their sugar high.
You might as well accept it now, Halloween and Valentines day are two of the best loved holidays by children and they can have an enormous impact on their sense of self. If they are the popular one, they will need to be taught compassion for others who are not as fortunate, It they are the wall flower they will need to be taught self worth and courage. If they are the bully, they need to be stood up to by school authorities. So regardless of what you have planned for your little get away - it is vital that you take care of your child's emotional and social needs first. Then, later on, they will be better equipped to give you space to celebrate your way.
Be warned though, it takes between 24-72 hours to get all that sugar out of their system so they can re-become their usually pleasant self. Be Patient!
Wile at school, your children are stuffing their faces with cupcakes, Cola and candy hearts - getting higher every minute on sugar and caffeine. Depending on your child's hierarchal placement in the class, s/he is either really thrilled with all the valentines cards they get - especially that one from handsome David Moor. Or perhaps your child is the one who feels unpopular in general and takes each card with the feelings of formality and dread believing that non of them have any real sentiment attached to them.
Either way, when they get home from school you are going to have to put your plans on hold to listen, to sooth and support your sugar-coated drama queen long enough to allow them to fully express their jabbery rendition of the day and all of its important details. This will help deflate any unpleasant feelings the child has been storing up all day; and it will help to vent some of their sugar high.
You might as well accept it now, Halloween and Valentines day are two of the best loved holidays by children and they can have an enormous impact on their sense of self. If they are the popular one, they will need to be taught compassion for others who are not as fortunate, It they are the wall flower they will need to be taught self worth and courage. If they are the bully, they need to be stood up to by school authorities. So regardless of what you have planned for your little get away - it is vital that you take care of your child's emotional and social needs first. Then, later on, they will be better equipped to give you space to celebrate your way.
Be warned though, it takes between 24-72 hours to get all that sugar out of their system so they can re-become their usually pleasant self. Be Patient!