Is it a Happy Valentine's Day?

One of our local news stations ran a story on how to make Valentine's Day happy for your child.

I don't agree.

Valentine's Day is about capitalism and greed expressing your feelings to those that you LOVE. I don't know about you, but I didn't love anyone in my third grade history class. Or first grade math.

"Sometimes feelings can get hurt if you get left out." says this article. Well, duh. Isn't that part of life? If you know someone who has been through life and never, ever had their feelings hurt, please let me know. If you start searching today, maybe you'll find somebody by 2083. Maybe.

Part of Valentine's Day is the fact that some years, you won't have a boyfriend or maybe even a friend. You'll spend the day wallowing in self pity, stuffing your face full of self-purchased chocolates, and admiring {or envying} the flowers your frenemies got on facebook.

Why in the world would you want to paint a glorious picture of this day for your children? Okay, buy them a box of chocolates, and send balloons to their school. Go ahead and take part in the capitalist scheme. But don't "giv[e] gifts to everyone in the classroom to promote a culture of acceptance and [ensure] no one getting their feelings hurt" as the article suggests.

Hello people, that is just delaying the inevitable and painting an illustrious view of things that won't come true. Your child (and mine) are going to get rejected. John Boy in junior high will think their braces are the wrong color. Frank the freak will dump her because she wouldn't sleep with him. the homecoming queen probably won't even look his way. And it won't matter in the grand scheme of things. Might as well get it over with in first grade.

I sure wish I hadn't gotten Valentine's from everyone in my elementary school classes. Some of them were creepy. Some of them were ridiculous. And you had enough common sense to know who actually liked you, and who sent you one to your pink glittery heart covered shoe box just because their teacher or mom told them to.

Having your entire class send meaningless cards to one another does nothing for their self esteem but falsely inflate it and set your child up to be crushed days, weeks, or years down the road.

Moral of the story: Put your big girl pants on and explain to your child that they are going to have to face rejection in their life. Might as well be now.
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