Showing Your Kids LOVE on Valentine’s (Lisa Clark)

So excited to introduce you to my friend Lisa Clark and her wisdom. Enjoy

LOVE is in the AIR!!! The day of LOVE is upon us. It’s funny that we pick one day to show LOVE when we really do LOVE all year long.

Teaching children LOVE is easy. When they are born we kiss all over them, hug them, change them, feed them, play with them, soothe them, and care for them: All in the name of LOVE. We show them LOVE by the way we serve them.

They learn about LOVE by seeing it in action. My girls are almost 5 years apart in age. When Camryn (now 21) was born, Caroline (now 25) was almost 5 and starting to learn the concept of Valentine’s Day. The “Day” came around and I was still homebound after having a C-section and not feeling up to putting on real clothes, so we opted to stay home. Many of you understand this thought process. But, it being the day of LOVE and all, I wanted to make it special. So I birthed a new “tradition” of bringing out the fine china, serving pieces, etc and making a full-fledged nice, nice dinner for the family. My husband, Brad, brought home flowers for all of his girls and we played romantic music and had a great night. He danced with each of us separately and made each “girl” feel so special. NOTHING would ever replace this wonderful way to celebrate Valentine’s. In fact, going to a restaurant to celebrate Valentine’s Day isn’t even on our daughter’s radar today. It MUST be celebrated at home!

Valentine’s is a great time to show your family how much you LOVE them. We get so busy during the year with household chores, work, practices, obligations, etc that it’s a fun day to just be together and love on each other. It was good for our girls to see their father bring me flowers and dance with me. It was the ONLY day they saw him bring me flowers (for the most part) so can I get an AMEN that they needed to see it? Ha! But it was good. Brad and I didn’t need time to ourselves this particular day. We were intentional in our dating the rest of the year. Intentionality is key for showing your kids love on Valentine’s. We love our children so much it’s not hard to show them LOVE on Valentine’s Day, but we want to be intentional. What works in YOUR family is the question you need to ask yourselves. Take out? Reservations? Burgers on the grill? Handwritten Valentine’s cards for each family member? Dessert for dinner?

Fun things to consider with younger children might be to encourage the acronym for LOVE as they describe their feelings for each family member – Mom, you’re a Listener, you’re Observant, Very Nice and Elegant! You get the picture. Have the artistic child make special placemats, menus for the table, or maybe a flower arrangement. Have the chef prepare a special recipe she’s seen on Pinterest. Are your kids too young to cook or draw? Sing songs about LOVE together and read some love stories from the Bible. Also, allowing your children to hear you speak words of affirmation and LOVE toward your spouse is beautiful. Share how you met. Share your LOVE story.

Writing each family member a LOVE note is so special. These notes will become treasures through the years.

Celebrating all day long is fun, too: Heart shaped pancakes for breakfast, love notes and pb&j for school lunch, ice cream with pink or red sprinkles for a treat after school. Get creative and have fun!

Serving others is the greatest way to show LOVE. I would ask my children, “How can I serve you?” Just that phrasing changes everything and sets the tone for a heart full of service.

Start thinking today how you can LOVE your children and family on Valentine’s Day. Be intentional. Start traditions. And be yourself.

Lisa Clark is a Texas native and has been married to her college sweetheart, Brad, for 28 years. They have 2 daughters and 1 son in law (he’s the favorite). In 2007, she helped develop the SkyMoms Ministry with her longtime friend, Linda Paulk, President and CEO of Sky Ranch Christian Camps. SkyMom’s ministers to moms of campers and their friends all year round at gatherings throughout North Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, as well as through the blog (skyranchskymoms.blogspot.com). Lisa’s long awaited book, Raising Sinners, should be available sometime in 2015 if she ever finishes it.