I always buy our girls presents for Valentine's Day. My mom always bought my sister and me gifts for Valentine's Day. My husband's parents never bought him Valentine's gifts which he tells me every year when I'm shopping for the girls.
I don't spend a lot. This year I spent less than $15 total on gifts for the girls.
Big R is getting a large chocolate bear and chocolate coins (both bought on clearance after Christmas), an owl necklace ($1), a large pad of drawing paper ($2.54 with coupon) and 2 early reader books: a level 2 and a level 3 (84 cents each with coupon at Ollies). Total : $6.50
Little R is also getting a large chocolate bear, chocolate coins and large pad of drawing paper, plus a large Disney princess dry erase number and letter learning book ($4.24 with coupon at Ollies). Total: $8.03.
Do you buy your kids Valentine Presents?
I never bought my kids Valentine's gifts. We'd buy those little cards for them to give out to their friends so we made it about giving not receiving.
ReplyDeleteI figure there were enough excuses during the year to give them "stuff"....Easter, Birthday, a souvenir or toy on vacation, Halloween & Christmas..... w/out commandeering Groundhog, Vday, St. Pat's, Memorial, Labor, Columbus, Thanksgiving and MLK Jr. Days too.
Easter when I was a kid was only candy but we did that holiday up bigger for my kids with small toys too plus we spent more of our kids at Xmas than my parents did on us......well, given the COL difference I am not sure if we DID spend more than my parents did.
MHO....every holiday doesn't need to be an excuse or reason to give kids stuff.
But that's just me. ;-)
We try to give a lot less candy and more toys/books. There's just so much junk food everywhere now that the girls get plenty as it is. Plus if it's in the house, I eat it too!
DeleteOne year at Easter we gave Big R a bike. It was her first real bike with training wheels. We had a bit of a problem the next year. Even though we tried to explain that year was special, the Easter Bunny does not usually bring some nice gifts, she still expected something big the next year!
The girls will pass out cards at school but I still like to give them something from us. I'm probably spoiling them but oh well. My mom used to give me a valentine's gift even when I was into my twenties only instead of candy it was manicures! She'll even probably give my kids valentine's gifts too this year.
I makexa HUGE deal out of Valentine's Day, but like the commemter before me said, (still feel too new to call her "Sluggy ") it's about giving. I let each kid pick a treat to hand out..usually purchased with Up Rewards. I allow them to order cards if they choose, from a card company I like,, to hand out in class...cards wihich actually have envelopes! We also make a huge deal out of decorating the Valentine's boxes for the kids who are in school. And, if a kid asks, I will take in cupcakes to the class, sually made with a box mix purchased at less than $1, frosted with homemade frosting, andy decorated with a homemade pick.
ReplyDeleteThat said, the past few years, the morning after Valentine's Day my kids wake up to some treat tucked under their pillows...usually socks, boxers or pajamas tied with a red ribbon, accompanied with a clearance bought red wrapped chocolate kiss....all found on the MLK Day 90 percent off sale.
The girls picked out valentines and we got candy to tape to them. I always tell my husband not to buy me something but he never listens. I don't need the gifts. It's just a fun holiday. I try to make a fancy breakfast with pink pancakes and dress the girls in red or pink. I think it's just so fun the give the kids a gift because everything is just so exciting to them. There just at that age where we don't have to spend much and they think every gift is great!
DeleteI give my daughter something because its a holiday for loved ones. I usually tend towards books and steer away from candy because she gets so much at daycare.
ReplyDeleteThere definitely is way too much junk food everywhere now-a-days.
DeleteWe don't make a big deal of Valentine's Day at my house. We have everyone's birthdays in the first few months of the year. We just finished with Thanksgiving and Christmas. If anything, we will pick up some Valentine conversation hearts for the five of us. I can't afford to spend on every holiday that comes. We do watch any specials that come on television. I can't have the kids think that every time a holiday comes, they are to expect something. My husband and I don't celebrate Valentine Day either. We do all birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, an end of the school year summer party for the kids and their friends, and of course, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year.
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