A Paper Heart

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B Valentine heartCupid’s favorite holiday is almost here! Maybe because it is a fun excuse to be creative or a day that encourages eating chocolates or simply that it offers a splash of color in the midst of a dreary winter – I {heart} Valentine’s Day!  For as long as I can remember, Valentine’s Day has always been about taking the time to love those closest to you rather than just a romantic day for two. Since having children, my fondness for the day has grown even more.

A huge part of our family celebrating V-day is with homemade valentines. When everyone else in CT was buying bread and milk in preparation for the Blizzard of 2015, this crafty mommy was at the dollar store making sure I had plenty of doilies and heart stickers to get a head start on valentine production! While these homemade Valentine’s are a very special part of our February, there is one other tradition that is even more heartfelt.

compliment hearts
Six years of compliment hearts. Love watching my sweet girl grow.

 

Valentine compliment heart
Last year’s heart. Time to start thinking of perfect adjectives for this year!

It’s just a paper heart, simply lopsidedly made out of construction paper with my favorite picture of my child from the current year glued on top. What makes it truly special are the words that surround that picture: inquisitive, playful, great reader . . .  I call them my compliment hearts. Every year, I think of  4 or 5 adjectives that truly embody my children during this snapshot of time. Every year, a new heart gets added to the others hanging on the doors of their rooms. We keep them up year round and it is my hope that these be a reminder that they are loved and give them some reasons why they are so special. I also naively envision them taking this same collection of hearts to college and pulling them out when they are homesick or need encouragement (don’t laugh – you never know!)

On a typical week day, I do a lot of nagging. Get your shoes on. Stop daydreaming. Don’t touch that! Which ultimately translates into “Why can’t you do anything right!” in their heads. My children lap up compliments and praise with such eagerness that I am often reminded how important specific praise is for their self-esteem. My little paper hearts are my way of forever letting them know why they are so wonderful. And as for those hectic weekdays, finding little ways to boost that esteem is pretty important, too!

What are some ways that you show all the valentines in your life that they are loved?

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Shannon
Shannon has lived in Fairfield County, CT for most of her life and currently lives in Monroe. She has a daughter L (September, 2008) and a son B (May, 2012). Shannon balances being a wife and mom with working 186 days out of the year as a special education teacher. Thank goodness for vacations, summer break, and snow days! You can be sure that she fills those days with as many amazing activities and outings that she can think of to make up for the time that she is at work. In a distant life, way before babies, Shannon was an aspiring actress and musician. You can sometimes still find her leading sing-a-longs with her guitar at the kids’ playgroups or at her daughter’s school.

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