Grandma’s House: Valentine’s Day Fun

With the passing of time, our relationships with others become richer, more layered with meaning.

As a grandma, exchanging Valentines with my children and grandchildren is different from exchanging Valentines with the man I married, but the common element is love – expressing and enjoying it.

I am always delighted to receive something from one of my children or grandchildren that reminds me they love me, and even more delighted to send each of them something that says I love them.

• Let your child “illustrate” a card, then write down their message and let them sign it. Don’t forget to actually put it into the mail!
• Help your child memorize a short poem or Valentine’s Day message, then allow him to deliver it by telephone.
• Send grandma some Valentine’s cookies you and your child have baked and decorated. If you are close enough to deliver them in person, that’s a double delight!
• If you live near your child’s grandma, establish a Valentine’s Day photo tradition. Take their picture together. Have both of them wear something red or pink. Do the same thing each Valentine’s Day; keep those photographs together in a photo album.
• If you don’t live nearby, make the Valentine’s Day photo tradition one of you and your child – your parent will love having both of you in the same picture.

If you are a grandma, here are some ways you can deliver a Valentine’s Day message of love to your grandchild:

• Craft homemade Valentines, then hand-deliver them. If you can’t hand-deliver them, put them in the mail. Embellish the envelope with stickers.
• Make a Valentine’s Day photo album filled with photos of you and your grandchild from the past year.
• Frame a photograph of the two of you and give it as a Valentine.
• Bake your grandchild’s favorite cookies, and wrap them up as a Valentine’s Day gift.
• Invite your grandchildren over for a special Valentine’s Day dinner. Serve heart-shaped hamburgers and pink mashed potatoes, with chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
• Write a Valentine’s Day letter, and list ten things you love about your grandchild.
• Check out your local bookstore for an age-appropriate Valentine’s Day book, and share it with your grandchild. Make a recording of yourself reading the book and send the book with the recording to your grandchild if she lives far away.
• Use your talent and skill to create a unique Valentine gift for your grandchild: if you sew, make him a special heart-shaped pillow or a heart-strewn pillowcase. If you are a gardener, share a winter-blooming flower with her. If you paint or draw, make a special picture for him, then frame it. If you are a woodworker, craft a heart-shaped box for her jewelry.

There’s no limit to how you can express your love if you put some thought and effort into it. Love someone madly – you’ll all enjoy the results.