via Giveawayboy on Flickr
via Giveawayboy on Flickr

This week I sat and watched my sons carefully craft 40 or so Valentines to each of their friends at school.

For an hour they measured letters, focused on spelling, chose specific designs for specific people, and did “homework” with a smile.

My boys are squarely in the iPad generation. Obsessed with keyboards and touch screens, is it any shock many are predicting handwriting will be obsolete; already cursive has drifted out of some curricula – but there they sat practicing their printing because they wanted to.

Can you believe some schools are vetoing Valentine’s Day?

They are banning the cute cards for rules of fairness, wanting to make sure everybody gets one. Don’t be so surprised — we are the generation that makes sure everyone gets a participation ribbon and doesn’t keep score in soccer games.

A colleague’s daughter has had Valentine’s Day pulled from the school calendar over environmental concerns. The school wasn’t happy with all that paper getting tossed in the bin.

Ugh. Schools need to embrace Valentine’s Day!

Watch a young kid work on his valentines and you’ll see why more cards should be encouraged. My son didn’t touch the iPad. He didn’t watch TV. He focused on his writing.

On Valentine’s Day, my son will repeatedly count the cards in his box to keep score, and when he gets home he’ll read all the messages aloud to us with pride.

Reading. Writing. ‘Rithmetic. Who knew Valentine’s Day was part of the lesson plan? I think next year we shouldn’t just encourage the kids to write a card to everyone in their class, but everyone in the school! And again at Easter!!

Here’s some more inspiration as to why we should encourage our kids to write valentines, because without Valentine’s Day we’d lose this awesomeness:

Well, your heart is in your chest, right? Image via PopHangover
Well, your heart is in your chest, right?
Image via PopHangover
Valentine written by Brick Tamland from Anchorman when he was a kid? I love lamp! Image via Imgur
Valentine written by Brick Tamland from Anchorman when he was a kid? I love lamp!
Image via Imgur
Sir Mix A Lot's little one, I'm sure of it. Image via PopHangover
Sir Mix A Lot’s little one, I’m sure of it.
Image via PopHangover
It's the little things we do for our children that they value the most. Image via AnarchyCamp
It’s the little things we do for our children that they value the most.
Image via AnarchyCamp
Kids try to hold grudges. They try. Image via IzISmile
Kids try to hold grudges. They try.
Image via IzISmile

(Visited 59 times, 1 visits today)

Comments

comments

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *