Valentine's Day Presents for Your Kids?

I don't give gifts to my kids. I do cook a special dinner and make a nice dessert. They bring home tons of candy and cards from school on Valentines Day, plus I have to supply the cards and candy they are giving to their friends and bake something for the class party.

I've always given them a little something, usually something "cute" like a beanie baby and a small box of candy.

I would give them a "coupon" for a special "trip" to the zoo, children's museum etc. I'm all about "experiences" because in the end, that's what they'll remember.

My husband always gives our daughter flowers and a box of candy. He has done this since she was a baby and continues to do it now... she is 19.

He keeps it simple so he does not "outshine" a boyfriend if she has one at the time.

nah. the christmas gift orgy requires a long recovery period<G>.
my dh will bring me flowers, i'm guessing. when the boys were home i did get 'em a little chocolate something. but the main valentine's day attraction has always been the traditional spurting heart meatloaf.
:)
since the boys moved out, creating the masterpiece has lost most of its allure. my dh is underwhelmed by my awesome culinary creativity. so i'm back to just making him a goofy card.
if i'm fortunate enough to get to celebrate with grandkids in the future, it'll be back to the meatloaf, and some sort of fabulous chocolate dessert. that sounds like so much fun i may have to text my kids and start nagging for grandkids.
kidding, boys! kidding!!!!
;D khairete
S.

Birthday presents for my little Valentino!

I struggle with this.

My husband and I don't celebrate V-day. We are extremely happily married, are very affectionate, and buy each other gifts, but just don't like the hype around V-day.

That being said, when the kids were little, we got them a little something so that they wouldn't be the only ones at school with nothing from their parents. Now that they are older, they know how we feel about the "holiday." For several years we've just given them a candy bar. We don't keep sweets in the house, so it's been a nice treat for them to have. Now our oldest son who is 16 has become a health nut, and doesn't eat any candy or dessert of any kind. I'm not sure what to do. Maybe get our youngest son (who is 9) a candy bar, and our oldest a flavored water. I don't know.

*I love Canuck's idea of a special dinner. I think I'll do that. :)

My kids bring home a ton of cards and candy from school.

I admit, I don't give a Valentine's present to them, but if I did, it wouldn't be more cards and candy. I would want to think of something different.

No. It has never occurred to me to give my kids a gift on Valentines day. I don't think I know anyone that does this with their kids. I don't see anything wrong with it if you enjoy it.

My kids always get a bunch of candy and stuff at school, which makes them happy. They take in valentines for their class too.

For us presents are for birthdays and Christmas.
We don't do them for any other holidays although if he brings home great grades all year we might get our son a little something when the school year ends.

We try to minimize the sugar laden holidays as much as possible although we don't turn away any candy Grandma might send.
Between Halloween, Christmas, Valentines and Easter it seems like there's a major sugar fest every few months.
It gets excessive.
It's amazing we all don't end up diabetic from it all.

12 years ago we began a new tradition for Valentine's Day. I think I saw the idea in Family Fun. About two weeks before the holiday, we all gather at the table (Mom and Dad included) to decorate Valentine's Day bags. Small red or pink bags. This is so much fun and the creativity behind the bags year after year is great.

Then for the two weeks leading up to Valentine's Day everyone makes (keyword "makes") surprises for the other people and places them in that person's bag. My husband and I also include a couple of additional items like candy or a small trinket.

Then on Valentine's Day we all get together and open the gifts everyone has made for each other.

It's been really nice to spend time focusing on each other and to see the kids do the same for their siblings. It's something we all look forward to each year

My adult son lives in a different city than I. If I go home to the city weeks after St. Valentine's Day, then I will take something that I got 5o percent off at Walgreens as I'm a day after a candy holiday person. I'm a candy-Holic so I'm always there the day after Christmas, Vakentines, Halloween, Easter... To get half off candies.

Yes, a little something. My mom did it for us.
I've always given them a little box of chocolate & a small something like a
stuffed animal, bracelet, puzzle, matchbox car etc.
I get a little something for hubby too (his favorite chocolate & bottle of wine.
I decorate the house & make something special for dinner that the whole
family will enjoy. Nothing elaborate, just our favorites & decorate the
table.

Yes, we all get a "nice" gift. I get jewelry, my husband gets something nice and the kids usually each get a new video game, CD or something else along with candy. And I do a chocolate fondue for dessert, it's the only time we have it so it's sort of our VDAY tradition.

I always give my kids some kind of cute animal and a little candy. We go out for lunch and have a fun day together :)

When they were little I did, but about 4th grade I stopped when the class parties stopped. They are boys so they don't care at all. Plus, my valentine is my husband.

I'm thinking that maybe 'love' might mean buying a simple snap-together model to sit down and do with his Dad or myself. :) He's almost 7, he's going to come home with a bag of candy from the Valentine exchange at school. I often make him a card myself (I like to do little watercolor things like that) and I think a non-candy item to do together would be fun.

I get them a little something... Small heart-shaped box of candy, hair accessories, little toy, a fancy cupcake... Something like that.

I get them a little something. Last year I filled a small plastic cup with M & M's and put a heart shaped sucker on a stick in it. I also made a card for each kid to put with it. In each card I told my DS how much he meant to me, how proud I was of him, etc. I think they liked the cards better than the candy. We don't do much of anything else.

Last year I got them snugly blanket throws for their bed and those fuzzy pillows that are shaped for sitting in bed reading to coordinate. I put a cute card on their pillows so they'd see them for sure.

I always give my children candy for Valentine's Day. My kids are now ages 25-31 and they still get candy. Of course I've added their SO and grandchildren to the mix too.

Candy Every Year

Different things depending on what I see.
Book
Video
A cute top
Socks
Kite
Puzzle
Hat

I usually give them something little. One year it was Valentine themed story books. One year a Valentine themed movie. One year a necklace for my daughter and a small toy for my son. One year a small stuffed animal. Never anything big. I probably don't spend any more than $5-10 a piece.

We been doing a balloon,candy,card and maybe a small stuff animal. Nothing too much!!

i am really trying to stay away from heart candy and such. The card it nice. it the valentine nick backs are $10, I would rather buy a cute hair bow and bracelet for my daughter or a toy for my son that he will use throughout the year. My kids are 4 and 7

I happen to have 'left over' Christmas presents, so I might use them for this. The reason why they are left over is because I thought they got more than enough and figured the toys could be enjoyed more at a later date.

Yep. They each get a card, a small thing of candy, and sometimes something else as well. This year I hope to give them books. Or iTunes cards.

Added: We have always done this as a family as well, not celebrated my husband and I. Sometimes I get flower, sometimes I don't, but I prefer them on a random day of the year anyways. We normally do a fun activity with the kids and a nice dinner. But we still get them something small in addition to that.

When my son was little, I gave him whatever seemed appropriate at the times, a book, map, or whatever was is interest at the time..
now, 12, he is getting a travel backpack of his for Summer vacation travels. but no candy... and maybe a nice dinner in or out..
we ll see..

My kids get a book and some candy. I am also going to buy Twister and Jenga, if i can find them this afternoon with coupons at Target. We need some new family games.

the valentines fairy visits us. she ding dong ditches small gifts at some point that day. when my kids were little it was coloring books, play doh, candy. this year it will probably be loom bands stuff. when I was a little older the fairy left me like a $15 target card with some candy.

I just ordered my son a dvd and 2 books! That is really all I will do other than a card.

I always get my daughters a nice piece of jewelry. I don't expect anything from them, and I don't get anything from my significant other because I don't really get into Valentine's Day. But it does make me happy to do something for my girls. They are 16 and 25.

I do like to pick them up something cute. I don't get cards though. Really depends on what I see. I've gotten them little stuffed animals or a pin from Disney for their collections or a little toy. Don't usually get them candy but we often end up buying a candy treat for the family at some point.

When my older kids were that age, they got a Valentine Day themed book, crayons or colored pencils, maybe a little game or something and usually some conversation hearts, a sucker and a little chocolate.

No. It's an adult day, not one for children. Well, I shouldn't say "no" completely. I usually get them a .99 cent heart shaped chocolate box that has like 2 or 3 chocolates in it and I make sure that it has something cute on it. That's it.

I do let them bring Valentines to school to exchange and they attach a piece of chocolate or a pencil to it. It's a good exercise for my middle daughter because it makes her think about the social aspects of her classroom and she needs the practice (autism related issues).

A nice valentines book for each. My mom sends them a T-shirt and MIL does the whole candy deal. My son is Gluten Free, chocolate free, Dye free. I try to keep candy down to a minimum.

I will get them a little something. Usually it's something leftover from Christmas, or just small trinkets. This year I ordered a couple DVD's that were going to be stocking stuffers and didn't come in time for Christmas. So I'll wrap one up for each girl and put a few other cutesy things with it, voila :)

Hubs and I don't do anything other than a nice card. Not that I protest if he decides to get me something, but it's more of a kids holiday for us.

I give my daughters "date days" once a month near the date of their birth. I have been doing this for about 10 years now, they are 14 and 18 and STILL look forward to that one special date day a month that they get with Mommy. We do lunch, some shopping, a movie, whatever they want. That way, it's not just one day that I say I love you, they get to feel it all year round. We talk about it and plan it all month long, it gives us all something to look forward to!

Sometimes we get so busy we forget what is most important, it is not the toys or the clothes or the electronics...it is the TIME we spend with our kids.

Yes. Candy and a card. Maybe a stuffed musical animal. My kids are 2.5 and 4.5 y/o, so they're easy to please. I just love another excuse to say, "I love you."

Yes...my parents did it for me so I am continuing on the tradition!

6.5 year old daughter will get 2 DS games (purchased used), a bag of chocolate kisses and new socks

4.5 year old son will get a few new matchbox cars, box of Reeces cups and new sock

5 month old will get a 1st stage sippie cup and new socks and new spoons