When Valentine’s Day Is a Downer

Valentine’s Day can be a real downer for many teens.  It may be nothing more than a reminder that they don’t have a boyfriend or girlfriend, fueling some of the negative beliefs they may already have about themselves. Sometimes schools add insult to injury by drawing greater attention to it.  Although last week was “Spirit Week” at my daughter’s high school, I found the theme for Friday to be a bit unsettling. You were supposed to wear a color to represent your relationship status.  The different colors showed if you were taken, single or in a relationship dubbed “it’s complicated.”  … Continue reading

Making Valentine’s Day Simple

Valentine’s Day was definitely a family affair for me. Of course, my daughter does have a boyfriend, so she received some extra gifts. But for the most part we made this a family occasion. I’m not the “romantic” type when it comes to Valentine’s Day. Actually, I’m not very romantic at any other time either. I am more about loving on my whole family for this holiday. So when everyone woke up in the morning, there was a card and candy waiting for them. I got the humongous-sized Hershey bars for my children and Swedish Fish for my husband. But … Continue reading