We asked readers to share how they celebrate Valentine’s Day — with or without the kids. Here’s what a few of them had to say:
“We celebrate with the kids each year by creating a fun pink/red/white heart shaped day! We shape everything we can into hearts…from breakfast pancakes, peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, and homemade pizza for dinner. We use simple things bought from the dollar tree to decorate — napkins, confetti, plates, etc. It’s just a fun reminder to them how much we love them!”
— Marcia, of Dennison
“Dinner at our house with our children and our grandchildren. I hide little gifts around the house and you follow clues to the next clue until the final one is a gift.”
— Pam, of Independence
“Since I am a single mom, my 5-year-old girl and I enjoy a good salon and spa day together for a girls date.”
— Mei-Lin, of Bay Village
“Malley’s Chocolate covered strawberries! Sometimes I share with the kids, sometimes I hide and eat them all myself. LOL!”
— Tiffany, of Berea
“My 4-year-old loves heart shapes, so I enjoy fitting as many heart-themed activities as I can into one day. Everything he eats that day is heart shaped and it’s fun to think of new foods we can transform.”
— Renee, of Euclid
“Valentine’s Day is a fun time in our house. We have a bunch of cute decorations we love to put up. I get him a cute bag full of goodies. He loves Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Peppermint Patties. We also love decorating heart-shaped cookies. Valentine’s Day is a special time to show our loved ones how much we love them and that includes children because they are an extension of that love.”
— Tiffany and her son Brandon, 8, of Brooklyn. (Tiffany and Brandon, a 2017 Cover Kids winner, were featured on this month’s cover. Brandon is pictured here.)
“The kids make homemade valentines to pass out to family and friends. We also make homemade heart-shaped sugar cookies as gifts.”
— Candace, of North Royalton
“We go ice skating and try to teach the kids to ice skate. They enjoy every minute of it. We go to the donut shop afterwards and have hot chocolate and a heart-shaped donut. I really enjoy making memories with them that are going to be passed on and last forever.”
— Susan, of Jefferson
“We get our children Valentine’s Day balloons and a Malley’s chocolate bar. Then we all go as a family to a local diner for a fun meal.”
— Jennifer, of Solon
“I like to start on Feb. 1 by writing one thing I love about each of my children on a heart-shaped piece of construction paper and I hang them up on my kids’ doors. I continue this every day until Feb. 14. Then we sit down and have a pizza dinner and a movie to celebrate Valentine’s Day.”
— Jamiley, of Canton
“I’m a single mom so my daughter is my valentine! We make heart-shaped pancakes together then hop back in bed to eat them. Lots of love and extra cuddles!”
— Lisa, of Northfield
“Cooking steak and lobster at home with the kids.”
— Amanda, of Mansfield
“I celebrate Valentine’s Day by taking the kids out to get their mom a small gift of their choosing. We make her a card, I write what they want it to say, and we spend the night together — always after flowers are given, of course.”
— Kevin, of Parma
“As a family, sharing our love together, and spending time disconnected from our phones and tablets.”
— David, of Eastlake
“Romantic candlelight dinner out without kids and with wine!”
— Cindy, of Solon