Did you exchange Valentine`s Day cards with your friends and classmates as a child? I have fond memories of carefully choosing sets of Holly Hobby and Snoopy cards to dole out to the people I cared about as a kid. As I got older the excitement of the holiday waned somewhat, although I`ll readily admit a lot of that had to do with not knowing how to cope with crushes as a young adult.

Valentine`s Day isn`t just for lovers. If anything, it is a perfect celebration for families in general by teaching children about age-appropriate boundaries and what it means to give without expecting anything in return. Which essentially is the definition of true love.

As it usually is with children, small gestures are more than enough -especially if you are struggling to survive Valentine`s Day as a single parent. Making heart-shaped pancakes topped with strawberries, dressing exclusively in red for the day, indulging in Valentine`s Day craft projects or handing out homemade coupon books are all suitable ideas. But why not take it one step even further, and volunteer your time as a family for the day to put into action what many of us say but rarely find the time to do: love thy neighbor.

Still, there aren`t a lot of kids (especially the younger ones) who would scoff at a Valentine`s Day party. Perhaps a special Valentine Tea for the younger kidlets would be appreciated, or something a bit more unique for the teens. But in the end, it doesn`t really matter what kind of Valentine`s Day party idea that you choose, as long as there are party games and Valentine-themed food for everyone to be happy. Well, and perhaps some great stain removal tips to get all that red food coloring out of the carpet.