#vdaydate

Remember when Valentine’s Day used to mean a dozen roses, champagne and a candlelit dinner? You’ve traded that for heart onesies and enough cartoon cards for a whole classroom, but having kids on Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to mean foregoing all the romance with your significant other, or skipping holiday fun with the kids. Below are some tips for enjoying the holiday with all your sweeties—big and small!

Love Snack

When you have young kids, making dinner reservations can be about as hard as keeping them. Show some love right at home with this cute breakfast idea your little ones will be sure to appreciate.

Short, Sweet Valentine for Your Main Squeeze

Draft a love letter to your significant other in the time it takes to brew a pot of coffee.

Suggestions:

1. Short—No more than a simple, tiny page. Think “love Tweet” (but not digital; real paper is romantic). Not only does this make it a little easier on yourself, it actually takes the burden off your significant other, too. Simple can be lovely!

2.  Sweet—Yes, parenthood requires humor, but this is one instance in which sincerity can pay dividends. Tell your S.O. how much they mean to you as your partner and friend as sincerely as possible.

3. Valentine—Yes, you love and admire your partner’s co-parenting skills, but try to focus on their awesomeness sans kiddos (save those thoughts for the Mother or Father’s Day card). Focusing on their non-parent side will help you see your partner as a paramour, and might just rekindle a bit of romance for the both of you.

Big, Messy Love

Make Valentine’s Day cards with the family, and say “I Love You” in the process.

Suggestions:

1. Set out craft supplies: construction paper, scissors, glue, ribbon, etc. (Feel free to skip the glitter unless you want to still be cleaning it off the floor on the 4th of July!)

2. Pick a spot where the whole family can spread out: the kitchen table, the living room floor, wherever.

3. Have kids make a card for their sibling(s) or for you, and join in on the fun. Cards should include at least one lovable thing about the person in question (for kids too young to write, have them draw what they love). Writing down what you love about your kiddos, and vice versa, can help everyone forget about the day’s tantrums and sibling rivalries, and focus on the love that holds you together as a family.