Enjoying holidays as a mom is a completely different ballgame than enjoying holidays before having kids. Things may happen a little differently, but moms are still allowed to ENJOY their holidays. Valentine’s Day is often overlooked being so close to the chaos of Christmas, yet a holiday celebrating love should be special to moms. Being a mom is one of the best forms of love out there, and you should be encouraged to celebrate Valentine’s Day especially if you are a mom.
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So, how do we celebrate Valentine’s Day as a mom? For the sake of keeping things short and sweet, here are 3 guidelines to remember when choosing if and how to celebrate holidays:
1. If you want to celebrate, make it happen. If you don’t want to celebrate, skip it. Don’t let anyone guilt you into or out of celebrating holidays
2. Only you really know how you want to celebrate. Pinterest and Instagram can give you ideas, but don’t let social media make you feel the need to be something you are not. If you don’t enjoy crafts, try baking or board games as alternative activities. If you hate all things slime and glitter, that is 100% ok, do not force it. Do something you enjoy with your kids and pat yourself on the back for being the best mom for your kids.
3. Make sure your expectations are realistic. The glass decorations and hand-painted Valentines may be part of your pre-kids chapter of life, but that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day in a more realistic mom-way. Here are some ways to enjoy Valentine’s Day as a mom.
1. Do a themed craft with your kids.
If you enjoy crafting, make some time and space for a special Valentines-themed craft to do with your kids. Pinterest has so many incredible ideas for holiday-themed crafts to do with your kids. One of my personal favorites is the Valentine’s Day Love Bug Craft from The Growing Creatives featuring unused terra cotta pots and a few other general supplies. Taking the time to do a craft with your children has so many benefits for everyone involved and is one of my favorite ways to celebrate the holidays as a mom.
2. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your child(ren).
Celebrating Valentine’s Day after having kids means your focus will no longer be only romantic. Now you get to celebrate different kinds of love, and there are many great ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your child. Creating time and space for yourself to celebrate part of Valentine’s Day with your kids benefits your entire family. Some of my favorite easy and fun ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your child can be found in this blog post by Tamara from The Pomegranate Mom.
3. Show yourself love on Valentine’s Day.
Instagram sometimes tells us that self-love means spa days, excessive girls nights out, luxurious vacations, perfectly styled events, and more. Sure, yes, those things would be a wonderful way to show yourself love (if you do these things….teach me your ways), but there are many other less dramatic ways to love yourself. Take some time this Valentine’s Day to schedule some self-love. I love the ideas found in this blog post about showing yourself love on Valentine’s Day from Gina at Steps to Self. If you are feeling extra, make a plan to show yourself some love the entire month of February!
4. Celebrate Valentine’s Day with decorations.
It’s been proven that your mood can be boosted or elevated with well-placed decorations that remind you of things you love. Each and every mom has their own style for their decorations, and each mom knows what decor will make her happy. My mom’s birthday is on valentine’s Day and she has always declared her home space with hearts and love-themed elements. I personally can’t stand decorations with words on them, but I love switching holiday-themed decorations out. I have friends who work hard to make their house look like a Restoration Hardware display, and I have other friends with hallways showcasing their toddler’s latest artwork. Be you, celebrate you, and put up some decorations for you this Valentine’s Day. One of my favorite ideas covers fabulous Valentine’s Day letter board ideas.
5. Schedule the romantic stuff on Valentine’s Day.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating the romantic side of Valentine’s Day after you have kids. You might just be in a season of being creative when it comes to making time for romantic activities. The first rule is DO NOT wait for free time to celebrate your romantic love, you have to make time. You might not be able to go out for a fancy dinner and stay overnight in a fancy hotel, but there are still many ways to celebrate your romantic love on Valentine’s Day. Here are some of my favorite affordable Valentine’s Day date ideas from Kelly at CityToast 2 SouthernTea. Use them to spark an idea and create a plan of your own. Happy Valentine’s Day, Momma!
How do you like to celebrate Valentine’s Day as a mom?
