Valentine's Day traditions to start with your children

Make V-Day special

Even though Valentine's Day is meant for lovers, now that you're a parent, this mushy-gushy holiday has an entirely new meaning. Take advantage of Valentine's Day to create some fun, special traditions as a family that your children will remember forever.

Start the day with Valentine love... for their tummies!

Whether Valentine's Day falls on a school day or the weekend, a great (and delicious!) way to start the day with your smallest Valentines is with a special breakfast! Deck out the kitchen table after they go to bed the night before with decorative plates, napkins, cups and decorations, then plan a menu that everyone will love. Dye the waffle batter pink with food coloring or berry juice and top them with whipped cream and strawberries or put a Valentine twist on whatever your family's favorite breakfast may be.

Bows and ruffles and pink galore

Moms of little girls will especially be into this fun Valentine's Day tradition. Surprise them on Valentine's morning with a Valentine's Day outfit. Stores carry the cutest Valentine's Day specific clothes for children now, so it's easy to find something that your kiddo will love. Depending on your kid -- and your budget! -- you can go crazy with a new head-to-toe getup, decked out in hearts and glitter and ruffles. Or, tone it down a bit and surprise them with a sweet new Valentine's Day T-shirt that they'll be proud to show off at school that morning. Moms of boys, you can get in on this tradition too -- there are plenty of boy-themed Valentine's Day clothes out there!

Spread the Valentine's Day love

If one of the most important things to you as a parent is to teach your children the importance of giving back, then use Valentine's Day as another great reason to spread some love. There are countless ways that you can create a family Valentine's Day tradition around the idea of giving back -- create homemade Valentine's Day cards for a local nursing home or patients at the nearest children's hospital. Make cookies and cards for an elderly neighbor who may not be getting any Valentines in the mail or whose grandchildren live far away. Whatever you choose, know that spreading the love with others on Valentine's Day will surely fill all of your hearts with even more love than you give.

Go on a family date

We realize that what you might actually want to do on Valentine's Day is go on a romantic date at an overpriced, chic restaurant with your other half. However, considering you don't have a babysitter and the last time you tried on your little black dress you couldn't get the zipper up all the way, maybe you should think about changing your Valentine's Day expectations.

Having kids doesn't mean that you have to spend Valentine's Day at home, either. Plan a family date, just like you normally would! Have fun with it by getting decked out (even if this means a superhero costume for your 4-year-old), bring flowers for everyone, pick somewhere special for dinner and just enjoy being together on Valentine's Day.

More on Valentine's Day

7 Ways to celebrate Valentines after the kids go to bed
6 Simple ways to make Valentine's Day special for the whole family
5 Fun Valentine's Day books for kids