Last year our blog featured an article on keeping the love alive in your relationship – Valentine’s Day as a Mature Couple. This year, we are exploring Five Ways to Connect with your teen this Valentine’s Day.
It is not easy to foster engagement and connection with our teens and young adults. Between the preoccupation with their phones, and keeping up with the latest social media craze (Tik Tok anyone?) most of the time we feel like they really don’t want us around. Sure, they need us to get them from point A to point B (until they have a car of their own) and make sure they are fed, but otherwise, we are left to try and figure out the best way to be a part of their world. So, in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we have come up with a few fun ideas on ways to connect with your teen.
Introduce them to a “Rom Com” from OUR Generation
A few ideas for you…
Sixteen Candles
Pretty in Pink
You’ve Got Mail
My Best Friend’s Wedding
Father of the Bride – 1 AND 2
Say Anything
Reality Bites
What teenage daughter doesn’t want a boat load of buttery popcorn, a few cans of BUBLY and a relaxing girls night? This is a great way to connect your teens to what YOU watched as a young person. Suddenly, you become more human to them! Throw in a gift bag with a couple Sephora face masks and let the girl talk begin…
Write your teen a Valentine: 50 things I love about YOU
It seems like I am always nagging. “Do this, pick up that, don’t forget this – did you study for your test?” This Valentine’s Day, I’m going to take a little time to write out 50 things I love about each of my kids – no nagging.
Teens are especially vulnerable and can forget that they MATTER. Social media has that awful ability to make our teens question their uniqueness. They need to know that they are special and although we tell them daily, is there a better time than February 14th to give them a special reminder?
This is a great way to connect with your teens this Valentine’s Day – feeling good about yourself naturally parlays into good feelings all around. And who can’t use that in their family dynamic?
Surprise Them!!
Do something small but special that they will truly appreciate – sometimes just a gesture brings you closer. Warm feelings lead to open hearts. Open hearts communicate authentically – all we want from our kids.
Take their car – fill it with gas and give it a wash – ok, the wash is a gift for you… 🙂
Make heart shaped, pink pancakes for breakfast. Teens like to think they are too old for these things, but I’m 48 and if someone made me heart shaped pancakes, I would still feel pretty special. Don’t forget the whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.
Place a Starbucks gift card in their lunch. If you wake up February 14th and you don’t have the card – just click the link and one sent directly to their inbox – complete with a custom message. Sometimes technology is our friend.
Give them a “coupon” for a privilege they would love – electronics after 10pm, 3 uninterrupted hours of gaming – you know what they like 🙂
Treat them to a daily lift pass at the local ski hill, with an extra for a friend (or yourself!)
If they are away at college – send mini cupcakes for a study sugar rush or surprise your teen and roommates with a special dinner via Skip the Dishes or PostMates.
Load an almost empty Uni card, or laundry card. Surprise!
Two Words: CANDY BAR
Whether you invite their buddies over, or just make it a family affair, everyone LOVES a Candy Bar.
Hit up your fav candy store, scrounge around the house for some different containers (the dollar store always comes through for this as well) and create a bar filled with sugar. It’s just one night…
Family Dinner
No – not the usual family dinner where mom and dad slave away and kids eat for 3 minutes only to disappear again in the social media abyss.
Pick something fun – pizza night is an easy one. Each person is assigned a duty to get everyone working in the kitchen together.
Send an “evite” ahead of time – so they know what to expect. Let them pick the playlist, but no screens. Kitchen dance party strongly encouraged.
Pick a couple of games to get everyone laughing and lounging at the table longer.
However you choose to spend February 14th – make sure you include at this this one thing:
Tell the people in your life that you love them. That they mean something to you. That they are special.
Anything you do after that – it’s just icing on the cake.
If you are in the mood for all things “Valentine-y” – make sure you check out Danni’s Heart Shaped Chocolate Cake – just another fun thing you could do for Valentine’s Day.
Wishing you a chocolate cake, candy fuelled, heart shaped pancake kind of day.
xx
C