14 Valentine’s Day Traditions to Share with Your Kids

Valentine's Day Traditions

How to Make Valentine’s Day Special for Your Family

By Kerrie McLoughlin

Growing up, I always looked forward to Valentine’s Day.  I loved making valentines for my friends at school and decorating a shoebox to collect them.  When I got home from school I could always count on chocolates from my mom and a small gift from my dad; cards came in the mail, too, from grandparents and aunts.  I was definitely made to feel special on Valentine’s Day.  I think everyone should get the chance to feel special on this sweet day full of love.  Check out the 14 traditions below that you can share with your kids and give some of them a try: you’ll definitely make someone’s day!

Helping Your Teens Set SMART Goals for the New Year

Helping Your Teens Set SMART goals

How SMART Goals help determine what should be categorized as a goal.

I really don’t like the word “resolution” – and I never set any New Year’s Resolutions for myself. The way I see it, if there is something I need to change about myself, I’m not going to wait until January 1st to make that change … I’d better get on with it right away! If you realize you’re eating too much cake, or that cigarettes cause cancer, you should make those changes immediately.

New Year’s Resolutions just don’t seem to stick. The unfortunate truth is that it’s become completely normal and accepted to flake out on our New Year’s Resolutions – the gym is packed to the gills in January, a little less crowded in February, and then back to only the regulars in March.

However, I do see the value in setting goals. Goals have a different feel than resolutions do. Resolutions have a negative connotation, don’t they? New Year’s Resolutions usually mean that you need to stop doing something you shouldn’t be doing.