Valentine’s Day ~ Asking for What You Want

By Traci L. Carman

With this being the month of Valentine’s Day, I thought a perfect subject for this article would be “Asking for What You Want.”

I know it seems to take some of the “surprise” out of receiving a gift, but let’s face it, if we have our heart set (and mostly that would be women, I think) on receiving a certain “something” for Valentine’s Day, it would be prudent on our part to let those we love know about it.

There is nothing worse than wanting something, not saying so, and then getting disappointed when it does not show up. To alleviate this, I have three tips for Valentine’s Day:

Tip #1: Make a list of several items that would make you happy on Valentine’s Day, and give your partner and/or children the opportunity to choose a “surprise” from that list. It makes it easier on them, they are set up to win (great!), and you get what you want. Everyone wins!

Tip #2: Ask for a list from those you love. Find out what would make a great Valentine’s Day for your partner and/or your children. Is there something that would make it “magical” for everyone?

Tip #3: I know Valentine’s Day is a lot about candy, hearts and kisses. Yet, more than that, it’s about love. Perhaps it would be fun to create a new tradition for this holiday that incorporates something related to love, caring and sharing. Have fun exploring this as a family. It will give everyone greater insight into what is important to each member, and will give you something fun to create together.

Let’s give up getting in trouble for not “doing” Valentine’s Day “right,” and start making it easy on the ones we love.

• Ask for what you want.
• Ask them what would make Valentine’s Day special and magical for them.
• And, don’t forget that it’s about Love. What new tradition does your family want to incorporate this year?

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Traci Carman is a Parenting Coach. You can join her email list for 2011 Parenting Classes by emailing tracicarman@alovingway.com or calling 800-647-1171. Sign up for her free parenting newsletter at www.alovingway.com.