As February quickly approaches, it’s time to begin planning Valentine’s Day activities for you and your teenage children. Valentine’s Day can be one of the most difficult holidays for parents to come up with ideas for. Your teenager may seem uninterested or downright despondent regarding the holiday and the idea of celebrating it with you. Although planning meaningful moments can seem like a chore, as long as you focus on sharing time with those that you love, you are sure to have a lovely Valentine’s Day with your teen.
Read on for some Valentine’s Day activities for you and your teens!
1. Make (or Buy) Valentine’s Day Treats
No matter the day, food is always the way to a teenager’s heart! Celebrate Valentine’s Day and the love you share with your child by planning and making a meal together. Try to incorporate their favorite foods into fun Valentine’s Day designs.
Heart-shaped pancakes with strawberries are a great way to start the day. Many places offer heart-shaped pizza or lasagna for a quick but festive meal. A Heart-shaped cake can be a fun project for you and your teen to make. Just be sure to involve your teen in the planning, making, and eating. The more voice they have, the more likely they are to enjoy themselves. Creating a Valentine’s Day meal with your teen can provide a rewarding and memorable celebration. (Not to mention the delicious meal you get to eat!)
If getting in the kitchen to make treats isn’t your thing, check out these places to grab some Valentine’s Day goodies for your teen.
My Favorite Places to Get Valentine’s Treats in Birmingham:
Located in the Pizitz Food Hall, The Birmingham Candy Company offers pralines, caramel paws, candy apples, and so much more. It’s a great place to pick up some tasty treats for your teen! My favorite thing to get from The Birmingham Candy Company is the caramel apple with nuts and chocolate drizzle!
In the heart of Homewood, right in Soho Square, is Savage’s Bakery! Savage’s bakes all of their tasty treats from scratch. My favorite thing to get from Savage’s is the sugar cookies. Around Valentine’s they offer their sugar cookies with a decorating kit so you can take them home and decorate them with your teens!
If you’re looking for cakes, cupcakes, or “baby bites” (if you know, you know), Pastry Art Bake Shoppe has you covered! With locations in Homewood and Trussville, you’re never too far from Pastry Art’s yumminess! The pink strawberry baby bites are sure to put a smile on your Valentine’s face!
2. Have a Movie Marathon
Start a new yearly tradition with a Valentine’s Day movie marathon. Everyone loves a good romantic comedy. Have every member of the family vote on their favorite rom-com. Gather the family together to watch the winners. Do it up big by making a snack bar complete with popcorn, candy, and some tasty drinks. Your teen will appreciate the family time and you will appreciate hearing your family laugh together.
If you prefer to venture out to a movie theater, there are dozens of theaters located in the Greater Birmingham area.
3. Create a Positivity Jar Together
Valentine’s Day is simply a holiday focused on love. Keep it simple by creating a positivity jar for your teen. Write positive affirmations, compliments, and supportive tidbits on slips of paper. Take a mason jar and fill it with your positive paper slips. Mix in some individually wrapped chocolates for an added bit of love.
Your teenager often needs your support when you least expect it. A jar full of positive affirmations will give them access to your love whenever they need it, even if they are too stubborn to ask for it. Nothing says I love you like a jar full of positive thoughts.
You can make your positivity jars a family activity. Get everyone a jar and a bunch of paper slips. Take an afternoon to write positive messages for each other and fill up everyone’s jar with love. An afternoon of affirmations is sure to give everyone the warm feeling of love and they will be reminded of it every time they reach into their jar.
4. Have a “Show Me What You Love” Day
Sometimes it can be difficult to get to know your teenager. Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to plan a “show me what you love” day. Ask your teen to plan an entire day filled with all of the things they love. Have them choose what to eat. Let them plan some of their favorite activities. Ask them to take you to places that they love. After sharing a day with your teen doing all the things that they love, you will surely understand your teenager better. They will be in a great mood all day and you will get invaluable insight into who your teenager is and what they love.
Conclusion
No matter what you choose to do with your teenager for Valentine’s Day, the important thing is that you spend the day together. Hopefully, these Valentine’s Day Ideas will help you plan the perfect day for your teenager. This holiday is all about the love that we share for each other. As long as your love is at the center, you will have an amazing Valentine’s Day with your teen.
If you’re still not comfortable going out on Valentine’s Day, check out this article for some COVID-style Valentine’s Day ideas.
