Every year it comes and every year I cringe. The flyer comes out of the folder and the headline reads...
"It's that time! Create your own Valentine's Day box for our class party!"
When I was in school, we put stickers all over a Kleenex box or decorated a paper sack with crayons. Not anymore! In today's day and age, it's all about the show. You go big or go home! Parents are spending hours and dollars to create these Valentine's Day monstrosities. I actually love (no pun intended) Valentine's Day, but what I don't love is the added pressure that it puts on parents.
I will say that I'm pretty darn proud of some of the Valentine's Day boxes I've whipped up for my kiddos over the past few years. Thinking back we've had everything from Harry Potter, to Disney, sports, Fortnite and donut themes. While I don't consider myself a crafty person, this is something I excel at (thanks to Pinterest, Hobby Lobby and Dollar Tree). However, it's the principal of it all. This is something that I have to schedule out to make sure that it gets done. This is another round of errands that I must run to gather supplies. This is something that will.....end up in the trash once the party is over.
Yes I will post happy photos of my kids with their custom boxes to my social media, because darn it, that effort deserves to be shared. Yes I will go to my kids' classroom parties and enjoy being a part of it. The days leading up to the Valentine's Day parties though? They tend to stress me out. When you work full-time and have to find time to run the errands and do all of the things in preparation for these types of things, it can be overwhelming. And it's okay to admit that you feel this way. I certainly do.
Yes I am complaining, but I also know that someone has to say it and I can't be the only one who feels this way. When it's all said and done, I do love seeing my kids take pride in their boxes as they carry them into school. I also realize just how quickly the years are flying by and that there will come a time when they won't have Valentine's Day parties and life will become more serious for them. My son is already a middle schooler and doesn't require a box this year. That is one down, two to go and so much faster than I ever anticipated.
We always come up with something great and when I look back on the photos year after year, the stress isn't what I remember. The smiles, the sticky fingers and the candy coated grins are what matter. All of this to say, we've got this moms. Make that box and attend that classroom party (if you are able). You can do it! By the way, here's a side note for anyone who is new to the land of Valentine's Day boxes. No matter how much effort you put into it, there will be another box bigger, brighter and better than yours, but that's okay. Give that mom a shoutout knowing she probably stayed up all night making it. Sneak a few pieces of candy (to pair with a glass of wine) as a reward for your efforts. They'll never know!
Have a Happy Massive, Over-the-Top, Ridiculously Large, Sparkly, All About the Presentation Box Day!
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