If you love Valentine’s Day & all the candies and flowers it brings…. This post is not for you.

Personally, I hate Valentine’s Day. Ehhh, maybe hate is a strong word for it. I just can’t seem to get into it. It’s not my cup of tea per se. And as a mama with a kiddo in elementary… all the school prep & parties makes me want to barrffff! Ugh!

There are 2 sides to Valentine’s Day: the cute couple version and the not-so-cute kid version.

The Couple Version

The couple’s version is a strategically planned date night outfit, a ton of roses and candles, heart-shaped boxes of candy, and teddy bears. Super cute to look at pictures of. But really, you’re looking for a babysitter on the busiest nights. The restaurants are booked and overpriced. I’m already trying to lose my holiday pounds so candy is out of the question. Not to mention I hate dust collectors – I mean stuffed animals. 🥴 So all I’m left with is flowers and honestly I want flowers all the time not just on Valentine’s Day.

Every year I tell my fiancé we’re not celebrating Valentine’s Day just so that this is no confusion about it. I’m not changing my mind. I’m not getting anyone a gift for this “holiday”. I will strategically plan a date night as far away from the 14th as possible. I just can’t with the whole V-Day craze, it’s too much for all the fuss.

Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not some “bitter broken hearted, scorn forever” person. I’m not anti-love or anti-relationship. I just want my grand gestures of love to be more than a day in February shared with the rest of the world. Fancy date nights periodically. Showered with gifts and flowers randomly throughout the year. And on Valentine’s Day, I want it to be a normal day.

The Kid Version

I could just feel the mom cringe as I typed it. Valentine’s Day in elementary is…Exhausting. Despite it being a holiday I’m not too keen on, I do support my child’s school activities.

Those activities consist of me waiting last minute to find some “cute” valentines day cards for the class (bonus points if they already come with candy!), getting the teacher a gift, and in my son’s case flowers for him to give to some little 2nd grader he has a crush on.

Seriously, what kind of mother would I be if I said no to getting his crush flowers?

And then there’s the school party. Gotta sign up for snacks or beverages. Then if the cards didn’t come with candy – individual candy bags for twenty-something kids!

See, just exhausting. But do I do it? Yes. Do I enjoy it? Not really. Will my kids know it? No.

I’ll just suck it up, heart all the pictures from couples commemorating, support my children’s unnecessary Valentine’s Day party planning, and secretly loathe the “holiday” as I have for years.

If you are like me mamas and can’t stand getting ready for the 14th, just know you are not alone. And if you are super giddy and filled with excitement about your plans for the day, I’m excited for you too. So happy Valentine’s Day mamas! ❤️

XOXO – A Busy Mama