Am I the only mother that didn't get the memo?

[Nik's Mom]

I went to the Dollar Tree and got a pack of Princess and the Frog Valentines with pencils and Harry Potter with tattoos. She likes to give separate ones for boys/girls. So, for $2 we got more than just cards. It doesn't have to be expensive. She did get cupcakes and homebaked stuff. That gets thrown out. She also got boxes of those conversation hearts. Nobody went overboard in her class. As others said, some people enjoy putting together the treat bags and have the time to do it so I say go for it! I do not feel the need to compete. I do what I can do and no more.

That seems pretty reasonable to me too. We have a no-home baked goods policy at our school. And it's always hard when someone has a food allergy in class. Stickers and such are a safe bet with all kids.

 

[gracie1]

I don't see a problem with sending a valentine with candy. Some parents do go overboard though. Don't even get me started on teachers gifts. I had one room mother ask us to all pitch in the send the teacher on a vacation at the end of the year. I am thankful for the hard work that the teachers put in, but sending them on vacation is insane!

Are you serious??? Wow!! I couldn't imagine a mother asking me to pitch in to send the teacher on vacation.

 

[gracie1]

I went to the Dollar Tree and got a pack of Princess and the Frog Valentines with pencils and Harry Potter with tattoos. She likes to give separate ones for boys/girls. So, for $2 we got more than just cards. It doesn't have to be expensive. She did get cupcakes and homebaked stuff. That gets thrown out. She also got boxes of those conversation hearts. Nobody went overboard in her class. As others said, some people enjoy putting together the treat bags and have the time to do it so I say go for it! I do not feel the need to compete. I do what I can do and no more.

That is one thing I thought of in advance! I wanted to do brownies, etc., but figured the homebaked goods would get thrown out (even though I know mine are good and would taste much better than store bought)
It's ashame but you definately have to be careful today!

 

[Nik's Mom]

Are you serious??? Wow!! I couldn't imagine a mother asking me to pitch in to send the teacher on vacation.

I am dead serious! My son is special needs and only spent about 15 minutes a day in the class. At that time, he had a lot of anxiety and they couldn't get him to stay in the class. The teacher was very kind, and always made an effort to help my son with his fears. I gave him a nice gift card at the end of the year, but did not contribute to the vacation fund.

 

[livndisney]

We don't do cards with candy(allergies), so we do just cards. This year it was cards with seed paper (you soak the paper and little plants grown that you can plant).

 

[Nancyg56]

My son is 15. So he's five years away from ES valentine parties. The valentine with candy in it was rare then. Now I understand it's more normal. I think it's dumb. Kids don't need all that candy. Why must people overdo everything? Keep it simple folks! They are children and if they get it all now, they will be bored, spoiled adults.

That is why you do not need to attach a piece of candy. I used to make cakes or cupcakes for valentines Day when my kids were in school if the teacher allowed it. I did not try to outdo any other parent nor did I worry who did what. I think that same should hold true today, you do what you are comfortable with and let other parents have teh same courtesy.

 

[U2_rocks!]

Wow, at our school kids make valentine cards for their parents as part of a fun activity at school, but not for each other. And no-one gives gifts of any kind, not even candy! I guess it's just not celebrated too much around here.

My DD's gymnastics coach did bake heart-shaped decorated cookies on a stick for all of her gymmies on Saturday - she was up from 5 a.m. to get them done on time! I thought that was really sweet.

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I made valentines buckets for my nephews class.
Each buckets had:
2 toy story pencils
1 heart shaped lollipop
1 hersheys chocolate candy bar
1 box of hearts
1 reeses peanut butter heart
1 pack of vanilla heart cupcakes
1 pack of chocolate heart cupcakes

and I sent in a cmall valentine heart with 4 chocolates to his two teachers and school nurse.

Wow!! The kids must love you!!

That's what my son chose this year. He said most of the cards seemed too babyish for him. Sad, when he's only in second grade.

my dd is also in second grade and did find some Valentine's with cats and dogs with really big eyes she liked, but she also thought most of them were too babyish.

A few years ago, a child in my daughters class gave everyone a "Webkinz" for valentine's day.

Wow!

Guess every school is different. When I was in school we had full fledged parties for Valentines Day. We had cards, cupcakes, sodas, chips, pretzels, etc.

We did too, and so do my daughters, but the cupcakes and other snacks were the "party food", sent in by the handful of moms who offerred to help. Big treats like that weren't handed out as valentines.

I think it's interesting to see the regional differences. One poster says candy was rare 5 years ago, another says candy was common 30 years ago. When I was in elementary school in California in the late sixties and seventies, it was cards only, no candy attached. I was also surprised and felt like the only mom who didn't get the memo during my older dd's first year of preschool in about 2001, when everyone attached candy to their little cards. It's been the same ever since. Yesterday, my younger dd mostly got either the Fun Dip, conversation hearts, or similar candy-as-valentines, or cards with one attached goody (pencil, hershey's kiss, lollipop, mini candy bar). She got 2 or 3 small goody bags that had 3 or 4 small candies in each. Nothing really overboard.

 

[m&m's mom]

I have to admit when DD and I went to the store Sunday (2/13 ) there was not much left. She picked out cards without candy and I told her to pick up a bag of Reeses hearts and we would tape them on. We would not be the norm if no candy.

 

[deegack]

DD daycare class had a party. The parents all signed up to bring something. We brought munchkins. Everyone also did valentines. She (um I lol) got some chocolate hearts and kisses. She gave out little playdough containers in pink, red and white.

 

[Dictator]

We gave each kid in my daugters first grade class a $5 scratch off.

 

[hereyago]

I remember as a kid-I'm 43 now- getting and giving Valentine's Day cards with candy, even just a heart shaped lollipop.

DD is now in middle school, and they will still exchange with the class or now it's just their "main friends". and they have a Valentine candy gram through the SCA.

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

We gave each kid in my daugters first grade class a $5 scratch off.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

We gave each kid in my daugters first grade class a $5 scratch off.

Never too early to start that gambling addiction!

 

[hopemax]

I was a kid in the early 80's and I remember going through the bags of the large conversation hearts and sorting them to put a few in each envelope. Making sure that the boys didn't get the ones that said, "I love you." or something like that. A lot of the ones I received had small pieces of candy in the envelopes too.

 

[2binak]

I got the memo but opted not to give candy. DD has 10 kids in her class and I think we were the only ones not to include candy. Last year, only 1 or 2 out of 10 kids included candy.

They had a party in the morning with Munchkins, applesauce, juice & fruit. Personally, I think the party is enough and the candy from the classmate's cards is just overkill.

 

[gracie1]

Well, I am getting myself all psyched already for easter baskets for the class!! I just have to email the teacher to make sure they do have a party for then. Or a 'spring break' party.

 

[Dictator]

Never too early to start that gambling addiction!

well, The $ from the lottery is supposed to go back into education. win/Win.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

well, The $ from the lottery is supposed to go back into education. win/Win.

That's nice. Our State Lottery proceeds go to the "oldies."

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My dd is almost 20. I always put candy in the valentines. Nothing new here.

In fact most of the time I would give out candy in those cute bags with the valentine attached. Remember back in those "old days" when they had those cute little paper bags?