While some kids are nursing sore stomachs from gorging on all of the Valentine’s Day treats they scored yesterday, others are nursing broken hearts from being overlooked by their peers.
Then, there are the kids who live in a Valentine’s Day-free world. They are the lucky ones. The tykes, who won’t have to spend countless hours in therapy, because they weren’t gifted with a homemade card and heart-shaped Sweet Tarts.
You can find those kids across the pond in the United Kingdom.
According to reports, administrators at one British elementary school decided to ban Valentine’s Day cards and candy because they don’t believe young children are “mature” enough to celebrate a day set aside for love and romance.
The school’s head teacher informed parents of the decision via a newsletter which read: “We do not wish to see any Valentine’s Day cards in school this year. Any cards found in school will be confiscated. Any families wishing to support this concept should ensure that cards are sent in the post or delivered to home addresses by hand.”
The school’s handout went on to say: “Some children and parents encourage a lot of talk about boyfriends and girlfriends. We believe that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend or girlfriend.”
How would you react to getting a note like that?
Some parents whose children attend the school were reportedly irate with the administrators’ decision to ban in-school Valentine’s Day card exchanges. One father told local news reporters that banning Love Day cards from school inhibits the formation of a child’s social skills.
Meanwhile, a mother, who has three children at the school, had this to say about the ban: “It is pathetic that people have actually gone to the bother of doing this. It is political-correct nonsense. It is just a bit of harmless fun. There is no difference between this and Mother’s or Father’s Day. It is totally over the top.”
Despite the parental protests, the school stood by its decision saying that kids under the age of 11 are “still emotionally and socially developing and therefore cards declaring love can be confusing.”
In my opinion, love is confusing whether you are 8 or 48.
My kid’s school mandated that each student bring a Valentine Day card or treat for each and every classmate or don’t bring anything at all, to eliminate any Charlie Brown moments.
I know a ton of parents who think that Valentine’s Day causes more trouble than it’s worth, especially when it comes to passing out cards in grade school… and especially if they are the ones who get stuck making 8 million handmade construction paper and glitter cards when their kid runs out of steam after, oh… say the fourth card.
Do you think schools should ban Valentine’s Day card exchanges?