Valentine Boxes

                Families are strengthened when parents allow their children to take responsibility for their own school duties.  If parents do the assignments, children will never learn to do their own work.

                I am specifically thinking of the assignment to make a valentine box to receive valentines from classmates.  This is a practice that has been around since I was in grade school.  I remember working hard every year to make a beautiful box from construction paper, etc.  Then I would get to school only to see fancy boxes with ruffled crepe paper, doilies, etc.  I wondered how my classmates could make such beautiful boxes.  I did not realize until I had children in elementary school that those valentine boxes were made by adults – or at least older teenagers.  My husband said that he never made a valentine box.  His school provided envelopes for the children to decorate to receive their valentines.

                Today I saw a picture of the valentine box taken to school by one of my granddaughters.  It looked like a Kleenex box with a floral design and a sign saying, “Happy Valentine’s Day.”  My first thought was “My granddaughter is a genius!”  Then I wished beautiful Kleenex boxes were around when I was a kid!

                My point is that children develop talents and self-confidence by doing their own assignments whether that assignment is academic or simply a valentine box.  Parents have the responsibility to step back and allow their children to learn and develop.