by Brooke
Valentine’s Day? I personally have plenty of reasons to skip this overrated holiday. Seriously, it’s cute and fun for couples, but kids? In elementary school? No way. It just creates so much awkwardness. And honestly, why do we only celebrate our love for other one day of the year? We should be expressing our love to others all the time. Anyway, young people don’t really take it seriously. For boys, it’s just a race to get a pretty girl to like you. For the girls, it’s either crossing your fingers you get asked by a particular boy or you’re hoping to avoid any type of Valentine’s awkwardness. It seems like Valentine’s Day is only for the popular kids, but what about the others? They just don’t get to celebrate a traditional holiday? Believe me, it is so awkward for tweens and teens. Most girls get disgusted over the thought of a valentine, but most boys relish it. It seems a little far fetched, but it’s true. Anyway, on Valentine’s Day, there are usually two people that get so much attention from others because they are expected to celebrate their feelings for each other. What if they’re just friends? Believe me, keeping the drama out of an elementary school can be as simple as skipping Valentine’s day.
I must admit, for couples, it’s cute. They get to spend time together and get away from stress. They get to enjoy their spouse’s company. For youth, it’s a totally different story. For kids, it’s just a matter of causing drama and hurting each other’s feelings. Does your school counselor want to put up with that? Mine doesn’t. Just give them some relief in their stressful day. I have some close friends where drama is a usual thing. They’re always mad at one person or another and I’m the unlucky sap that has to listen to their problems. If finding a valentine gets involved, they just cry and cry. I mean, I usually enjoy passing out Valentine’s and getting free chocolate. I think that’s fun and everyone can just enjoy themselves for a while. But when the drama sets in, no thank you. Most teenage girls don’t care. They will be nice to any one that asks and say yes. As long as it’s not a huge deal and they get a gift, they will enjoy it. I was talking to a friend the other day and he said that it’s usually just a dare when guys ask a girl and they really don’t care whether they say no or yes. Despite what he said, in other cases, they mean it. They want the girls to show affection for them. I told him that we are too young and he needs to quit drooling over girls. He just laughed. Even though it was January and he’d already asked a girl as a dare. Don’t even ask me who it was, Mr. Pratt. My lips are sealed. I asked a few girls what they think and they said they enjoy finding out whether a boy likes them or not. I know them well enough to know that they won’t think Valentine’s Day is any fun at all if they don’t have one. And believe me, my friends aren’t half as bad as some of them out there. It’s not about racing each other for a true love. We are just too young for that, but it is about showing your love for family and friends.
Seriously, it’s so awkward for kids. You don’t even know the half of it. And it’s just growing worse and worse. Sometimes, we think that they need to be able to get used to it, and know what to say or handle awkward situations but really we’re even too young to learn about that yet. Can you please just save everyone the trouble? I’m not saying I want to pass up on candy and even though everyone is saying no as they’re answer, they still want free chocolate. They just don’t want drama. Just saying, it’s fun. Ask anyone. I have had the same Valentine for two years in a row-don’t ask-and the gifts are really sweet. But we need to find other ways to express love than flowers that are going to die in a week. I mean seriously, you hand someone their flowers and they’re flattered and speechless (or pretend to be). They’re all like, “Thank you!!! Oh my gosh! I was totally not expecting this!!” But honestly, they totally were. Pretty good liars, huh? And then they are setting up the bouquet in a beautiful pattern and just sniffing them and all dancing around and feeling just darn dandy for a week and then they die. And you’re like, “That was the stupidest gift they could give, I mean seriously are they saying their love for me just…(dramatic blubbering) died!?!” When really the gift was supposed to be sweet. They feel like they need to spend so much money when maybe a card every once in a while would be more nice. I mean, the guy that only goes for the cute skinny girls hands her a box of chocolates like they want to fatten her up of something. I seriously think they’re going to eat me. I mean, wouldn’t you? And those gigantic teddy bears? I couldn’t sleep in a month!
On Valentine’s day, if you have a valentine, you receive too much unwanted attention. Having a Valentine should be something for when you are older. Not when you’re in sixth grade. So, technically boys shouldn’t be worrying about it yet. So the race begins right after New Years. They find a girl, find out how to ask her, and do it before any one beats them to it. For girls, it’s not a big deal. I have a friend that got asked on January thirteenth! That’s a month and one day too early. Do they realize they are just making a fool out of themselves? They don’t even know what the girl is going to say. Sometimes girls go into a panic attack when they find out someone wants to ask her and sometimes they go jump on their bed and squeal. So really, it just depends on the girl. It seems like asking somebody to be your valentine is only something for the popular kids. I really wish everyone could just wait until they are engaged and then-and only then-ask a girl. Do they realize it doesn’t matter because after elementary school we are all going to go our separate ways for Junior High? I seriously will just forget him. So ask yourselves, what’s the point? They aren’t doing it to plan a future or to flatter a hard working wife or anything. It’s just causing drama. We need to show kids how to leave that out of their lives. I once had a best friend in second grade and she was totally boy crazy. I just remember staring at her with my mouth hanging open when she was chasing boys. She started “dating” a guy in fourth grade and moved schools after that. I don’t text her, but I heard that she has kept in touch with a few other girls and they text all the time. They say all she talks about is her fourth grade love. When really at her other school she is “dating” someone else. I mean, seriously, she is just going to hurt herself. Too young. Way too young. And not just for her, but for the rest of us too.
I’m not saying the traditional Valentine’s day should be skipped. I’m saying for the little kids it might be best to hand them a candy at the end of the day and dismiss them. Just don’t make it awkward. Honestly, I love chocolate, so this is a huge sacrifice for me to give up my chocolate to stop the awkwardness-your welcome-but just make it fun for the kids. They need to recognize the holiday and know what it’s about, and what they are celebrating, but just let them be kids. Do they really need to race each other for a valentine? And they certainly don’t need to be worrying about “getting girls.” So just avoid it. Avoiding is your new best friend. Valentine’s Day is always going to be awkward, but we can at least make sure no one’s feelings get hurt. Ask yourselves, is it really worth the drama? Not at all.