Ever since Cookie was born I have always tried to keep things simple in terms of gender and gender-roles. In my home this works great, I have 2 boys who are very much diversified when it comes to playing, interacting and appreciating both female and male toys and ideals. Here is where the problem stars for me…school!

When Cookie started school, all of a sudden his ‘neutral’ world came crashing down.

Boys made fun of him for playing with girl toys and girls couldn’t understand why he wanted to.

Cookie is still pretty strong when it comes to acceptance at 6, and I love that he continues to grow like this. I admire all that comes with a fun-loving spirit who accepts people for who they are and not what they engage in. But still, there are times when I have to explain to him what the ‘true’ meaning of love is and how he can reflect that into his own life –Valentine’s Day is one of them.

Cookie is now in grade 1 and most boys his age are very much into ‘boy’ characters, likewise with the girls in his class. Since he is not really into characters specifically at the moment, I decided to have him hand out gender-neutral V-Day cards…yes, you heard it folks, cards made by hand! lol I do however, expect that he will receive a wide-variety of cartoons and idols in return. While I cannot judge other parents or children for loving the adorable ‘Hello Kitty’ or obsessing over ‘JB,’ (because I love them too) I can really appreciate the innocence that my child still has at the moment. While I know that someday this bubble of innocence will be broken, I am going to hold onto it for as long as I can.

What happened to good-old fashioned Valentine’s Day Cards? You know, the ones we make by hand?

This Valentines Day, take a second and erase the consumerism. Remember that the world is beautiful and you are too.

Here are a few Gender-Neutral, Easy, Homemade Valentines Day card ideas I found on Pinterest: (click on the photo for the link)