Two Kid Schoolhouse
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Feb. 5, 2006
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Valentines And The Feminization Of Boys
Our
homeschool group is planning a Valentine's Day party. It sounds
kind of fun - some craft projects, and lots of free time to play
basketball or whatever in a gym. Oh, and good snacks. But I
don't think we can go.
The party includes a valentine card
exchange among all the kids - about 22 of them, as far as I can tell,
boys and girls, from age 13 or so down to babies. Right from the start, something bothered me about it but I couldn't quite figure it out.
Is it the randomness of it? Everyone has to bring a card
for everyone else. Even if they don't know everyone.
There's no emotion attached to this card at all. Everyone just
ends up with... a pile of cards.
When each of 22 kids gets a card saying "You're Special!" - how special is that?
Is it the hassle? I hate the dippy valentine cards available in
the stores. My kids don't watch Scooby Doo or Dora the Explorer,
so they don't want those cards, but that's what there is!
Making cards would suck up too much of our time. I want the kids
to spend their time making valentines for Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa,
each other, and me!
Actually, those are my minor
reasons. The real problem is this: the femininity of it.
Exchanging valentines among friends seems very feminine to
me. I can remember as a single working gal, giving cute, flippant
valentines to some of my single friends. It's a girl thing.
E would love this. In fact, the little girls of the group are having a
tea party the day before, where they will exchange valentines!
She is thrilled. J is thrilled that he doesn't have to go -
he doesn't like tea parties. But the point is: Men don't exchange valentine cards. At least, I don't know any, and neither does my husband (who agrees with me).
That
doesn't mean I don't want my son to grow up to acknowledge Valentine's
Day with his wife. I hope he'll enjoy getting homemade valentines
from his own kiddies some day. I enjoy giving (and getting) cards
to (and from) my loved ones - husband, kids. My sister sometimes
sends me one. I sometimes (not often) send one to her. But
not random buddies, you know?
Oh, heavy sigh. The
feminization of our boys is pervasive, even among Christian
homeschoolers. Or maybe I'm just taking this too seriously?
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Musings of a slacker homeschool Mom
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• Feb. 6, 2006 - Untitled Comment