Last night I was helping my nieces prepare Valentine’s Day cards and small gifts for their entire class. As my daughter is still too young for that, she just helped stick a few stickers on.

I remember at my school when it wasn’t mandatory but encouraged. The popular girl got a few cards and some groups of friends got them for each other and I just remember not getting one.

I wasn’t expecting one, but it would have been nice. I sent one, but got nothing back. It wasn’t exactly rejected but I learned a valuable lesson about unrequited feelings.

Was I too young to learn these things? Does Valentine’s Day have any place in school?

Perhaps the forcing of romantic thoughts on Feb 14th is completely out of place for school. I don’t love it, mainly because of the fact that it’s gotten so commercialised and an excuse to sell novelty cards and stickers and more pressure for parents to buy into the celebration for fear of disappointing their children.

So, what do you think? Ban the day in schools, or keep it and let kids share cards and gifts in the traditionally commercial lull between Christmas and Easter?