The tradition of giving Valentine’s Day cards has been quite profitable for the greeting card industry. Of course the competition to provide the best Valentine’s Day cards has led to quite the amazing collection for a person to choose from. With over 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards being purchased and sent in the United States alone, there is bound to be something for everyone.

Kids love to receive Valentine’s Day cards. It includes them in what many consider to be a grown up holidays for those in live. Kids tend to feel quite special when they are doted upon with a card and a few sweet Valentine’s Day goodies.

Try sending this year’s Valentine’s Day card to your child or children in the mail. In a child’s eyes, the mail is a grown up thing, and they catch on rather early that the mail is typically filled with bills. Receiving their Valentine’s Day card in the mail re-emphasizes the inclusion in this grown up holiday.

Choosing a Valentine’s Day card doesn’t have to be a very difficult process, although many people are quite intimidated by it, especially men. Humor may go over well with some women, but those women are the vast minority. The overwhelming majority of women are looking for something sweet and romantic, even if you haven’t been together for very long.  In fact, if this is your first Valentine’s Day together, a woman is going to take is a sign of your romantic capabilities, so avoid the humor.

Choosing a romantic Valentine’s Day card isn’t hard even if you aren’t the most romantic individual. Simply flip through the cards until you find something that would be likely to come out of your mouth, something that should come out of your mouth, or something that you feel expresses your thoughts better than you do.

As thoughtful as it was that you picked out the card and it’s romantic and heartfelt and you are feeling pretty good about yourself because you know you did a good job, it’s not quite enough yet. Don’t just write your name in the card. Take that little extra moment and write at the very least one more line to the card. If you come out with a romantic dissertation, that’s wonderful. If you are stuck and can’t get anything down on paper, at least acknowledge that the card is expressing your true feelings. A simple one liner like, “I couldn’t have said it better myself,” or “The writer of this card must live in my heart.” Even if it’s a little cheesy, it’s still better than just writing your name in it and being done.

Many people are making the switch to e-cards for Valentine’s Day. They’re animated and cute and a lot easier than running to the store and wading through mountains of cards to say something that you feel you can say better. While e-cards are cute and much more convenient, most people still prefer to receive the actual hard copy in their hand. There is still something unique and special about receiving the Valentine’s Day card. People like to share them, place them somewhere that they can admire them, revisit them, and hang onto them. You can’t do any of that with an e-card.

Children reach an age, at their own pace, when they don’t quite understand why they have to give a Valentine’s Day card to kids in their class they are not fond of. In the adult world, we rarely give cards to people we aren’t too thrilled about unless it is a good political move to do so, and then everyone sees right through that anyway.

This is a good time to explain to children that Valentine’s Day is more than just express that love. It is also a day to check in with ourselves and ask how we are doing in the kindness and charity category. The saints that the day was named for were men of great charity and kindness, and initially the Catholic church wanted to honor these great men and their attributes by celebrating Valentine’s Day. Over time, this meaning has gotten lost. It would be such a wonderful gift if we could pass on the true spirit of Valentine’s Day onto our children.