Article by Michelle Peterson, who believes the journey to sobriety should not be one of shame but of pride. Her mission is aligned with that of RecoveryPride, which is to celebrate sobriety and those who achieve it.
Photo via Pixabay
Valentine’s Day is a tough holiday for many single parents, especially for those in addiction recovery. The important thing is to keep your mind occupied and the focus on spending time with your children. Here are a few ideas to have fun, bond with the kids, and free your mind from the stress of Valentine’s Day.
Go skating
The local roller or ice skating rink can be a fun place to spend Valentine’s Day. You can get some exercise, play games together, and make the night revolve around some good old fashioned fun. Facilities may even be having special Valentine’s Day events with activities specifically for younger kids, allowing the older ones to take their talents to the rink in the meantime. And don’t sit it out--grab some skates and get out there yourself! Getting your heart pumping and letting loose can do wonders to ease your stress and curb any cravings you might be fighting.
Choreograph a dance
If you’re not up for a big night out, create your own fun at home by creating your own dance. It could be your favorite song, or you could each randomly choose one out of a hat. If you want a certain style, you can find collections of easily choreographed songs. If you have an older child, ask them to create a (kid-friendly) love-themed playlist and then you can each choose a song from the list to make up a dance to. It doesn’t have to be a contest, but you can definitely award points for creativity and style.
Set up a Valentine’s treasure hunt
A treasure hunt is especially fun for kids who love puzzles and mysteries. If you have a few children at different ages, you can lead each on a different trail and tailor the clues to meet their abilities. Your treasure can be anything you want like heart shaped snacks and goodies or new books for them to read at bedtime. You can use your clues to find special ways to tell your children how much you love them and all the ways they’re special, which can be especially important if you faced any family problems before entering recovery.
Adopt a companion
Many single parents would agree that finding consistent emotional support is really hard. Companion animals are not only good for your recovery from addiction, it can be a way to bring your family together. Everyone will have a new family member to care for and love, and you’ll have a pillar of support to keep you on the right path.
Create a pop-up book
Crafting is always a good way to keep your mind occupied and your children entertained, and in the meantime you can encourage a love of reading. Have them create their own pop-up book. It can be a story they make up themselves or one of their favorites. Yours can be a story about your child re-imagined as a superhero or a character on their favorite TV show. If there are any amends you’re still working on, the story can be a chance to tell your kids how much you love them and how the future is going to be from now on.
Don’t let Valentine’s Day veer you away from your healthy path. Try one of these ideas and keep your mind occupied for a special celebration your kids will love.
Go skating
The local roller or ice skating rink can be a fun place to spend Valentine’s Day. You can get some exercise, play games together, and make the night revolve around some good old fashioned fun. Facilities may even be having special Valentine’s Day events with activities specifically for younger kids, allowing the older ones to take their talents to the rink in the meantime. And don’t sit it out--grab some skates and get out there yourself! Getting your heart pumping and letting loose can do wonders to ease your stress and curb any cravings you might be fighting.
Choreograph a dance
If you’re not up for a big night out, create your own fun at home by creating your own dance. It could be your favorite song, or you could each randomly choose one out of a hat. If you want a certain style, you can find collections of easily choreographed songs. If you have an older child, ask them to create a (kid-friendly) love-themed playlist and then you can each choose a song from the list to make up a dance to. It doesn’t have to be a contest, but you can definitely award points for creativity and style.
Set up a Valentine’s treasure hunt
A treasure hunt is especially fun for kids who love puzzles and mysteries. If you have a few children at different ages, you can lead each on a different trail and tailor the clues to meet their abilities. Your treasure can be anything you want like heart shaped snacks and goodies or new books for them to read at bedtime. You can use your clues to find special ways to tell your children how much you love them and all the ways they’re special, which can be especially important if you faced any family problems before entering recovery.
Adopt a companion
Many single parents would agree that finding consistent emotional support is really hard. Companion animals are not only good for your recovery from addiction, it can be a way to bring your family together. Everyone will have a new family member to care for and love, and you’ll have a pillar of support to keep you on the right path.
Create a pop-up book
Crafting is always a good way to keep your mind occupied and your children entertained, and in the meantime you can encourage a love of reading. Have them create their own pop-up book. It can be a story they make up themselves or one of their favorites. Yours can be a story about your child re-imagined as a superhero or a character on their favorite TV show. If there are any amends you’re still working on, the story can be a chance to tell your kids how much you love them and how the future is going to be from now on.
Don’t let Valentine’s Day veer you away from your healthy path. Try one of these ideas and keep your mind occupied for a special celebration your kids will love.
