Have you ever seen a little boy and girl playing together in the sandbox and exclaimed, “Oooh la la! Jenny found a new boyfriend!” or “Aww! Tommy is flirting again!”?

I hear parents do it all the time. Some parents even insist that their children are “in love” with the neighbor boy, a girl in preschool or a friend’s child.

I can’t help but think that this type of behavior will inevitably manifest itself in a toddler’s development. Does it teach our children that any member of the opposite sex that you connect with has to be a romantic partner? Does it boil all male/female relationships down to a simple boyfriend-girlfriend dynamic? And, perhaps more importantly, don’t we have anything better to talk about?

It strikes me as odd and meddlesome for a parent to create a love life for a child, but maybe I’m over thinking it. What do you think? Is it harmless and cute for parents to gush over their kids’ budding relationships? Is it something more perverse? You tell us!

I love everything about the holidays, even the cold weather, cheesy Christmas songs, flying home and gaining 10 pounds on Mom’s favorite holiday recipes. As a result, as soon as January 2 hits I tend to fall into the post-holiday blues.

If you find yourself longing for the days of gingerbread house building and caroling with the kids, why not throw yourself into planning a fantastic Valentine’s Day to spend with those you love? Start scouring the web for fun crafts, baked goods and party themes, and don’t forget to order Valentine’s Day cards for your kids to bring to school! Tiny Prints also offers a variety of sweet Valentine’s Day cards for adults, so start looking for opportunities to snap a lovable photo to share with your family and friends!