Love Isn’t Wrapped in Cellophane

Every February, store shelves overflow with heart-shaped candy and plush teddy bears. Valentine’s Day marketing makes it easy to believe that love is something you buy, wrap, and present with a bow. But for parents of young children, the most meaningful expressions of love rarely come in red and pink packaging.

They come as rocks.

Or dandelions.

Or a soggy cracker clutched in a tiny fist.

When a toddler waddles over and places a pebble in your hand, they are not giving you a rock; they are giving you their treasure. And in their world, offering a treasure is one of the purest expressions of love.

Love Is a Feeling

Young children are just beginning to understand emotions. “Love” is an abstract concept, but they learn it through repetition and connection: not through candy hearts but through moments.

When your child saves you the last bite of their snack, runs to you after a fall, brings you one of their creations, or hands you an acorn they found in the park, they are showing their love.

Children’s small gestures are opportunities to name the feeling of love and say, “I love you too.” When you parents name the feeling and reciprocate it, they are boosting their child’s understanding of love and building their social-emotional skills.

The Power of Noticing

Genuine love requires attention. It asks us to slow down. Instead of focusing on what to buy this Valentine’s Day, parents can focus on what to notice:

The way your child lights up when you enter the room
The way they reach for your hand
The way they offer you something important to them

Narrate it for them:

“You brought me your favorite rock. That feels like love.”
“You saved this for me? I love you too.”
“You wanted to sit next to me. I love being close to you.”

These moments teach children that love is connection, generosity, and presence—not presents.

This Valentine’s Day

There’s nothing wrong with a small treat or a stuffed animal. But if we want our children to understand love deeply, we have to look beyond the aisle of heart-shaped boxes.

Love is in the pebble.
Love is in the scribbled drawing.
Love is in the sticky hand reaching for yours.

And when that small hand offers you its treasure, the most powerful response isn’t another object.

It’s four simple words:

“I love you too.”