QUESTION: Is Valentine’s Day more than another marketing tradition?

ANSWER: Valentine’s Day is fun: lots of red hearts, candy with positive sayings, special cards and, maybe, flowers. For some it’s about romantic love. For most of us, it’s a time of affirming friendship or a special bond. February is a good month to remind ourselves to be kind.

•When we get something special, we can share.

•When we’re distressed, we can be honest and say so, but we don’t need to exaggerate and make it worse than it really is.

•When someone else is happy, we can celebrate, too.

•We can offer to help when someone else is struggling, especially if we have the skill and are willing to take some time.

I’m hoping that you can think of people who have been kind and generous with you, with their words, their attitude, their skill or their time. Share a story about those people with your children this week. They’re the ones who have given the most valuable valentines.

 If you would like to talk about the challenges in raising children, call the toll-free Parent WarmLine at 1-888-584-2204/Linea de Apoyo at 1-877-434-9528. For free emergency child care call Crisis Nursery at 1-877-434-9599. Check out www.familiesandcommunities.org