"Cultivate love for love is the light that gives the eye to see great and noble things." —Helen Keller
Every day, you are cultivating the love you have for your child who is blind or visually impaired. You spend the necessary time and effort to ensure they are receiving proper care; you advocate on their behalf so they can have access to the services they need to succeed in school and life, and you strive to give them the gift of equality by providing them with the opportunities they deserve. You do all of this and more because you don’t want your child to miss out on anything simply because of his or her visual impairment. Rightfully so.
But are we letting the little things, like Valentine’s Day perhaps, slip through the cracks? Because so many holidays are centered around visual experiences, we can easily forget to make the holidays accessible for our children.
This Valentine’s Day, FamilyConnect encourages you to continue to cultivate the love you have for your child or teen by finding activities that you can do together. Whether you are looking for something hands-on or ways to talk to your teen about dating, here are some resources and activities to get you started.
And don’t forget to share your favorite Valentine’s Day activities with us on the FamilyConnect message boards.
Valentine’s Day Cards and Crafts
DIY your own multisensory cards with puffy paint or scented magic markers. Give braille cards a try or teach your child how to create an eCard online. Check out Valentine’s Day Card, Craft, and Gift Ideas for Children Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.
Want to get even “craftier”? Emily Coleman has a few ideas. Check out her post, Best Holiday Craft, on how you can make arts and crafts more enjoyable for your child. Her son Eddie really liked this one!
Throw in Some Braille Fun
Make braille fun by incorporating it into your child’s valentines. See how Emily implemented braille with a little bit of bribery.
Get Creative in the Kitchen
Any holiday is a great time to introduce your child to the kitchen. You can work together to prepare a meal or bake some festive cookies!
Talk to Your Teen About Dating
Perhaps spending time with “the parents” isn’t your teen’s idea of a fun Valentine’s Day. Maybe they are planning a special date. If your teen is ready to venture out into the world of dating, make sure you cover the bases of flirting and dating.
Happy Valentine’s Day from FamilyConnect!