Valentine's Day Rant

*Warning* The following message is a rant, if you don't want to read complaints from a grouchy tired mom then you better stop!

Tonight we finished filling out Valentine's Day cards for A2's class.  They were due Wednesday but our procrastinating paid off since we were blessed with 2 1/2 snow days.  I actually bought the cards on Saturday but I was so irritated when I bought them that I didn't want to deal with the stress of forcing A2 to sit still and write her name over and over and over again. Actually, that ended up not being too bad since she decided it was practice for when she was a famous singer, song writer, dancer.  She is so unpredictable!

My irritation wasn't caused by the fact that I was buying the cards.  I think that it is great that students are still allowed to participate in this fun tradition of giving cards to their classmates and teachers.  I am irritated with the companies that make the cards. 

Seriously, these things come in boxes of 16. 16! How many people actually have 16 kids in their class? That is so ridiculous.  Even though A2 could get by with one box, A1 won't be able to when I purchase hers this weekend.  I will have to buy two boxes for A1's class, as long as she goes with the larger size of 16 and not one of the others with less then I will be buying 3 boxes.  

I was a little surprised by the cost of these little treasures.  The box A2 wanted was $4.  $4 doesn't seem that bad until you get stuck buying two boxes so you have enough for your standard class size of 22 students. $8 for cards that probably will be thrown in the trash before they make it off the bus enrages me! 

The teacher in me tried to find the educational value in spending the money on these cards.  At first I rationalized that it was a great way to practice writing A2's first name, something with which she still struggles.  As soon as I saw the space provided for name writing, my dreams of making this educational were crushed.  The space allowed was so small that it would be difficult for even a very skilled 4 year old to write his/her name.  Also it is an open space.  There weren't any lines provided to give a reference of where to put the name.  Many of A2's cards are written backwards or sideways since she wouldn't let me draw a line on Pinkie Pie. 

The slick cardboard used to make these cards also provides an obstacle for new writers.  Typically tiny writers only write with pencils, crayons, or markers. None of those will work on the tricky cardboard; leaving the ball point pen as the only option.  Ball point pens need to be held a certain way in order to work and well... A2 really struggled! 

Perhaps next year I should just make cards with the girls but really I am a full time working mom of 3. Most days I am doing my best to survive if I took on making cards things would get ugly.  Sure I love crafting and it would be a fun project but the perfectionist in me would take over as it tends to do when I am making anything and then I would get mean. I don't want to be mean so card companies need to wise up! Provide a reasonable number of cards in a box, lower the price, and make the "To/From" sections easier for little writers! 

End rant.