First Day & Back To School Traditions

The new school year is officially twenty days away from today. I am ready with all of our school supplies, back up supplies, lunch menus and first day of school outfits. Every year I print out a fun little photo prop for my girls to hold while I take their picture in front of their new school. This year they begin elementary school and it feels more official, like I should do something a little bigger. This is after all the beginning of a greater adventure.

I asked around in some of my local moms groups for ideas on back to school, or first day of school traditions. It turns out everyone has something special they repeat every September to celebrate the start of a new school year, including homeschooling families. Here is my round up of back to school traditions.

BREAKFAST

Start off the day on a hearty note by serving a special breakfast. Maybe save the cereal for day two and serve pancake sundaes, or fruit and scrambled eggs arranged as a smiley face on the plate. It’s a fun way to start off the day and adds a little extra love to your morning before everyone heads out the door.

LOVE NOTES

I leave the kids a special note in their lunch boxes all year, but they only had lunch at preschool two days a week. Perhaps a note a day for the first week will give the kids a little extra boost of confidence during the transition back to the school day demands.

AFTER SCHOOL TREATS

It sounds so cliché to have fresh baked cookies and milk waiting for your child when they get off the bus. But it turns out it’s a very popular practice, at least on the first day of school. Several moms share they make a special cake shaped like a school bus, or cupcakes shaped like apples. In general the popular choice is to celebrate with a special after school treat.

DINER’S CHOICE

Let the kiddos pick the spot for a special picnic, or a favorite restaurant for dinner. One friend of mine allows her kids to eat ice cream for dinner on the first and last day of the school year.  If serving dessert for dinner is not your thing, perhaps an upside down dinner works. That’s eating dessert first, then dinner.

PHOTO OPS

Some families take a photo every year in the same spot in front of the house, or a special tree. Something they can mark year after year to show how much their child has grown or changed. Maybe take a picture of your child holding a sign with the date, their age and name of school. You could take a last day of school picture in the same outfit to compare the changes.

A SPECIAL BOOK

The night before starting school can make kids feel anxious and maybe a little excited. Reading a special book before bedtime might help ease those feelings. One mom recommends, “The Kissing Hand” which portrays a young raccoon too afraid to go to school because he will miss his mom too much. My kids enjoy this story so much we give Kissing Hands on the regular. Another couple of our favorites: “Are You Ready for Kindergarten Stinky Face?” and “Mrs. Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten.”

HOMESCHOOL TRADITIONS

For families choosing to homeschool, the hoopla of the back to school rush may feel a bit empty for them. Each family is different and may choose to create traditions of their own, or they may not celebrate it at all. Here is what some local mama’s who homeschool shared:

HAPPY NOT BACK TO SCHOOL DAY

Several moms shared they celebrate with a special activity, or picnic to mark the transition from the summer routine to the academic routine. They may gather together with several other families for a community picnic or a special party to celebrate.

SPECIAL MEALS

Spending the day eating their favorite foods, or making a special meal together helps some families observe the new school year.

SPECIAL VACATION

Since most homeschool families are not locked into a hard start date on the calendar, some families have the chance to take late summer trip to ease into the change of season. One mom says it’s nice to take advantage of the shortage of crowds with school aged children back at school.

Some moms don’t celebrate the new school year at all. They actually miss their kids leaving them each day. I for one am willing to see what all the fuss is about by missing my kids. *wink* I love my girls and I know I will miss them, but they are so excited to start school and begin their journey as big kids. It is my joy in watching their excitement that makes this next milestone one to celebrate.

How do you celebrate the new school year?

The Whatever Mom is a full-time wife and twin mama living on coffee and wine. She enjoys the pure rush of cleaning the BIG potty between loads of laundry. It is her dream that moms everywhere accept and embrace the Whatever Mom philosophy which can be found here. You can also find her musings and popular shares on Facebook and Twitter. Stay up to date with her creative ideas and outings on Pinterest.