PLEASE DON’T GET MAD AT ME!!! I am completely aware that it’s still midsummer for many of you who don’t go back to school until after Labor Day. But some of us are already heading back, and others have been back for weeks already! If you’re still in summer mode, don’t let me steal your joy. Just save this post and read when it’s time. Love you, bye!
For the rest of you… I seriously cannot believe it’s already back-to-school time either. While I do love summer, this is also one of my favorite times of year. I loved it as a kid, loved it even more as a teacher, and in In the words of the great Meg Ryan it just makes me want:
I really want to pass this feeling of being excited to go to school on to my kids, and there are a few things we make sure to do that make it feel less scary and nerve wracking. I also have a couple of very simple, low-lift traditions that make the start of the year feel special and help me document it really easily.
Here are my favorite (very easy) traditions to make the first day a little more special and a little less overwhelming!
On the first day of school:
Do a “first day” interview! We like to do video interviews because it’s so fun to look back on how much they change in just a year! Here are the questions we ask:
What is today?
How old are you?
What school are you going to?
What do you think you might do when you grow up?
What’s your favorite animal?
What’s your favorite thing to play?
What are you excited to do at school?
Do you know how much we love you?
Take polaroids of them in front of your house/ school to add to their baby journal or whatever else you use to store keepsakes. I use the Fuji instant camera and Instax film! To take the photo I use just a simple letter board I got years ago on Etsy.
Have a hearty snack (or an early dinner!) ready as soon as they get home. My kids barely touch their lunches some days so when they get home they are tired and HANGRY. Their favorite is when I make a “snack plate” or kids version of a charcuterie board.
Go out for ice cream, have a bedtime dance party or have another extra special ritual to celebrate making it through day 1.
Leave extra time at bedtime for processing feelings or to talk about what happened that day (and keep in mind they may be exhausted and need to go to bed a bit early!)
Avoid making it too big of a deal. While we want to share excitement and encouragement, we also don’t want to overwhelm them. I recommend trying to stay calm and cool, pumping them up without false promises like “you will have SOOOOO MUCH FUN!” Just letting them know you know they can do it, you’ll be thinking about them all day, and you can’t wait to hear all about it later is enough! More tips for talking about it, saying goodbye, etc. here!
Aim to leave 10-15 minutes earlier than normal. Take it from this seasoned mom and former teacher- leave yourself plenty of time in the morning. We try to get to school a little early on the first day because it’s usually MAYHEM!!! There are usually so many parents and family members wanting to take photos etc. Plus who wants the stress of being late for the first day!?
Pop a little “thinking of you” surprise in the backpack or lunchbox- a little note, drawing or photo will help them get through the day if they’re feeling emotional.
Plan for some downtime or special time to connect in the evening. They’ve been holding a lot in, and missing you! Try to set the phones and work e-mails down to have dinner together, read books or play board games as a family, or do something else to fill up their “belonging” cup!
Want more? Here are some great podcast episodes to check out:
Simplifying your morning routine and managing back-to-school chaos
Choosing the right fit for daycare/preschool and how to have a smooth entry
Kindergarten readiness, red shirting and reading
Boys and school- why are they struggling?
I used to loveeee back to school shopping. Our school provides most supplies so I really miss out on reliving the high of choosing my composition books and new pencils and deciding which color folder would go with which subject (red was always math, IYKYK). But there are a few things we’ve purchased for back to school that I’d highly recommend:
If you’re shopping for back to school, a few of our favorite things that have stood the test of time:
State backpacks. These are priceyyyyy and my immediate response when I saw them was “cute but hell no.” But I’m here to tell you they are worth the price tag. My son is about to start 3rd grade and we got him this backpack for Kindergarten. It’s still in awesome condition and he beats the hell out of this thing.
Planetbox lunchbox items. We love the simple stainless steel lunchboxes and the lunchboxes are slim enough to easily slide in and out of backpacks.
Stainless water bottles. DO NOT SPEND A LOT on water bottles for your kids, TRUST ME! My kids have lost at least 5 or 6 at school! Simple ones do the job, though I do try to avoid plastic water bottles so they’re still kind of a lot to replace.
Name Labels. As stated above, we like to get stuff that is durable and that means more $$ sometimes. One way you might get your stuff back if it’s lost is with a good name label. These are the ones we’ve used for years and they are still stuck to the lunchboxes, even after going through the dishwasher EVERY DAY!!! Seriously impressive, plus they come in so many cute colors and patterns.
Quince dresses. If anyone else has a 3-year old girl who ONLY wears dresses, these are great. I like the quality, she loves that they have pockets, and they are super comfy. Plus if you buy 3 at a time they are majorly discounted to just $18 each!
While you’re giving your credit card a little workout, treat yourself to something too! Merit is giving you a free gift right now (the mini flush balm blush which is so pretty!) with a $75+ purchase, only until 8/15.
For those of you who have a really little one who’s going to be starting school or daycare for the very first time ever (!) this year, here are the things I recommend doing to prep (exclusive for paid subscribers!)- just keep scrolling down!
I’d love to hear from you if you have other fun back-to-school or “first day” celebration ideas, or any advice you’d give to parents navigating this for the very first time. Head to the comments to share anything that’s worked well for you!
Up Next (if you loved this one!):
Lunch Packing, Play Dates, Saying Goodbye + Other BTS tips!
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