As we flip the calendar to August, so begin the thoughts of back to school. In a few short weeks, we will get back into our daily routine. Our mornings and evenings will be hurried again. The sleepy mornings and lazy afternoons of summer will just be a faded memory.
In theory, I love the idea of not rushing and relaxing during the day but the type A in me hates not being on a schedule. So in an effort to chase away the back to school blues, I thought I’d write a few posts this month about things we do here to get the kids ready and excited for school.
Today I want to talk about back to school traditions. We have a few that our kids are especially fond of and a few they wish I wouldn’t make them do. It’s all about balance right! LOL! Without further ado, here is our list.
Back to School Traditions
1. First day of School Photos– now this is kind of a no brainer. Each year on the first day of school I take a picture of the kids dressed in their new outfits. They proudly hold a cute little sign proclaiming which grade they are about to enter. If you’d like to do the whole grade print out thing, head over to NAPCP and download your free artwork here. Now if you’d prefer to put a more creative spin on these type of photos, stay tuned next week for a new post with loads of ideas.
2. First day breakfast -my husband takes the morning off from work and we all sit down for a big breakfast together. When the kids were in elementary school he would even accompany us to school. Now the kids are in middle school and we won’t be allowed to walk them in. So goodbyes will have to be made after breakfast. Breakfast together may seem silly or even obvious but I find it so helpful. It can easily be overlooked on this busy morning.
3. Lunch bag notes– I always hide a note in their lunch bags on the first day. It isn’t fancy or long winded just a few short words of encouragement. I think they secretly look forward to them. I want to be clear I don’t have the time to do these everyday because well come on, right? But the first day is special and deserves to be treated such. If you kid is buying lunch at school you can just tuck the note in their backpack.
4. After school treats – last but not least, is cookies. Because everything is better with chocolate chip cookies, right? I always have a fresh batch ready for them when they get home from school. I realize that sounds all Martha Stewart like, so if you don’t bake, just grab a treat from your local bake shop. The kids will thank you, I promise.
Those are our favorite traditions for back to school. Do you and your family have some fun ones I didn’t mention? Please feel free to leave a comment below this post. I’d love to hear.
