You have traditions for nearly every holiday during the year, but do you have back to school traditions? Back to school time is one of the most exciting, stressful, and rewarding times for both parents and students.
When summer is coming to an end it’s hard to say goodbye to all that freedom and the relaxed schedule. It’s hard to wrap up all the vacation memories and summer fun we’ve had and say goodbye to all that fun. But, we know that we have to.
There’s so much to do when we’re getting ready for school to start. There are all the supplies to buy. All the clothes shopping to do. There’s getting the kids back into a reasonable bedtime and morning routine and there are all kinds of scheduling changes. Maybe you need to make new daycare or after-school care arrangements. Or, is it time for sports to start back up again, with all the driving and carpooling that happens with that?
In all those overwhelming changes, it’s easy to get wrapped up in becoming task oriented. It’s easy to get lost in all the To Dos swirling in our heads. And, I’m the first one to tell you just how much I love to Start a New Morning Routine.
You can even go here to KiwiCo. and get some Free Back To School Printable Routines. They are so adorable and have versions for Elementary and Preschool.
But, step out of that for a minute.
This is the time to savor the changes that have happened over the past year. We need to stop a minute and recognize that this is a big marker of growth. It’s time to memorialize your student’s new year in school.
20 Back to School Traditions for Your Whole Family
Don’t try to go overboard and do too many of these. Remember, we don’t want to add to the craziness you’re already going through. We want this to be fun and special, not just another thing for your To Do list. Just pick a couple that will easily fit into your schedule and help you enjoy the season.
- Decorate the house while the kids are sleeping and Make a Special Breakfast – we’re talking balloons, streamers, signs, banners
- Go out for ice cream after school
- Take a picture of them with favorite toys and activities – this will give you a good way to remember all the things that were important to them in this season of their life
- Write a letter to them – you can give this to them or do it each year and give it to them at graduation.
- Mark their height on a door frame – most of us have a spot in the house that we mark their height. This is a great time to mark it each year
- A picture with First Day of School signs – these are so cute and a great way to mark their new grade
- Buy a special book to kick off their learning
- Make a special family dinner – pick their favorite meal
- First Day of School Memories page – fill out one of these each year to show the changes they go through.
- Send special Lunchbox notes
- Have a Scavenger Hunt for school supplies
- Make a Time Capsule
- Shop together for a gift for the new teacher
- Have an ice cream social with the neighbor kids to build excitement with new and old friends
- Have a First Day of School Show and Tell Dessert after dinner.
- Make a treat for all the bus stop buddies.
- Have a party with decorations the night before. Having a special breakfast on the morning of may be just a little too much, so just do it the night before.
- Work together to make freezer breakfasts. Prep things like breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, and muffins to make breakfasts a breeze.
- Have a fashion show with all their new outfits – great opportunity to get pics in their nice new clothes.
- Surprise them with milk and cookies for their first after-school snack.
After They Get To School
Now, you’ve been rushed and frazzled and stressed getting all these things done and finally … you just dropped them off at school or sent them out the door to the bus. Guess what? You deserve a little something. It’s time to take a deep breath, let it all out, and CELEBRATE!!!
Do something special like going out to coffee or breakfast with all the other moms. Or, even host brunch or coffee for the moms at your home. Don’t make it too difficult – remember – you just went through the whirlwind of back-to-school. Prepare an overnight breakfast casserole, some fruit, and drinks (coffee, tea, bloody marys, mimosas). The moms will all love a chance to have some girl-time and a little breather for themselves.
Print out the Back to School Traditions ideas list so you can remember what to do year after year.
And, don’t forget to let us know in the comments what your favorite traditions are. I can’t wait to hear all about them.
