1st day of school traditions?

[Sarah8914]

Hey guys, with my oldest starting school in a few weeks, I want to start some traditions. The only traditions we had as a family was eating blueberry muffins for breakfast and my dad lining us up and recording us telling what grade and teacher we had. I want to do some breakfast thing, but muffins wouldn't be special because we have some 1-2 times a week. I have a bil who takes the kids out for ice cream right after school on the first day.

Anyway, what do you do for the 1st day of school? I want some ideas!

[Darcy Baldwin]

Ours is different since we go out for donuts for breakfast and then spend the morning at the park, then do our school supply shopping after lunch.

[kristijoy]

Great question!! Mine is just starting preschool and the only thing I was going to do was buy him a new lunch box and take his PICTURE!!

[gracelikerain]

We have pictures from each year in the same spot: with their backpacks on heading out the front door. It's adorable to see how they've grown each year !

[jessica31876]

I did pictures on the first day of school. That is really the only tradition we had.

[Kjersti]

We really don't have traditions but make sure your camera is charged and ready to go!! Take photos of everything! The clock, their breakfast, getting hair done, putting on shoes, getting in their car seat, in front of the school (make sure you get there early), with their teacher, principal, etc!!!!!

When they start kindergarten their backpack is bigger than they are!! Get tons of photos of her with her backpack!!!

Is kindergarten 1/2 day or full day??

[crecia27]

I like the idea of a special at home food item! We take pictures including one of them walking away from me with their back packs on. Its the only day I walk them to school. I walk them to their class rooms and take pictures in there too. I take off work early (or better take the whole day off) and we go for ice cream and talk about their day and who they know in their class and how they like their teacher.

Oh, and I don't normally buy a bunch of clothes right at the first but I do make sure they have a spiffy new outfit.

[kbbeale]

Some good ideas above, I say!!! Especially remembering that your camera is charged - there have been TOO MANY TIMES that my camera dies in the middle of something important. Be sure to do this!

I agree about the backpack thing. They are so cute when the backpack is HUGE. We dont do anything extremely special, but both DH and I go with the kids to school on their first day, walk them in, take pics in front of the school (as well as near the car before we go). The special breakfast sounds good, come up with something special for your kids.

We also usually go out to dinner on the first evening after school.

Kristen

[julifish]

I had my girls wear their hair in pigtail braids grades K-3. In 4th grade that all went out the window. We pose in front of the house in the same spot every year. I also get a picture of them in front of the school sign where they always have the date of the first day of school posted. A picture with the teacher and a picture at their desk.

Other than that, I always put a little note in their lunch boxes.

[KateD]

Growing up my parents would take a picture of me and my sister in the same spot every year - in our cute new school outfits. I've carried over that tradition with my boys, but it hasn't been in the same place because we move around a lot with the military. I do like to take pictures of them with the kids at their bus stop and also getting on and off the bus on the first (and last) day of school.

[SmallMoments]

I walk down with Luke and take a pic of him in front of his classroom door. I can't really do anything more than that for pics b/c I have to be at my own classroom door to greet my class when they come in.

I love the going out for ice cream idea! We may do that this year!

[Sarah8914]

thank you!!! great ideas!!! I might use a lot of them. We're very lucky that the school is about 5 houses doesn't the street (but not on our street so we miss the traffic).... so we can walk her there every day and she sees it every day and gets excited!

kjersti, it's full day. I'm sad, but I know she's going to LOVE it and will be just fine. But going from being home with me and her sisters 24/7 to being at school 7 hours a day, 5 days a week, is ROUGH! She'll be exhausted.

[BrattyMeg]

um...I"m no help but the past 3 years I've met a friend for breakfast after dropping our kids off on their first day of school

[eranslow]

Originally Posted by FlirtatiousBrat

um...I"m no help but the past 3 years I've met a friend for breakfast after dropping our kids off on their first day of school

that's my kind of tradition!

[Julie Billingsley]

I'm thinking of going out to lunch and maybe having a manicure on the first day of school

[BrattyMeg]

Originally Posted by Julie Billingsley

I'm thinking of going out to lunch and maybe having a manicure on the first day of school

hey even better than breakfast!

[aggiefamily]

I plan on skipping down the sidewalk and yelling "I'm Free! I'm Free!"



No really we just do the photo in the morning. Dad leaves for work late so we can walk as a family to school. After school they come home to warm brownies and milk. At the end of the first week we go to Sonic for a drink.

[Paula]

We always have pancakes for breakfast. Then we take photos and I scrap them! LOL

[HeatherKS]

The usual before school pics by the tree in the front yard. Then I play the annoying mom who runs around the classroom snapping pictures before leaving. LOL A tradition that I didn't even realize I was starting until last year was having a pan of brownies fresh out of the oven when the bus gets here after school on the first day. It gives us a little special time to sit down so she can fill us in on the first day.

Sarah, my middle dd is starting full-day K this year too. I'm a little sad about it because it means she's growing up but I'm also excited to have the one on one time with ds. Since he's the youngest we've never really gotten to have that before and I'm looking forward to it.

[Milmomma]

This will be my first year. I figure I will wake up and make him pancakes and yogurt before school. Take the photo at the door and walk him to school. I'm sure there will be tons of photos. Afterwards I will pick him up and take him to go get ice cream probably and celebrate my baby is going to Kindy!

[Sarah8914]

love the brownie idea!!

and YES heather, my middle daughter needs some serious one on one time too and I'm REALLY looking forward to that!

[Stacey42]

I don't do anything in the morning because mentally I am on auto pilot. I do take their photos in front of the house & getting on the bus. I also put a note in their lunches (now that they can both read).

Then I go back to bed & sleep for 2 glorious uninterupted hours

Then I make cookies of some sort for when they get home as a special treat to eat while I quiz them about their day.

[kim21673]

With my oldest who has now graduated from high school...I just took pictures of him getting on the bus, with his backpack, etc....I had to work so I couldn't take him to school...sadly I have very few pictures of him at school because I was a teacher and taught in a different school district.

I am a SAHM now and not really sure what I am going to do so I am going to be thinking about all these suggestions!! So far, my 4 year went to preschool last spring and I took TONS of pictures with him standing at the front door, took pictures of his backpack hanging on the banister ready to go, pictures of him with his backpack on..ready to go, with his high school helper, etc......He went to high school that our oldest DS went to...they have an awesome preschool program that the high school kids teach but unfortunately it is only in the spring...for now. Jason will go again this coming spring and Seth will get to join him!!!! I will have two hours to spend with the new baby!!!!! We DID go to McDonald's after his first day as a special treat!!!

I will add that I taught full day kinder...it is EXHAUSTING for the kiddos...and the teacher!!! LOL We had a rest time every day for the first month or so (just so they could get adjusted) and I always had some that fell asleep and stayed asleep the rest of the afternoon!

[emmasmommy]

we do the photo in front of the tree in our yard with her and the little neighbor boy she's grown up with. in just the 2 yrs they were in preschool there's been SUCH a change.

I may have to start the brownie thing!

[Kara]

I'm planning on chocolate chip pancakes, followed by plenty of pics, of course! Brownies in the afternoon sound great, too!

[hollyxann]

From day 1 my mother always took pictures of me and my brother (we are 6 yrs apart) next to our mailbox at the end of the drive way with our backpacks on and lunch boxes on the first day of school EVERY YEAR.

In fact she even made me do it my first semester in college. TRUE STORY.

Same picture, same spot, every year...from start to finish. And we took a picture of me in my graduation cap and gown in the same spot too.

Oh and she always took pictures outside our classrooms too...that was annoying and embarassing. lol

[lovely1m]

Originally Posted by kim21673

I always had some that fell asleep and stayed asleep the rest of the afternoon!

This will so be my son! lol

[oohlala]

When DD was younger we went to a local Tea House (either the same day when she went to school 1/2 day or the day prior), had lunch and tried on lots of hats.. I have some great pics of that!
Now that she is a big girl we go for manis and pedis the weekend before.
And I take the usual pics.

[MommaTrish]

This is our third year to have a first day of school, and our second child starts this year too. We do pictures of them all dressed with their backpacks in the doorway between the kitchen and living room. We also all walk to school that morning. (Its basically around the corner and across the street from our house)