Hi, everyone!
We have one week left of summer vacation before my boy starts kindergarten (waaahh!!). I was wondering what your first day of school traditions are? The last two years, on my son's first day of preschool, I've taken his picture holding a sign that says "First day of preschool" with the date, how old he is, and the school he is going to. I'm probably also going to try to put him in the same outfit for the first day of school and the last day of the school of year - if I can remember. :)
I'd love to hear what other families do to mark the occasion.
J.
new outfit for the 1st day of school.
new backpack.
& a pic on the 1st morning. This year was my younger son's 1st year to drive himself to school....even got a shot as he drove down the street!
I take a picture. We also light a candle and say a special blessing for our intent for the school year. I tell the children they are walking the golden path to learning.
My husband always takes our daughter out for breakfast because that is what his mom did for him and his sister.
Right before we walk to school, I take a picture of them on the front walk, wearing their backpacks, from the back with them turning their heads to smile at the camera. The first year, my older daughter's backpack went down to her knees (she was in preschool) and her baby sister was sitting down next to her, chewing on her lunchbox. ;) This year, they went into 3rd and 5th grades. The little one has graduated into a "big kid" backpack, and the older one had a completely full big kid backpack... comparing the pictures side by side from year to year is hysterical, and also kind of alarming. Before you know it, your son will be heading off to middle school!
We get a picture of her each year getting on the school bus. Her picture last year, 4th grade, was of her back because she was too excited to wait!
I don't know if there's been a year for her that her first day outfit would have still fit her on her last day!
First day of school picture with new backpack and favorite new outfit, holding up their fingers with the number of their grade. (a sign for kindergarten). After school, I pick them up and go for frozen yogurt to celebrate!
Don't forget to take the last day of school picture too - to see how much they've grown/changed. :)
Over the last weekend before school started (2 weekends ago) we crammed a bunch of fun in as a family. Sunday evening, we had a special dinner that he chose, and went swimming to wear him out and help him go to sleep easily. My PLAN was to wake him up with the video camera for his first day of kindergarten (and I was thinking it'd be kinda funny to see how he bounces out of bed with excitement now but would probably change that attitude in his teen years), but it didn't work out. I was planning on waking him at 6:30 but he came out of his room wide awake, dressed, eyes as big as golf balls, at 5:40. I was like "Um, WOW...would you like to lay down a little longer?" but he wasn't in the mood for sleep. So, I cooked his breakfast (blueberry muffins, bacon, OJ) and he had some "man time" hanging out with his dad while I packed their lunches and his snack. Since I missed the video taped morning wake up, I set up the camera so it would record him at the table and as he was close to finishing up breakfast, I turned it on (I don't think he noticed) and I had a little first day of school interview with him. (Is he excited, what does he think about starting school, is there anything he's hoping for, or hoping doesn't happen, what does he hope his teacher will be like, etc, etc). It was about 5-7 minutes long. I think that may be nice to do, to see what he's thinking and what he's excited or concerned about over the years, etc to show who he is as the years progress. The morning went really smoothly, and we had time for our morning devotional and prayer before time to go. Before we left, I took a picture of him with his backpack and lunchbox, standing by the door. When we got to school, I took a picture of him with his backpack on, little brother waving bye, right in front of the school. After school, I gave him 15 minutes of downtime to change clothes, wash up, have a snack, unpack his bag and show me his folder and his "stuff", then we just talked. It was easy this time, but as he gets older I'll probably take him out for an ice cream or something to encourage talking. It wasn't necessary this time around. It went really well. I'd like to do basically the same things for the first day, every year.
I like the idea of also taking a last day of school picture, and will totally adopt that. :)
I'm terrible about getting that first day of school pic. We manage to get that done maybe once every three years.
Our traditions are more about the last day of summer vacation, which we spend doing something fun as a family (well me and the kids and some of their friends). I try to do their favorite fast dinner that night (usually tacos) and get them off to bed early.
On FDOS I try to get them to eat a hot breakfast - usually some combination of multi-grain pancakes or waffles, eggs, bacon and fruit. Some prefer to buy lunch on day one, others prefer to bring because lunch is usually delayed on that day here. I try to take my little guys to the playground after school on the first day, then serve a special dinner that I've done in the crock pot or was able to roast (like roast chicken or crock pot ribs, something special). I am usually on vacation the whole first week of school but this year I can't take the week off so I'm off the day before and working from home the day of (this Wednesday). After a great start, we're usually back to being disorganized and chaotic by the 2nd day of school but I try to make that first one run really smoothly.
I always take their picture by the front door with their backpacks and everything. We do one regular pic and then one of them messing around. Those have ended up being some of my all time favorite pictures of them. I have going back to 2004 on my computer and love going back and looking at them on the first day every year.
Then, I take them to school...actually I just realized that this will be the first year I won't be doing that. My son is a junior and has his license and drives my daughter (freshman) to school every day. Sad tradition to end.
I remember walking them in when he was 4th grade and she was 2nd and he reached up and grabbed my hand. That was the last time he did that.
i just wanted to say, i put my babies(9 and 7) on the bus an hour ago and now that i'ts time to start my day, i'm just so sad and emotional. No one is on Facebook this morning so i came here and i was so glad to see a post about starting school. ugg. i know i just need to get busy but they are growing up so fast.
To answer your question, I just take a photo by our front walk and i always taket he morning off to see them go. I try to make chocolate chip cookies for them to have as a snack when my mil gets them off the bus.
PInterest has a cute idea of you taking a photo of them holding a framed photo of them from last year, So my Second grader would be holding a framed photo of her first day of first grade. way too much for me to handle.
oh and the cute thing of secretly having their teacher write them a message on the first day of school in the front cover of that DR Suess book Oh the places you'll go, and then when they graduate they get it. again too much work but cute.
