BACK TO SCHOOL TRADITIONS

It's hard to believe another school year is upon us.  I mean literally upon us.  I was an eager little girl, and when the school supplies christened the shelves I was ready.  I can remember walking down the aisles of K-mart, well before the start of school, smell of popcorn wafting through the air, K-Mart cherry Icee in hand, searching for the perfect Trapper Keeper, pencils, notebooks, and pens.  Not just any pens, but the fancy glitter gel pens.  Ahhh...good times.  

Though I loved preparing for back to school, it can be extremely overwhelming trying to make everything special, so I've started some simply splendid easy traditions to make our back to school moments one of the most nostalgic times for our little ones and for us.

Back to School Dinner

Make a meal or make a dinner reservation.  At the end of that first day of school, we sit down to a meal and reminisce about the day.  Some questions we like to ask are what was the best part of your day?  Did you make a new friend?  Did you make someone smile?  Are you worried about anything?  Of course the questions depend on the age of your kids.  I really try to listen to their answers, and I try to share some of my favorite back to school memories too.  My kids know about my love of shopping at K-Mart for school supplies because I tell them year after year. 

Back to School Time Capsule

We create a time capsule that can be opened at the end of the school year (or 10 years from now).  Some of the things we include in our time capsule are a piece of yarn cut to the length of our little ones, pictures from their first day of school, and a time capsule questionnaire.  The littles love to open their time capsules at the end of the year and compare their yarn to the height they are at the end of the year.

School Year Bucket List

We have our littles create a list of 10 things they would love to do during the school year.  Some of the ideas they included on their bucket list is to read a certain amount of books, make a new friend, do something kind for one of their teachers, try something new, and learn about a new topic.  There are so many possibilities.

Hopes and Dreams

Our oldest son wanted to get into the jazz band.  It was a hope and a dream for him and because of that it was a hope and dream for us.  He worked so hard mastering his instrument.  Finally, when he tried out he made the jazz band.  It is a moment we all relish to this day.  Have your littles share their hopes and dreams for the school year.  Create a plan to help them achieve that goal and remember to celebrate their accomplishments when their hopes and dreams come true.

Read a Special Book

For some children taking those first steps back into school can be an overwhelming experience and for others not so much.  The night before school begins we read a special book.  The Invisible String, The Way I Act, In My Heart: A Book of Feelings, or Change Sings are ones we've read in our household to prepare for those first days back to school.

Special Back to School Gift

Pick out a special gift that you think your littles will enjoy.  This year our littlest one was going into kindergarten.  We spent a lot of time together over the summer.  I thought she might have a tough time going to school, so I made her and me 'Mommy and Me' bracelets.  I had my little one pick out beads from our local craft store.  Then the night before school started I made the bracelets and gave them to her in the morning.  She was so excited to wear it, and she could not wait to see if I was wearing mine when she got home from school.  

Going back to school is such a special time of year.  Though, it can come with a range of emotions for everyone.  Having some special traditions can make the transition a little smoother and more memorable.  The wonderful part about creating back to school traditions is they can be unique to your family and passed on from year to year and from generation to generation.  I've shared a few of ours.  I would love to hear some of yours.  Wishing everyone the best of luck this school year.  

Happy creating,

~Michelle