5 Family Traditions to Make the Start of the School Year Special

I LOVE the start of a new school year. As a kid, I remember the excitement of going to pick out folders and notebooks (Lisa Frank of course), agonizing over the “perfect” first day of school outfit, and the search for the best backpack.

I am really cognizant of wanting to mark certain passages of time in a meaningful and thoughtful way with Callie. I don’t want to rush through it in eagerness to get to the “next” thing or in a way to smooth through any potential nerves that might happen in transition. I want to create memories and traditions to make these milestones feel special for her–things that she will remember and cherish.

Here are 5 simple things that you can do to make the start of the school year feel special:

Celebrate the End of Summer

The start of the new school year also means the end of summer! We make sure to look back over the summer to highlight some of our favorite memories and events. This is super helpful when your kiddos are younger to help them answer the question of “What did you do on your summer vacation?” when they go back to school.

Take turns sharing your favorite memories from the summer at dinner
Create a scrapbook or journal to chronicle your summer adventures
Create a quick summer recap video using an editing app that you can watch as a family

Commemorate Back to School Shopping

We make back to school shopping an entire all day event. We spend part of the day getting Callie’s school supplies, go to her favorite lunch spot, and wrap up the end of the day with school clothes shopping. By making it an “event” rather than something on our “To Do List” we are creating a special day for her and it’s something that she looks forward to every year.

Set Up For First Day Success

There’s a lot to remember when you’re getting into a new routine. We tend to ease into a “school schedule” the week before school starts–bedtimes reset, we get up a little earlier, and we start preparing for the big day. The night before, we pack her backpack, prep her lunch, and review schedules and logistics so none of us are freaking out in the morning. This gives us time to let her talk through any jitters or nerves and we can reassure her before she goes to class the next day.

Special Breakfast

Every year without fail, we make pancakes for breakfast for the first day of school. When she was little, it was a happy face made out of whip cream and chocolate chips and now that she’s a teenager, she still wants her whip cream and chocolate chips but hold the happy face. Another fan favorite is her fav chorizo breakfast tacos. A unique treat for breakfast is an easy way to commemorate the big day and make if feel like a mini holiday.

We Survived the First Day Celebration

If you didn’t have the capacity (or the energy!) to do anything festive the night before or the morning of school, you could still make it a special night. Have a pizza party, go out for ice cream, talk about the highs and lows of the day, and celebrate. Gold stars for everyone for making it through a big day and kicking off a new year!