Back to school traditions?

[TarzansKat]

Hi everyone,

I hope you all don't mind this slightly off topic post, I just felt was a good fit on the family board.

This year my son will be going to preschool for the first time. I'm a little nervous! He's really becoming a big boy, and I'm having a hard time with the transition! And since he really has no prior concept of school, being three years old, when I talk to him about going to school with other kids, he thinks that I'm going with him, too, doesn't really get the idea of me leaving him there. So I want to explain this and have him hopefully understand it so that he, and I, can avoid some tears!

I'd like to know if any of you have some back to school traditions you'd be willing to share with me to help get us pumped up in the weeks to come?

For school, he has to have a tote bag, not a backpack, to put the artwork they'll make in. I also plan to include some extra outfits, since he's newly potty trained. Of course, we'll have to go buy new sneakers and such, but that's not necessarily going to thrill him!

I've thought about possibly decorating the tote bag, maybe with one of those iron on transfers. He's very into pirates and Jack Sparrow, and there are some wonderful DISigns on the creative board, so that's something we could do, or perhaps I could let him pick his own design...

I also thought of maybe a back to school cake the night before, or something else similar to get the excitement up.

Any suggestions? I'd love to hear any of your fun back to school traditions, and thanks in advance.

 

[okeydokey]

We always take a picture of the kids in front of the sign at the front door. Then we can compare them year to year.

 

[TarzansKat]

We always take a picture of the kids in front of the sign at the front door. Then we can compare them year to year.

That's a great idea! Keep em coming!

 

[mom~of~2]

Hi! Well, I sent my oldest to preschool for the first time last year. My DD ended up being the "one" (literally the ONLY one) in her classroom that had a difficult time separating from mommy. All of the other moms were expecting difficult separations and were surprised to see their little ones walk right into the room without a fuss... chances are your little one will be just fine (although you may shed a few tears!). Anyways, after we had a difficult first day I started reading books about going to preschool (I wish I had thought about doing this before school started). I just started reading them again since we're gearing up for the big "4-year old" classroom! Our favorites are: "The Kissing Hand", "I Love You All Day Long", and "My First Day at Nursery School".

I also let DD pick out a new backpack and some new clothes (DD is starting to get picky about what she wears - probably a girl thing!). Your back to school cake sounds like a great idea. DD is in a morning class so we plan to take her out for a "first day" lunch (& ice cream) after pick up so she can tell us all about her first day.

 

[TarzansKat]

You just gave me a great idea! And on a side note, let me say that clothing thing is totally a girl thing! At least in respect to my son. The fussiest we get about clothes is that tee shirts must have a character on them, like Buzz or Mickey or Cars, and sometimes he doesn't want to wear the character I pick, so he wears a different one. That's pretty much it.

But DS loves McDonald's, and considers it to be a treat. That would be a great thing to do for him after school on the first day. He'll be in the morning session as well, thankfully, his first day is on one of my days off (I work part time), so I can easily take him out to lunch.

In order to keep myself distracted, my mom and I are going out to breakfast I drop him off, and then getting our eyebrows done. It's going to be my first without DS appointment. Very weird feeling, but good, I guess.

We do have a book about Busy Bear Goes to Kindergarten, so I could start making that part of the regular night time routine.

 

[JVL1018]

I always want to do cute cupcakes or a cake, but my sons birthday is around the time school begins-last year it was on the first day of school, poor kid. LOL
So I always have lots of cake leftover from his family celebration and his bday party, so I never do it, just too much cake within a few days.

Family Fun has some cute ideas, like this:

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50400

 

[TarzansKat]

Family Fun has some cute ideas, like this:

http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50400

Thanks for the link! I do love that Family Fun website/magazine. They always have the most creative things...sometimes I wonder...who has time for all that?

 

[blackforest]

Since my DDs ride the bus, we always have their picture taken in front of the same rock/wall (since we moved). It's really fun to compare the pictures. Also, we have been blessed in the past years to have 3 DGrandparents to be there, before the bus, to get pics. This year, sadly, we will be down to just my DM. But, she will be there with bells on as usual!

Also, DH and I take "Sad" picture, when they get on the bus, then a "Happy" picture for when the bus pulls away! Just our little brand of weirdness! And we always get the pictures printed out before they come home, so they can see themselves.

DD6 is entering K this year and will go in the afternoon, so we will be doing the bus thing twice. One at 6:30 a.m. for DD13 and once at 12 p.m. for DD6

 

[Tiffany_MommyOf3]

DS5 is going to school for the first time and we are doing cake the night before, we bought all new school supplies and a bunch of clothes and some new shoes and stuff. He is in love with his new clothes (my son loves new clothes LOL). Anyways, we are taking a picture the first day in front of the sign at the school and will do so every year at whichever school he is in until he is too old and protests LOLOL.

We will also be laying out his clothes the night before to get the excitement for the next day started. Speaking of which, I have to iron his entire closet this week so he can pick what to wear the night before (if I ask him now, he will change his mind a million times so best I just iron it all and have it all ready LOL)

 

[tchrrx]

Not a tradition, but something we're doing for DD this year that I think could be a fun tradition.

We bought DD new sheets (Camp Rock) for her bed. We're going to put them on her bed while she's in the bathtub the night before school starts.

 

[TarzansKat]

Guys, these are some great ideas! I love the happy/sad pic, and the new clothes idea, and the sheets.

You all are very creative. I'm wondering if maybe DS would like to pick out a new shirt for the occasion.

 

[JVL1018]

Thanks for the link! I do love that Family Fun website/magazine. They always have the most creative things...sometimes I wonder...who has time for all that?

I do a lot of looking and not a lot of doing..okay I never do any if it, but I always want to!

 

[pednurse]

I always take a picture of my kids in the same spot each year....it's fun to compare them from year-to-year. I also measure them each year when school starts and again at the end of school.....it's always amazing to see how they grow throughout the school year (as well as their growth spurts over the summers!). When they come home from school the first day we always go out for ice cream as a special treat to celebrate finishing the first day (took them to lunch as well when they finished their first days of preschool and kindergarten since they came home at lunch time). Something that is specific to DD....she requires a picture of me to be placed in her backpack the first day of school (yeah, she's my momma's girl).....something my DS wouldn't be caught dead with! LOL Also for DD (and DS when he was younger!).....we read "The Kissing Hand" and then I give "hand kisses" to hold onto to help them through that first day......which this year is TOMORROW!!

 

[The Disney Bunch]

We take pictures on the front steps & go for ice cream after school.

 

[GoofyG]

Ok, I'm sad I read everything you do and how the kids are going to school. I have a 4yr old and a 2yr old, and I wish they would be sad to leave me I'm lucky if I get a KISS! You heard me right they run in and not even a bye! On a side note, I do take thier pictures before school every yr. and at the end of the yr. I'm surprised at how much they change in 9 months. Crazy!
My 4yr old is starting Pre-K (all day every day 8:30-3) Now I have to adjust myself to that. They need a book for the mom's over the kid. My DD is excited and I'm sad, I'll see on Thursday how I am!

 

[gaelic grace]

We take pictures in the same spot each year.

 

[kellig]

We do pictures at school on the first day. We also go to dinner the first day of school to the restaurant of her choice (a tradition we started when DD was in K3). DD starts 2nd grade tomorrow and has been talking about her dinner and trying to decide where she wants to go eat for over a week now!

 

[lklasing]

One variation of the first day of school picture I've always wished I had done but didn't hear about until too late: When you take that first day of school picture starting with 1st grade, have the child hold up the number of fingers corresponding to what grade he/she is entering (1 finger for first grade, etc.). Believe it or not, you eventually will have trouble looking at a picture and remembering which year it was taken. When I heard that idea I thought it was the cutest thing but unfortunately both my girls were already well into elementary school.

BTW, my DD12 started junior high today. They really grow up too fast!

Leslie

 

[TarzansKat]

I'm really liking the lunch/dinner idea, taking him out I think will be something special he can look forward to.

And that's a great idea about the pics, don't know if it's been posted here already, but I think I read in a magazine as well, having the child hold up a paper with the number of the grade on it.

I can't even fathom junior high. I'm emotional enough about preschool!

 

[4r5sons]

We have taken a picture of all the kids together each year before school starts. You can really see how much they have grown that way.

Our other tradition that DH and I started MANY years ago is doing the "Happy Dance" in the driveway as they pull out or get on the bus... (my last one is going to PS this year!!!!)