OT: What Special thing did you do for your kids when they first started school?

[ThreeMusketeers]

DD will be starting school this year and DH and I would like to do something extra special and memorable for her and us .... any cute ideas ???

 

[melk]

I always make (or buy!) a "Happy first day of school" cake. When they get home we have cake and ice cream and talk about their day. It's become a tradition.

 

[MayMom]

My sweet DH took our little boy to lunch (just the 2 of them) and then surprised him by taking him to is new school and let him play on his new playground all by himself. He took him around all the equipment and let him try them out and explained how they worked. My DS has never forgotten this and he knew ALL about that playground on the first day!

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

Thanks for the ideas...I would love to hear more if anyone has any...

 

[Mouse House Mama]

On the first day of school we made a huge deal. (It was for us!) We video taped and took pictures. When it was time to pick ds up we took him out to lunch at McDonalds and ate at the place. We never eat there so that was fun for him. We all went to take him to school and pick him up (DH, DD, Me and DS#2in utero!) He was so excited! I thought I was going to throw up! (Of course I didn't let him know that!) Anyway- the cake idea is a great one! I may do that this year. It sounds like a great tradition. Thanks for sharing!

 

[mom*to*2*princesses]

My DD starts kindergarten this year. We've already made a big production of buying a new backpack and her school supplies. We're going to take a picture on the front steps of our house in the morning, and hopefully will do that every year until it's graduation time. Both my DH and I are going to take her to school on the first day. And on some days that she packs her lunch for, we'll put little "I love you" notes" in her lunch box. We've done that with preschool both years and it's been a good thing. I like the celebratory cake idea...of course, I'm always up for finding a reason to eat cake and ice cream.

 

[mommiepoppins]

I always make a great dinner that they love. I take pic and I get a ribbon from the $ store saying my first day. I am also bringing in cup cakes for the class (dd that is starting Kindergarten). I will walk her in and take pics. I am also sending love notes in her lunch pail!!!

 

[AMaloy314]

When I started kindergarten, (way too long ago!) my mother had a 'first day of school' charm on a silver necklace for me. I wore it on that first day. It became a tradition. Now that I have my own kids, Mom passed that necklace down to me. This year, my oldest son will wear it on his first day of kindergarten. I don't know if it will mean as much to him as it does to me, but I like it.

 

[3littleHalls]

DD is at her first day of 1st grade today! Our tradition that we have done ever since her first day of pre-school is going for a milkshake after school to discuss her day. I have also always taken her pic on her first day and last day of the school year. We let her pick for dinner last night. We also had a weekend get-a-way before school started. Went to the zoo, shopping, and go carts. We make a big deal about good behavior rewards, and good grades.

 

[Caitsmama]

Wow, great thread! Thanks for all the ideas! DD starts Kindergarten in 2 weeks, so i am subscribing to this for ideas..
I love the cake idea! Keep 'em coming!

 

[krismom]

not a first day of school tradition but still... every year my Mom let my sister or I spend our birthday with her. Yup! we missed school on our birthday every year! If it was on a weekend, we still had the whole day with just her... diner for breakfast, movie, shopping, girl talk....it is still one of the highlights of my childhood memories (although probably not too popular nowadays with all the "take your kids out for Disney" threads!)

 

[PollyannaMom]

Like a couple of other posters said, I took DS out for ice cream when I picked him up after the first days of nursery and pre-school.

(But as he will be coming home on the bus from kindergarten this year, I may try the cake idea.)

I also plan to have a balloon on his chair at breakfast in the morning.

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

What great ideas everyone! We too have made a huge deal out of the backpack and school supplies...DH and I will both bring her in the am on day One...and take her out to lunch afterwards at her favorite place...(which changes daily..lol) and i love the cake and ice cream thing. I also bought this small charm..its a unicorn..I thought i would make a bracelet out of it and send it with her for luck. Maybe she will want to keep wearing it as a tradition..(that would just make my life.) lol These kids grow up too fast!

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

What great ideas everyone! We too have made a huge deal out of the backpack and school supplies...DH and I will both bring her in the am on day One...and take her out to lunch afterwards at her favorite place...(which changes daily..lol) and i love the cake and ice cream thing. I also bought this small charm..its a unicorn..I thought i would make a bracelet out of it and send it with her for luck. Maybe she will want to keep wearing it as a tradition..(that would just make my life.) lol These kids grow up too fast!

I LOVE that idea! Maybe to bounce off of it, give her a new charm for every grade she enters? I know that I would wear it everyday!

 

[ThreeMusketeers]

I LOVE that idea! Maybe to bounce off of it, give her a new charm for every grade she enters? I know that I would wear it everyday!

AUGHHHH!!! I LOVE THAT IDEA! Thanks...

 

[scrappinmom]

I love the charm braclet idea!!!! That one is great!

We make a big deal - I get up and sneak out for fresh bagels for breakfast onday #1, we go to lunch afterwards at Chili's (their choice) the 1st day here is always a half day.

I have more of a last day tradition....on the last day of school..I bake this cool sandcastle cake - a sand castle, with blue frosting water, gummy fish etc...to celebrate the beginning of our fun summer!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I remember being scared to death my first day of school, especially when my mom dropped me off at the classroom door and left!

Fortunately DS6 was more excited than nervous last fall. I took pictures at home with him wearing his (enormous!) backpack. Daddy went into work late so that we could all walk him to school. I took more pictures at school (with each of us), and of him walking into the classroom door.

Yes, I was a little emotional, and DS was a bit nervous, but his attitude was great, so no problems or embarrassments for anyone.

And just a little tip: We used the same words at the drop-off and pick-up that we used to use at daycare. This routine probably helped him a bit.

 

[minniebeth]

I have my kids make placemats a few days before school starts using stamps, stickers, markers, etc. ususally in a school theme.
We use it for breakfast on their first day of school along with a requested favorite breakfast.
I take lots of pictures of them before school, but make sure to get one with a sign that says: "_____________'s first day of (whatever grade), 2006"
A few times I have been able to find a cookie decorating kit in the grocery store that has a schoolbus cookie in it along with frosting and sprinkles.
The kids decorated them themselves.
I make sure to jot down some of what they say about their experiences they had their first day of school for their memory albums.
Whatever you do, it is bound to become tradition, because my kids always ask, are we going to do that again next year??

 

[Pooh Crew]

I have a kindergartener and three first graders this year so the first day of school was more traumatic for me than them.LOL I made a big breakfast, we took lots of pictures, and dh and I both took everyone to their classes. My kids love to take their lunch, so everyday I put some kind of a surprise in their lunch boxes...some days it's a small chocolate, some days it's a love note, some days it's a funny kid joke. They love getting these little things.

 

[jchick]

I looove this thread! I make a big deal out of everything! DD8 is going into 3rd grade and my baby DD2 3/4 is going to preschool! We've already gotten backpacks, took them to be monogrammed, new supplies, etc.

I scrapbook and I have pics of DD8 every year on her first day with her bookbag (it used to look SOOO big!). I always do a special first day of school page in her scrapbook with info like teacher's name(s), type of bookbag, what she ate for bfast that morning, etc. I also take her in and take pics at her desk, with her teacher (though she's probably starting to get embarassed by this!), with friends and tablemates (though she'll have her singlular desk this year...sniffle, sniffle).

I'm doing everything to get DD2 3/4 excited about preschool! She seems excited, but I'm aprehensive b/c she's been home with me since birth...this is her first time without me (I'm a little sad...but, honestly, too excited for the freedom to be too sad!) Any ideas for preschool?