My daughter is starting kindergarten this year. She went to Pre-K at a center, but since she's starting school at a big girl school, I really want to do something extra special that could be a tradition for years to come. Hopefully something a little more than just going out for ice cream after school since we do that enough already ;-)
I'm really curious to hear what some of your traditions are!
We don't have a tradition. But my daughter's kindergarden teacher gave them a paper cone with some candy and small toys. It was a German tradition and very cute. It wasn't expensive for her to make for the kids either. That was 3 years ago and my daughter still talks about it. Good luck finding your tradition.
Sarah,
I know this isn't really much, but before my little guy leaves for school. I get him ready from head to toe, backpack, lunch box and all and take a picture. I put a special note in his lunch box and take a picture when he gets home.
Good luck.
Shelly
36 y/o SAHM of 3 boys
14, 6 and 4
We have always gotten the kids ready for school (including donned backpack and lunchbox in hand) and taken a photo. They are usually very excited about the day.. and it shows in the pictures.
With today's digital photos and computers, it would make a cute collage frame later.. instead of the "traditional" "school photo" from each grade, you insert a photo from the first day of school instead..
We don't do ice-cream a lot, but we went and had ice-creams as a family the day BEFORE school... a little while prior to the open house. (sort of a last day of summer sort of treat!)
This is a little different and my daughter will start Kindergarten and we will start this one. My girlfriend's daughter is about to start college. From the time she started 1st grade they always took a pictures of her outside their front door on the first day of school. Each picture through out the years shows her clothing style, her backpack, her hair style, how tall and how much she changed from year to year, as well as the "front yard'.
Like I said... it's different.
P.S. - After reading everyone elses responses... I see it's NOT DIFFERENT!!! I guess it's a good idea since so many families do it :o)
My mom always did the photo thing, all the way through high school. It became horrible later on but I still have fond memories and the crazy pictures are interesting since it was always your favorite and new clothes you wore. We were always driven to school the first day and that was nice too. Maybe a new book with an inscription on the first day would be nice, you could correllate it to something they enjoy or like, and do the same thing every year. Good luck.
my son is just 2 but I plan to continue what my parents did. After the 1st day of school- "the Phantom" would come & leave a note on the table telling us to go to the swingset & there'd be a note there telling us to go to the upstairs shower, and then the basement, our bedroom, the playroom, the garage... we'd follow the notes & at the end he's leave us a present. Sometimes school supplies, or a new outfit or just something fun we had been asking for. We "knew" it was them (because no one else had the phantom ;) but it didn't matter. My sister still does it for her boys & they are 13, 16 & 18!
A couple of things we have done:
1. Mom and child shopping date- We would take 1/2 a day before school started and go shopping for school supplys and a new outfit and have lunch out- so fun!
2. Take a photo of your child the first day of school and do it every year. those photos by themselves in a little album would be so cute
3. Special breakfast or way of waking up
start the day off with a special breakfast...
I always take my daughter's picture at home, and then with her assigned teacher when we get to her classroom. I know a family who took their daughter's picture each first day, then, when she went away to college, stayed in a hotel until the first day of classes and took her picture outside her dorm room!
It might also be sweet to make her a special breakfast in bed, or you could write an entry together in a journal (maybe along with the picture). Perhaps the journal entry could be done the night before to alleviate stress on the morning of.
My mom would take a picture of my brother in front of a specific hutch in the dining room each 1st day morning and through out the years it served as a "growth chart" of sorts as we could watch how much he grew that year. Also an idea of mine was to take those pictures and then have the kids autograph them. It's fun for them but also shows how their writing has changed from year to year. Congrats to the new "big girl"!!
Hi Sarah,
My mother alway took me school clothes shopping, something that I am continuing with my children. Of course now we have to add the school supply shopping trip too - mostly to get what is on the dreaded list and a backpack. On the first day of school we take pictures so we can remember not only the first day but the new outfit too. I read the story "The Kissing Hand" the night before and every morning before school I kiss their palm and put it on their cheek and say "mommy loves you". Last year, I missed one day and had to go back and do it... not just for her but for me too. Good Luck!!
Every school year we would go and pick out a special first day of school outfit and have lunch out that day. Then the first morning of school I would take pictures of them before they got on the bus. They loved it and are now adults and love looking back at all the first day of school pics....That means more than an outing or anything you can buy because they have it the rest of their lives. Also I purchased a school memory book and we took time and put different things in the book each year. They also love looking through that. I kept a lot of the special things they made over the years too. We also had a Birthday book that I kept for them. Something to hang on to the rest of her life is the best ever. Take the photo's. She will love you for it when she is older....
Ok, so I guess I will be repetitive - but, my mom ALWAYS took a picture on the first day of school just as we were getting ready to leave. I remember being in high school and groaning about it. I also remember moving back home after college for 6 months and the first day I left for my first full time job, there was mom with the camera. I am now 41 and still remember all those pictures - we even laugh about it at times. I guess that means it must've been a special memory!
I like the idea of reading "The Kissing Hand" - I read that now to my 3 1/2 year old and he likes to give kisses to family members when they are leaving so they have a "kiss" with them until we see them again.
You received a lot of other good ideas. Good Luck and enjoy the first day!
My daughter and I do a "new school clothes" shopping day. If your daughter is wearing a uniform to school then how about taking her to pick out a new backpack/bag? You could also take her to get a manicure or a pedicure if you don't think she is too young for that type of thing.
New shoes and a lunch box. Will never forget picking them out with my Mom.
My dad would give us a "father's blessing." You could say a prayer together for the school year. It eases apprehensions.
I'm a picture person, so I document everything then blog it and journal it:)
You could help her sprinkle some "fairy dust" (glitter or confetti) under her pillow before she goes to sleep to help ease any anxieties.
What about a charm braclet? Let her pick out a charm and wear it only on special occasions. Each year let her pick out a new charm to add to the braclet. Also you could do a photo shoot and journal each years first day in pictures. You could also write her a letter while she is away on her first day. Keep a shoe box and place the letters each year in the box. On her, College graduation or Wedding Day present her with the box. You could have her draw a picture also of her first day each year. Keep these and turn them into greeting cards when she has a family of her own. Or send HER the SAME card over and over each year with a special message from you to her for the first day. Bits of wisdom or what her name means, things that are just her!
Hope any or all of these help you out. Bless you and your children as they grow.
Sincerely,
Debi
Hi, Sarah. Well, a tradition that you want to carry out for the next 12 years could be a nice, big family dinner, maybe with grandparents, candles, flowers, the good dishes, etc., with the child as the guest of honor and the child's favorite food being the main course. Of course, that means that the main course might end up being macaroni and cheese on the good china, but what the heck -- special is still special. ( :
Peace and Blessings,
Syl