Back to school traditions.

When my kids were in preschool and kinder, the teachers would give us a small package of kleenex tissues on the first day of school, you know the ones that you can put in your purse?? Then all of the moms (and some dads too) would go to the school cafeteria for a "hanky party"...to have a cup of coffee and "cry" about our little babies leaving us for the first time. It was a great way to meet some of the other parents. Sounds kind of funny now, but we were all a little nervous about how our kids would handle the time without us! The moms that I met in the early years are now some of my dearest friends and we still meet for cofee on the first day of school!

I always take my daughter to the mall to shop for new outfits - a special one for the first day of school. Then there is the first day of school picture, with and without her backpack. I also have always tucked a little note into her lunchbox wishing her well and telling her I miss her. In previous years she has shown me this note on the last day of school because she has kept it in her binder all year. She just started Jr High 14 minutes ago and I wish I had sent her a note this year - I thought it might embarass her so I didn't do it, maybe I will tomorrow. Can you tell I'm nervous for her?

Every year on the first day of school, my kids come home to fresh baked chocolate chip cookies. There are lots of other things we do to prepare--obviously school supply shopping, first day of school clothes, and tennis shoes for each. This year the first day of school is the 21st and on the 22nd I will hop in the car to drive down to Nashville for CKU where I will be taking your album class on Friday! Just a little bit of stress for our first week back to school!!! I will need to be ultra organized! Can't wait to meet you!

Our tradition has always been to go out for pizza for dinner the night of the first day of school. The kids love it and I get a chance to fill out all the forms needed from all the teachers etc. And my husband gets to hear how their day went, who their teachers are etc. without any interuptions.

We always took a picture at the same spot in front of the same tree in our front yard. I love looking back at those picture... but I saw (in a scrapping magazine I think) A mom who took her kids first day of school pictures in front of their family car! I love that idea-- because over the year you see how the family car has changed along with the child!

we didn't have any traditions when I was in school, but I remember getting pencil sharpening blisters every year from my pencil crayons... I don't ever remember actually making resolutions, but September has always been new years for me - it was never in january - maybe that has to do with the more than 20 years I was in school though!

oh this is so fun!...i am only taking Q to preschool this year but even the 2 hours a day three days a week is starting to get me teary:)...love the picture by the front door & the lunch lady breakfast! oh goodness that is too funny!...also the donations & bring enough supplies for other kids who can't afford them...i love that so so much!...so many great ideas! & i'm on the hunt for 'the kissing hand' don't even know what it's about but it sounds right up my alley:)...thanks for this ali dear:) such fun memories...

We are taking our almost 4th-grader out for dinner tonight at the place of her choice. School starts tomorrow, & she will have her breakfast on our family's "red plate," used only for special occasions. I will take photos at the bus stop, only not too close. She's much too cool for that. I have taken the day off work tomorrow. When school is out, I will pick her up & we will spend some time together. Our original plan was to go bowling (out of the Indiana heat), but last night she decided we should stay home to paint & create! This mom is excited about that!
Hope this helps! What a great topic!

When I was a school-ager, my mother refused to buy me a "school box," instead making me use one of my father's cigar boxes for my supplies. I was not pleased about that & will buy my daughter a new school box evey year she needs one! Funny how little things stick in your mind!
Oh, I don't want my mom to sound too mean here - it was just something she didn't seem to think was necessary.

We have a party on the first day of school. While the student is at school, I hang up streamers and balloons, all over the place - outside too. That night we have take-out (usually pizza), and a special dessert (usually chocolate moose cake, I'll share the recipe if you like).
Just makes the first day of school extra special!

Trapper keepers!!! OF COURSE!!! Loved 'em! :) We didn't do anything too special....just simple things like the fact that we couldn't wear new school clothes until the first day of school. Even now, as a teacher, I can't resist getting something new to wear and I won't wear it until the first day of school. :D

Hate to break it to you, Ali, but where Simon is going the teachers provide the supplies. Crazy, huh?!
But, we shop the sales anyway and stock up on arts & crafts supplies for at home. We like to go to the teacher/homescholl supply stores, they have fun workbooks, stickers, etc.
Oh, and a new lunchbox is a must every year!

We vacation in the Adirondack Mountains the week before school starts. As we drive out of town on Labor Day, my husband takes the two boys for one final hike to the top of a special mountain. There they talk about their hopes and dreams for the new school year!

I always take my kids out for ice cream, and talk about their day. We do this the first day of school, and the last day of school...each year. Celebrating the beginning and end!

With the oldest a senior in high school and the youngest entering middle school, shopping for school supplies is not the same as elementary school, with the glue sticks, crayons and graham crackers! We often go out to eat dinner at a restaurant following the first day of school. It is a nice time to sit and listen to the girls tell of stories, new friends, locker issues, etc. I also find myself trying to cram in as much fun stuff as possible the last week before Labor Day so we feel like we got the most out of our summer vacation!

I am a teacher (my DD starts Kindergarten this year also so I am reading all the great ideas) and one year one of my students brought me a slice of cake from her Back to School Family party from the night before. I thought it was really sweet and I was more impressed that her family had a little party the night before. A couple years later her brother was in my class and he also brought me a piece of cake. I thought this was such a nice family tradition of having a simple family party to celebrate.

On the way home from the first day of school (and many days after that) we play the high/low game on the way home in the car. They have to tell the best thing and worst thing of the day. It gets them talking. I love hearing their stories. My boys actually started school (already!) They certainly had a lot to say on the way home...no lows this day and many, many highs.

I take a picture in the same spot each year once they are all ready to go.
I cry every year too! LOL!

Although my kids are now all off to college, they still look forward to a pan of chocolate scotcheroos when they get home from the first day of classes. This year, my middle child will be teaching her first class of her own this fall and she has asked if I will be making the bars for her first day of school. My son, who will be going away to college, has wondered how I will get him his bars. No problem, I will find a way.

My children are in their 20's now but I'd like to share two Back-2-School traditions we did every year. First was on the evening before school started, we would host on our front lawn a neighborhood YOU-SCREAM-WE-ALL-SCREAM-FOR-ICE-CREAM Back-to-School Social. We supplied the vanilla ice cream/bowls/spoons/napkins and everyone else brought their favorite topping. Easy peasy to throw together but the benefits were a wonderful sense of community and a message to the kids that we all shared the value of education. The second tradition was family oriented. We as a family gathered together before bedtime and talked about the upcoming school year. We had the kids write down their personal goals-one at least, no more than three-that they would like to accomplish in that year. Written on simple 3x5 cards, these personal goals were always confidential and sealed in an envelope only to be opened at the end of the school year. It was followed up by a prayer and blessing. During the teen years there was moaning and groaning about doing this tradition but we did it nonetheless. At the time it seemed to me to be a simple, perhaps naive, idea. However, the impact was realized when our daughter gave a speech in her senior year on how this family tradition helped 'center' her, gave her the importance of goal setting, and initiated a sense of purpose in her academic acheivements. She is now beginning her 2nd year of law school!