All good things must come to an end – and summer vacation is no exception. As fall creeps closer and the days grow shorter, it’s time for our little ones to get back into the normal swing of things. While many kids are at least a little excited to get back into the school-year routine and head back to the classroom, the first day of school can still be an anxiety-inducing or slightly nerve-wracking experience for many. But there are ways to make back to school less stressful. It’s also a brilliant idea to see how you can make the day a little more fun by incorporating a tradition or two into your back-to-school routine.
When the first day of school rolls around, consider starting one or more of these traditions with your family:
Start The Day On A Festive Note
Surprise them as soon as they wake up with a bedroom filled with balloons, motivational quotes written on brightly-colored pieces of posterboard, or ribbons hung from the door frame to create a colorful crepe-paper curtain. Alternatively, put on a playlist of their favorite songs and dance your way through your morning routine. Making the morning a celebration will make it hard to start the school year off on a sour note and make their first day back memorable.
Conduct A First-Day-Of-School Interview
If you’re looking for fun ways to celebrate milestones with your little ones, recording or writing down their answers to the same interview questions year after year can be a marvelous tradition to start when they’re small. You’ll look forward to hearing what they say each year and comparing their answers over time.
Let Them Wear A Brand New Outfit
If your back-to-school routine involves shopping for some new clothes – and uniforms don’t restrict you – let your little ones get excited about wearing their favorite new outfit on their first day back in class. To make it even more special, stage a quick photoshoot and ask them to strike a pose or two to capture the moment before sending them off to school.
Treat Them To A Special Breakfast
Starting the day off with something a little more special than a bowl of cereal and milk can be a great way to build up excitement for the first day of school. Whip up their favorite breakfast for the first day of school, whether it’s bacon and eggs or a big plate of chocolate chip pancakes, or make time to stop by your favorite cafe for a quick bite before you drop the kids off at school.
Plan A Movie Night
Give your kids something to look forward to at the end of their first day back in the classroom – especially if they aren’t too excited by the idea of returning to school – with the promise of an after-school movie night. You can head to your nearest theater and splurge on popcorn as you catch the latest release or enjoy a movie night at home with plenty of snacks and a rental from Redbox.
With one or more of these fun traditions added to your family’s first-day-of-school routine, you’ll find your little ones might actually look forward to the start of the new school year a little bit more and even succeed in school!
