When the clock went off at 6.30 this morning, I sat straight up and silently sighed.
I was still checking off my summer holiday bucket list and still reliving our family trip that felt just like yesterday.
Our holidays had been wonderful! Play dates, family dinners, summer camps, sleep-ins, beach walks…but scrawled on the family calendar was one date we could not avoid.
As the days rolled on towards January, we felt the shift in the wind; a change in our headspace. So we dutifully sharpened our pencils, labelled our books, and packed our lunch boxes again.
Who would believe that school was starting so soon?
It’s back-to-school season and we’d do better if we choose to embrace it.
How do you feel about this time of the year and how do your children feel about being back to school?
My kids were telling me that they had a mixed bag of feelings. Yes, I get it. It’s both exciting, and daunting. That they could be ready many days, yet still scrambling for last-minute things the morning before. Yet, the first day of school marked another milestone in their lives, and it is an occasion to celebrate!
To ease the summer-to-school transition, here’s our list of easy-peasy, morning-to-night family traditions that are sure to create memories!
6 Easy Morning-to-Night Family Traditions For a Memorable Back-to-School Experience
1. Big Kids’ Breakfasts
Yep, go a little out of your way and make it a tad special. Cook the sausages, scramble the eggs, flip the pancakes, and drizzle in the syrup. Let their first back-to-school breakfast be a mouth-watering experience. And when they are busy munching the goodies down, sit down and chat with them about what they are looking forward to at the start of a new school year.
Talking encourages deeper connection and teaches your kids to put into words what may feel abstract in their hearts. A delicious breakfast and a hearty conversation go a long way!
2. Pick-Up Photos
Now, just as you see them strolling slowly towards the pick-up point, snap away some candid photos and surprise them with “Congratulations! You made it through the first day of school!”
They may be smiling or smirking, but don’t worry about getting the perfect pose! All you want is to memorialize the moment and capture their initial homecoming expressions. 🙂
Sometimes in the course of a year, we can all get so busy that it’s easy to fall into the rut of thinking this is just another same day. But not today! You took pictures to remind yourself and everyone else that something remarkable did happen today!
Print out the photos if you wish, stick their grade level over the pictures, and display them somewhere prominent in the home. Your kids will grow to appreciate them!
3. Wicked Welcomes
Now as you approach your driveway, let’s throw some wicked hello-home welcomes!
Display a banner, decorate the front door, offer Ferrero Rochers, or crank up Alexa with a welcome song that heralds their homecoming. Whatever it is, throw a little party, because, the first day of back to school deserves a celebration!
Let the party continues. Cook a favourite meal, play board games, declare a no-chore evening, watch a movie, or do whatever it takes to let everyone transition into the new season of work through a period of rest. After all, who likes the feeling of being jolted back into the busyness of school?
4. Stirring or Soapy Stories
Stories are a wonderful way to commemorate this special little day!
Do you realise that as your children are growing up, they display a greater interest in the way the world works? This is partly because they are trying to make sense of who they are in relation to their world, and is a perfect moment to share your values and develop your friendships.
Children love to hear what your day as an adult is like and to peek into your unspoken thought and observation. Tell them about your own first days — at school when you were their age, at work in a new job, in a new country, or in your various roles in life. You can also be cheeky and tell them about your first day being kid-free as they have all returned back to school!
My children love hearing my quirky, awkward, silly moments. They also love listening to the times I have been deeply touched by the Lord (perhaps because it usually follows with my admission of my mistakes, which they secretly love).
Stories enable you the opportunity to talk about matters of the heart, and always draw your hearts closer together as they see the humorous side of your personality.
So go ahead and share a stirring or soapy story and have a great laugh together!
5. Ta-da Touches
Okay, this really is a game-changer in our home! You’d be surprised at how simple this one really is!
You know how sometimes night routines involve read-alouds? Well, this of course is a wonderful way to slow down and intentionally be together after a long day away. In fact, reading a favourite book at the beginning of each school year creates great memory to build upon year after year.
But you know what adds to the experience?
Right after you close the last page of the book, offer your very own Mama Moment!
Tell them that you are happy to run a special massage parlour that will expire in just under ten minutes!
Watch the kids dive for the duvet!
My middle son loves a good body massage. My youngest girl loves having bandaids plastered over her ‘injured’ finger, and my teenage daughter allows me to whisper prayers into her ears while she rests her head on my shoulder, (close enough to land my kisses on her cheeks that she would otherwise avoid!). Whatever it is, your ta-da touches expire in ten minutes and after that, all the lights are out.
Nurturing touches play such an important role in healthy child development and helps to regulate their emotions and stress responses. So, go ahead and love your children physically!
6. Mission Mandate
Now as you (hopefully!) have all your kids in bed, and are tiptoeing into your own room for a well-deserved rest, it’s time for mission mandate!
You know how every organisation has a mission statement of some sort, why not create a mission and vision statement for your own family for the new school year?
Grab your spouse to do just this with you, over a cup of tea! Lure him with chocolate, grab a piece of paper, and start asking each other what your family goals are for the coming year.
This is a great little exercise that deepens your communication and put you on the same page as husband and wife!
Think about some of these questions: do you want to do more or less as a family? Do you want to do the same thing or try something new this coming year? What do you see each child needing help in or doing well at? This is especially important when you have more than one child!
When your kids are ready the next day, sit down and share some of the things that you and your spouse have discussed the night before.
Share with them that you’d like to do the same exercises with them!
Then, get each child to reflect on what some of their desired goals are for the new school year and how they are going to celebrate their goals once achieved. You can print the Free Goal Setting Worksheets below for your kids to use!
Training your children in the art of reflection, planning and goal-setting is a wonderful way to start the new school year.
It not only makes the back-to-school transition so much easier but also helps you foster a deeper connection and create some lasting memories.
May your families be blessed as you start a new school year!