Back to School: The Best First Day of School Traditions We Love

For the first time in twenty-three years, school started here in the desert without a single one of my children in attendance. There were no backpacks lined up, no nervous anticipation bursting from the seams, no friends gathering out in the driveway on their bikes. I am both sorrowful and joyful about this. We have had so many good “first days” through the years. And I am just so grateful for the memories of commotion and excitement in it all. They have turned to golden memories. AND I’m also grateful for the quiet 🙂 I figured in honor of school starting, I would share the best first day of school traditions I am cherishing that we did for so many years.

Being Prepared For the First Day: New Backpacks and School Supplies

Putting in the preparation for the first day of school can do so much to calm nerves and feel ready. Oh it is pesky business sometimes. But there’s just something calming about being ready. For the kids and for the mom.

Most years our kids got a new backpack before school started. That is, until Lucy came along. She wants to use the exact same broken zippered one every year. But there is something so exciting about a new backpack for kids, along with that “first day” outfit. I look back years later, and am I so endeared to remember how we had these backpacks lined up on the counter, filled up to overflowing with school supplies.

Those kids were ready, and went to bed that night before with stars in their eyes about how it would all go the next day.

Our Favorite School Backpacks

• Backpack with Padded Compartment for Computer – I think all our kids had some version of this for their school backpack. It has the right amount of compartments and room for a chromebook. So many colors available and lots of different sizes.
• Jansport Backpack with Leather – We upgraded to this one for our bigger kids, love that the leather helps hold it together so much better.
• Nike Backpack – Carson gave this one to Lucy for Christmas years ago and it broke, so we got her the exact same one. She’s a creature of habit I tell you! I do love it because it’s a little bigger and can carry both her magnifier and computer. Plus it has a little insulated compartment that kids can use to keep things cool.
• Lightweight Backpack with Computer Sleeve – We haven’t tried this one, but I love the sleek look, and you can’t beat the price.

EASY BREAKFAST TRADITIONS: Rainbow Pancakes

I don’t know how we came up with the tradition of rainbow pancakes on the morning of the first day of school. But somehow, years ago, it became our thing. Dave and I would mix up little bowls of pancake batter with different food colors mixed in and whip up rainbow pancakes.

What is it about rainbow pancakes that makes kids so excited?

I don’t know, but it’s a thing for sure.

Sometimes we mixed in extra ingredients:

Sometimes we just mixed all the colors together for a giant blob of rainbow-ness:

But that tradition always happened, and worked a little extra magic into our mornings.

First Day of School Pictures: A Treasure Worth Keeping

Just like lots of other families, from the time my kids were just tiny, we have always taken pictures in front of the front door as they set out to school on the first day.

This is a fun tradition because you can compare when they were little…

…Growing up to be big:

So crazy how fast they grow! And man alive, these captures sure become treasures when you look back!

We started out with just smiles and backpacks:

Max was making fun of the girls and how they had to show their whole outfits including shoes this year…ha!

We did this picture-by-the-front-door tradition when we lived in China too:

That first day of school in China is certainly one we will not soon forget!

Eventually we realized we should have the kids hold up the numbers of the grade they were in so we could remember from year to year.

Here are our first and fourth graders:

…and our fourth and seventh graders:

I love reminiscing back in the day when Lucy would wear something other than a camp t-shirt, and let me do her hair different. Somehow it just makes me happy. Oh man, I miss those littles!

Sometimes those pictures expanded to include large group pictures with all the friends;)

And always sibling love…the best way to get out the first day of school jitters I think.

I love this tradition extra now that these days are gone, gathering dust in my heart and mind.

I also love that my kids have been trained so well on this tradition that now I’ll get pictures like this of my kids heading off to their first day even in college.

 

Love.

One Way to Foster Deeper Discussions With Your Kids: Have a “Cookie Chat”

I have written about how to foster deeper conversations with kids. But I didn’t even mention our first day of school “cookie chats” on that post.

I don’t know how this idea came about either. Maybe because I’m such a lover of cookie baking. But I figured that if I had hot cookies waiting for my kids when they got home from school I could lure them into chatting with me about their day.

And I was right.

Each year on the first day of school our cookie chats gave them space to share how their day went, how they were feeling about friends and teachers. It gave me such a great window into their lives.

There is something like sitting side-by-side mixed with food that somehow miraculously gets kids to talk.

Oh man, I think of all these cookie chats through the years and melt with gratitude.

I love that sometimes older kids got to join in if they were home visiting for one of the first days.

Here’s our cookie chat on the first day of “COVID school” when all the schools were shut down. Still had to chat about it, of course.

Thank goodness for FaceTime so Claire could join our lone survivor Lucy for cookie chats even after she left for college:

Over the last couple years, Lucy has decided that our Chocolate Crinkle Cookies are the one and only cookie for the cookie chat. So we’re going with that. I’m going to have to make those puppies for her on her first day of college:)

**Post edit note: yes, I did, and she loved it. 

 

First Day of School Interview Questions

Another thing I wish I had done more consistently is a first day of school interview — asking the same questions every year so you can look back and see how the answers change. Here are some great ones to ask:

• What are you most excited about this year?
• What are you most nervous about?
• Who do you hope is in your class?
• What do you want to be when you grow up?
• What’s one thing you want to get better at this year?
• Who do you want to be known for being this year?
• What was your favorite thing about last year?
• What do you hope your teacher is like?

You can ask these over your cookie chat, write them down, or even record a little video. You’ll be so glad you did!

And if you love the idea of regular check-ins with your kids, here’s how we always did our parent-child interviews year-round.

First Days of School When Kids Get Older

Kids grow up, as I’ve learned sometimes to my sorrow. But fun traditions don’t have to end when kids move up to junior high, high school, and even college.

I’ll never forget the year I had my epiphany about letting go of the elementary school years — standing in those familiar halls for the last time and realizing it was actually ok.

We’ve tried to make those first days special even when kids grow up:

• Lucy’s first day as the lone survivor in high school
• The first day of college for Max
• Dropping off Elle and Grace for their first day of school at BYU-Hawaii
• Dropping off Lucy for her first day at USU (complete with our traditional cookie chat, of course!)

Back-to-School Family Dinner with School Theme

This last tradition I want to share has been hit and miss. It’s not one my kids won’t let me forget, like rainbow pancakes and cookie chats. And it’s not one I won’t let them forget, like the back to school photos.

But I do love when this one happens.

I have loved the years when we have gathered for a first day of school special dinner. I’ve had the kids help decorate the table up all fancy to celebrate a new year.

At dinner we share our new “family theme” for the school year.

I think this was our first one-word theme year:

Dave and I chose “Be the Light” that year because oh how we wanted those kids of ours to learn to be the light. To not be afraid to stand alone when they needed to.

We lit all kinds of candles at dinner as you can see.

Through the years we have had all different themes. One of my favorites was the year our theme was Positive — because boy howdy, we needed it with some attitudes around our house (not to mention any names:)

This last year it’s been “Pioneer” because we are sure all learning to pioneer new spaces and places as we work to help Lucy get ready for college.

Yep, back to school traditions can do so much to bond and calm. They help make kids feel they are part of something so much bigger than themselves.

I’d love to hear yours, too!

A Father’s Blessing Before the First Day

One tradition that has meant more to me than almost any other as school starts is the father’s blessing Dave gives each of our kids before a new school year begins. There is something so anchoring about that — a quiet moment, hands on heads, a prayer over each child that they’ll be guided and protected and known. I have watched my children carry those blessings into their first days for years and I truly believe they make a difference.

If this is something your faith tradition includes, I can’t recommend it enough. And if it’s not, the principle still applies — a moment of intentional prayer or quiet acknowledgment with your child before a new year starts is something they will carry with them. Here’s one of the years we did this with Lucy before her junior year.

School Day Dinner Ideas

I love having some handy ideas on hand that are easy to whip up crazy carpool days and make my kids’ eyes sparkle. These have been winners at our house:

• • How Family Dinner Becomes Extra Special when School Starts

• • Quick Weeknight Asian Lettuce Wraps

• • Dodo Copycat Turkey Sandwiches

• • Honey Lime Enchiladas – ALWAYS Lucy’s first request

Ideas for School Lunches

I was always looking for new, healthy ideas. But I’ll be honest, our kids mostly brought peanut butter sandwiches to school. And they survived! I do love these things we used endlessly though:

• • School lunch packing ideas

• • Dave’s special notes in our kids lunch boxes. He did this constantly when our kids were little and I think it was the grandest and most special dad thing to do.

• • The cutest school lunch pack – this is similar to the ones we had for Lucy for ages. She was more of a ham and cheese sandwich girl than any of the other kids, so it was good to have a “keep-cool” pack.

Great Reads for the First Day of School

Books are also a wonderful way to ease first day nerves and connect with your kids at the same time. Here are a few of our favorites:

• • Chrysanthemum – one of my all-time favorites for parents and kids

• • Finding Muchness – a cute book I bought for some of Lucy’s friends who were graduating, but has such good messages that could be used as kids start into school

• • The Pigeon HAS to go to school – I love these pigeon books!!

Hope these ideas and traditions help, from our family to yours.

Happy New School Year to everyone out there!
XOXO

 

For more on the emotional side of watching kids grow up and eventually leave, visit my page that holds all things Letting Kids Go.