Simple 1st Day of School Celebrations

Summer has come and gone and now school is about to start.  Talk about stress!  Depending on how many kids you have but there is the evil school supply lists to go get.  I keep it in my purse so I don't forget anything but I am constantly pulling it out of my purse because I am forgetting what I got and what I still need to get.  Then there is getting all the school clothes and shoes, dealing with the kids shopping with you, keeping the house clean, sports, grocery shopping, cooking meals...  oh, that list just goes on and on.  If you are a working mom I give you kudos because I don't know how you do it.  You earn double the mommy awards!! 
But in the mist of all the chaos is the 1st day of school.  Your children are either going to be very excited, scared or just plain not looking forward to it.  So as a mom its our responsibility to put them at ease and to celebrate that 1st day back to school.  We are celebrating them growing up and enriching their lives!  We are also celebrating our times to ourselves again too.  :)  YAY!  Our daily schedules are almost on track again! 

Growing up I remember my mom doing special little things for me for the 1st day back.  Special little breakfast and always got a cupcake when I got home and balloons with signs saying "BIG 3rd Grader!", etc...   Now I am passing that on to my children and it is so much fun to watch them get so excited for the first day back. 

So I wanted to put together some of our traditions and some that I thought would be great new ones too that you can do with your children that are simple but your children will remember them.  But the most important thing is the smile that you bring to their little faces. 

Morning:
*Balloons
*Signs ("Good Morning 5th Grader, etc...)
*Their favorite breakfast food
*A small gift at the table for them
*Decorated table
*Both parents home to say goodbye, walk them to bus or drive them to school
*Flowers
*A path of pencils leading them to the breakfast table

*Pancakes in the shape of ABC's
*Write them a note to take with them on the bus

Afternoon:
*Balloons on mailbox
*Big sign on front door
*Cupcakes
*Snack platter ready when they get home with all their favorites
*Signs all over the inside of house ("So proud of you", Happy 1st Day Back", Big 3rd Grader!", etc...)
*Small gift left on their bed with a personal note from you and daddy
*Take them out for ice cream
*Dinner of their favorite food (at home or at their favorite place)
*Decorate table with Congratulations things

*Shopping (if Tween or Teen girl...  take them shopping for more clothes)

You don't need to over do it.  Pick one or two things to do.  Maybe one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  Don't forget your camera and take lots of pictures!  You could always put together a album of all the years and lay that out on the table in the morning or for dinner and have a great conversation about all the years.  Save those signs too or decorating pieces to add to your album.  They grow up so fast, take time to enjoy all those 1st days back to school before they are gone.