We have some ideas on ways to commemorate, honor and celebrate the first day back to school
Traditions big and small, we share how we celebrate the first day back to school with our families as you consider how you might punctuate the end of summer
The first day of school comes every year, ready or not! We’ve been working on returns to routine, squeezing in last-minute dentist appointments and immunization visits and shopping (and shopping … and shopping) for school supplies. And while you may already have some traditions of your own, perhaps it is your very first year. Our team members at Chambanamoms have shared how we celebrate the first day of school with our own families, and we’ve put together a handy dandy sign you can use this year if you’d like. May we all have a wonderful, safe, and healthy school year full of lots of learning!
Thank you to Christie Clinic for presenting our 2022 Champaign-Urbana Area Back to School series.
Christie Clinic wants you to give your kids a healthy start to the school year. Parents can currently make back-to-school appointments for their children through their MyChristie patient portal or by using online scheduling at christieclinic.com. Find more information about school physicals here.
How we celebrate back to school
“My kids have different first days of school this year! Will spread out the excitement over two days. There is typically a trip to TCBY and/or Custard Cup involved in the celebration and an evening at the pool. Need to squeeze out those last moments of pool days.”
– Mom of kids in elementary, middle and high school
“The time leading up to the first day of school still brings excitement, but is tinged with anxiety (for the high schooler, figuring out if their friends will be in their classes?) and melancholy (saying goodbye to the college student until Thanksgiving). I will still get a first day picture of the high schooler on the front porch. Probably. And we will still go out for ice cream before the college student takes off, because they have a new appreciation for ice cream that is paid for by someone else. Otherwise the first day pretty much belongs to them now — I’ll just be over here feeling nostalgic for all the first days that came before.”
– Mom of kids in high school and college
“It seems as if all the things happen in the days leading up until the beginning of the school year. With starting back to school myself a few days before my own children do, I feel that I am exhausted by the time that their first day rolls around. We of course have to take the back-to-school photos in the same place each year, but now, as my children have gotten older, they want me to participate in the back-to-school excitement, as well. We always try to enjoy a back-to-school treat on the night before I head back to work and then make sure that I can be fully present in the moment of them heading back to school later in the week, as well. I typically don’t sleep that week before heading back to work for the summer because all of the emotions hitting at once — excitement, nervousness, feeling unprepared, moving beyond summer, impending alarm clocks, back to routines, etc. How many days until we can all enjoy summer once again?”
– The Educator Mom
“I’m making plans now to hit all of our favorite places a few more times before it starts getting cold! We can’t wait to visit parks without big kids, swim at the pool a couple more times, and spend some time with the kittens at Curtis Orchard in the middle of a weekday! Not to mention, the library will be a little less crowded, and for a mom with a shy toddler, that’s a dream.”
– Mom of littles not yet in school
“Along with the scheduled school-related back-to-school events to drop off supplies, practice combination locks, etc., we will have one more summer outing before heading back. Sometimes it is a pool, sometimes the orchard … whatever we can ALL agree on as a fun way to spend one last summer afternoon. The morning we head back to school, I dust off the t-shirts in an adult size that have their graduation year on them that they’ve tried on every year on the first day of school, and I’ll plan to get a couple of porch pics before they run off to the bus. We keep it pretty simple and I will happily remind them I don’t ask for much, just a couple quick moments before the day (and year) just takes off.”
– Mom in the heart of the school years
“I’ll be throwing a party! Hallelujah!”
– Work-at-home Dad of three school-age kids
How about YOU? How will your family be celebrating back to school? And a free printable for you!
Remember, back-to-school traditions don’t have to be anything elaborate or anything that costs a lot of money. Photos, ice cream, a few fun moments looking at summer pics on your camera roll, or taking a moment to write cards for this year’s teachers are all great ideas. One thing we see all over social media in the back-to-school days are signs; kids holding a sign, kids’ pictures printed on a sign, all kinds of different things.
We’ve created a template for you to use this year. Simply print the PDF linked here and fill it in with your child’s information so they can hold it up for the back-to-school pic on the first day. Or, save this to your camera roll and add text in the program of your choice to share on social. Remember to tag Chambanamoms in your back to school pics and have a great first day!
