What are you doing to make the first day of school extra special?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is totally great if parents want to do this. But, This is also a perfect example of optional intensive parenting that leads to the burnout we hear on these boards all the time. I’m sure a million folks will chime in about how thinking about this/doing this takes up almost no time. But then you do a hundred things like this a year and it adds up.

Again, people should do whatever they want. Just food for thought.

+1

Also, everything doesn't have to have a ton of extra stuff to be "special." The first day of school is already special! My kid likes to make her own sign, we take a photo in front of the school, and we have her favorite meal for dinner. (Which, fortunately, is a really easy, quick dish!). I put a note in her lunch with a smiley face or something. And that seems like plenty to me! And you can get in a cycle where everything has to be "special," so you have to keep ratcheting it up to make the next thing, which is really a bigger deal, also feel special.

+2

We have three, who will be in fifth, third, and first grades this year. IME, the best thing we do as parents on the first day/week is be as present as possible in the mornings and evenings, to listen and be attentive to what the kids need. It’s a big transition. If anything, we might go for ice cream or something on Friday evening to celebrate the end of the first week, but that first day especially, we want them to feel prepared. Early bedtime the night before, etc.

[Anonymous]

Where I come from, the first day of first grade is huge! Kids get presents, family comes over for a party. Think a milestone birthday. Each subsequent year still has a celebration, albeit a smaller one. For example, my parents and grandparents went to a restaurant after picking me up from school. (Going to a restaurant was something special for me back then.) I am doing something similar for my kids here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the first day of school each year, we choose a nice hard bound copy of a classic children’s book, write an inscription, & give it to the child. We started this tradition when our oldest started K.

Why is this shocking?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is totally great if parents want to do this. But, This is also a perfect example of optional intensive parenting that leads to the burnout we hear on these boards all the time. I’m sure a million folks will chime in about how thinking about this/doing this takes up almost no time. But then you do a hundred things like this a year and it adds up.

Again, people should do whatever they want. Just food for thought.

I agree with you, but...who said otherwise? OP is asking what we do, and I answered (not much, but some little things), and others replied and say they do more. OK. Why do we need your "food for thought"? Presumably we all know our own limits and energy levels. This isn't an "I'm so overwhelmed" thread.

[Anonymous]

We do pictures in the morning and ice cream after school.

[Anonymous]

We don’t do anything. Noting special here just like birthdays

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH is German, so we always give DD a Schultüte. She loves it, and always refers back to pictures of her Oma getting hers.

You know that the Schultüte is only for the 1st grade (Einschulung), right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You’re already doing enough. Your child will be overwhelmed. Calm down a little.

+1.

[Anonymous]

We don’t really do anything “special”

I don’t even make a chalk board Picture thing...

I make them a good breakfast as usual, pack lunches, make sure everyone is up on time and out the door in a stress free way. I do include a nice note in the lunch. Is that special enough?

[Anonymous]

We just take a pic on the front porch, then another in front of the school (in DC so no school bus). Oh, and both DH and I went for drop off of each kid's very first day of school (so Pk3) but not every year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We don’t really do anything “special”

I don’t even make a chalk board Picture thing...

I make them a good breakfast as usual, pack lunches, make sure everyone is up on time and out the door in a stress free way. I do include a nice note in the lunch. Is that special enough?

Why are you asking us? We're not your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is totally great if parents want to do this. But, This is also a perfect example of optional intensive parenting that leads to the burnout we hear on these boards all the time. I’m sure a million folks will chime in about how thinking about this/doing this takes up almost no time. But then you do a hundred things like this a year and it adds up.

Again, people should do whatever they want. Just food for thought.

Thanks for saying this. I was reading this thread feeling like absolute crap for not planning more, but also already feeling overwhelmed.

I've planned to take a picture and then make sure we get to school on time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is totally great if parents want to do this. But, This is also a perfect example of optional intensive parenting that leads to the burnout we hear on these boards all the time. I’m sure a million folks will chime in about how thinking about this/doing this takes up almost no time. But then you do a hundred things like this a year and it adds up.

Again, people should do whatever they want. Just food for thought.

I agree with you, but...who said otherwise? OP is asking what we do, and I answered (not much, but some little things), and others replied and say they do more. OK. Why do we need your "food for thought"? Presumably we all know our own limits and energy levels. This isn't an "I'm so overwhelmed" thread.

NP I think the post was a helpful reminder that there is no need to be super “extra” about everything. First day of school is special enough without stuffing ice cream and donuts in the kid’s face. I have a Ker and clicked on this thread but decided I am going to keep it simple with a picture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is totally great if parents want to do this. But, This is also a perfect example of optional intensive parenting that leads to the burnout we hear on these boards all the time. I’m sure a million folks will chime in about how thinking about this/doing this takes up almost no time. But then you do a hundred things like this a year and it adds up.

Again, people should do whatever they want. Just food for thought.

I agree with you, but...who said otherwise? OP is asking what we do, and I answered (not much, but some little things), and others replied and say they do more. OK. Why do we need your "food for thought"? Presumably we all know our own limits and energy levels. This isn't an "I'm so overwhelmed" thread.

NP I think the post was a helpful reminder that there is no need to be super “extra” about everything. First day of school is special enough without stuffing ice cream and donuts in the kid’s face. I have a Ker and clicked on this thread but decided I am going to keep it simple with a picture.

I mean, if you see a thread title about "extra special" you can just not click on that. I don't click into the Super Amazing Extra Early Christmas Planning Extravaganza threads that start in October, because those aren't threads that are helpful to me. I keep things very simple with start of school (we did one picture and had pumpkin muffins at breakfast, and I drew a heart on their napkins in their lunchboxes), but I don't spend my time clicking into threads that aren't my thing and telling other people not to do their chalk board signs, ice cream in the afternoon, takeout dinners, special new outfits, etc. Other people being "extra" does not affect me.

I think it's rude to tell others that being excited and being "extra" is stressful and wrong and too much and blah blah just because that might be true for *you* and your family.

[Anonymous]

I’m getting a pedicure and meeting friends for breakfast!!!