I have a confession to make: I love back to school time. It’s a new beginning. Everyone is out shopping the back to school sales to pick up all the new supplies like new crayons, folders, binders, and notebooks. It also means that the local museums, zoos, and fun outings are less crowded with public schoolers back in school, as well.

I am a summer, beach-loving kind of girl, but the smells of Fall and all things Christmas just make my heart sing. Everything is fresh and new with so much possibility.

In the homeschooling community we have so many different ways of “doing school” and this time of year looks very different for each family. Today I’m going to share with you how I make the first day of school special for my family.

1. I like to get them all new fresh supplies to start the year out. I let them pick their own binder for their daily schedule and new notebooks. My daughter always picks pink and my son changes from year to year. I’m always surprised by their opinions on subjects like writing tools. My son has decided in the past few years that he would rather use mechanical pencils instead of traditional wood. My daughter, however, loves to pick out cute designs and erasers. This leads me to my second tradition…
2. I started something the first year we homeschooled and it has stuck through the years. My kids jokingly say the “School Fairy” stopped by. I put together a small gift bag of fun supplies that they didn’t pick and are a surprise on the first day. They always peek into the school room to see if the bags are on the table where we homeschool, but they know they have to wait until they have eaten breakfast and are ready to begin school for the day. It doesn’t matter what age they are, they get excited about this year after year!
3. I make breakfast special! I usually do the whole works the first morning. Bacon, Eggs, Pancakes and fresh fruit. My kids love bacon and the smell of it gets them up and moving on a morning that brings new routine that can be hard.

The last thing I like to do to: remember each year’s first day with pictures. I have done this in many different ways through the years. I’ve used chalkboards to write their age and grade, I’ve printed it out on paper for them to hold, and I’ve used editing to the pictures to record the year. However I do it, it’s so much fun to see those pictures pop up in my Facebook memories year after year!  
Whether this is your first year or twenty-first year homeschooling, it’s never too late to make that first day special! I would love to hear some of the ways you plan to make (or have made) your first day of school special. I can always use fresh ideas!

See Shelly talk about her family’s first day of school traditions on her YouTube channel:

 

 

Shelly and her husband Andy have been married for 22 years and have two children, Josh (16) and Ally Jo (13). She has homeschooled her children for 9 years; it is a job she truly loves and finds very rewarding. Shelly is a YouTube creator and can be found under the channel name Simply Shelly. She is a homebody and her most beloved moments are spent at home hanging out with her family and their dog Chino. She considers her most important relationship to be with Jesus Christ and she strives to show that love for Him each and every day by loving others.