5 Ways to Celebrate Back to School: Back to School With The Palmetto Queen

Even though my little guy is only 2 (3 next month!) we are starting homeschool in a couple of weeks. As I'm sharing these posts about how to make the school year start more smoothly, I wanted to share some ideas for making it a special transition as well. We have decided to start a few traditions that we will stick to for the rest of his school years. Although we are homeschooling, we do not want him to miss out on the special milestones that being in a formal school brings.

Here goes- 5 Ways to Celebrate Back to School:

1. Start with a breakfast tradition. This can be anything from icecream, a breakfast casserole, a waffle bar, or even breakfast at a special restaurant (be sure to take extra time for breakfast).

2. Don't forget that first day picture! There are tons of printables for free online. There are even Etsy shops that make custom signs. My favorite idea is decorating a large empty picture frame for use over and over. A simple chalkboard with the grade written on it works as well.

3. Take your child's measurements the first day every year. This is one I'm particularly excited about. You can do it old school and mark on a door, get a special sign just for measuring your child, or simply measure and record in a journal.

4. Trace your child's hand print and cut out. Do this every year for an awesome memory- what better way to think about your child growing up than in the form of hand prints.

5. Start a school scrapbook. Include a first day interview, photo, measurements, handprint, and any other items from the first day of school. You can even ask at the end of the day what they had for breakfast/ lunch/ snack and what their favorite part of the day is. You can also throw in things from throughout the year that are special. On graduation day, this will be a very special gift.

Here is some great clip art for creating your perfect back to school memories: