Not to have a back to school ritual?

you beat me to it by a minute 😂

gosh no, a photo - who is not appreciated AT ALL once they start secondary and off they go.

Of course it's a thing, but poor kids. First it makes it all about their parents, not them.

Also, it removes the wow effect of special morning for a genuinely special day, and it becomes boring.
You have a balloon arch and all the trimmings for birthdays, for last day of school, last day of stage, for the Elf, for Easter, for Valentine... it becomes completely meaningless.

For goodness sake. Christmas has been over done by Christmas Eve boxes, Expensive Advents, Halloween by Halloween boxes and insane decorating……

So we are now going to do the same with Back to School. Does no one realise that walnut made celebrations like Christmas , Halloween and Birthdays so special was that they were rare.

There is a great line in a Patrick Kavanagh poem ‘From a chink too wide comes in no wonder’ We would do well to remember that.

I don't think you need to worry about it, OP.

I'm a 50something mother of two adult children and I've been a primary school teacher for decades.

Your thread is the first I've heard of this.

New uniform, photo on the doorstep. That's it.

Balloon arches? Seriously, no. No one is doing that.

Indeed - bloody social media content. Why can't people just get on with their lives without assuming that all the world and his brother wants to see their edited highlights?

Surely new shoes, uniform,pencil case, lunchbox etc and a photo on the morning is enough? Good enough in my day

My ritual would consist of waking up late , thinking “Bollocks” and hustling everyone into their fortunately pre prepped stuff , flinging them in the car, and scraping through the door just before the bell .

Might as well start as we’re likely to carry on .

Photo when he was little. We always go out for dinner the night before as a last holiday treat. Nothing else!

Oh dear Lord no. They put on their uniform - we don't even buy all new just but it as we need throughout the year. They have normal breakfast. We take a photo by the door (door handle for height reference) and probably one outside by the tree. They go to school. They have a kiss and a good luck.

This year it won't even be that last bit. My husband will walk youngest to the corner and friend will take them in for me. I'll be in hospital with eldest. We'll do a photo of youngest by the door and save tree photo for once eldest is back at school.

I feel shit not being there their first day as it is, i won't feel guilty about a sodding balloon arch!

I was too, when I woke up on the first day of the Autumn term my temptation was to throw the alarm clock through the window, but I was a teacher, does that count???
We used to love having people say to us when we were out 'Oh I bet you can't wait for the end of the holidays' if they were being a bit of a pest and we would say 'No, we look forward to the Summer holidays, we enjoy our children's company!', it puzzled a lot of people.

No, just a photo by the front door. Or, if they refuse to stand, just a photo of the front door.

Oh and haircuts! I feel like this is all normal.

New shoes, uniform. New bags, lunchbox, water bottle if needed, definitely not every year. New stationary for the ones in secondary school. Photo on the first day. That’s it!

We have a sort of day before ritual. As much activity such as a day/half day out or park, swimming and soft play to make them tired so they sleep the night before. Worked brilliantly with my teens when they were little. DS will still be bouncing off the walls at 11pm.

Like with a million other traditions - there's no right or wrong. I make pancakes on the first day of school - just a bit of fun to start the day. I make pancakes a lot so it doesn't take up much time and is a nice focus to sit down together to have breakfast on their first day of a new adventure (I organise to go to work a bit late that day).

There's absolutely no reason to do this and no reason to feel like you need to add anything into your life if everyone is happy without it! My daughter is autistic and really, really committed to a routine so since I made pancakes on her first day of P1 I therefore will be making pancakes on her first day of school for the rest of her school life. As it's no trouble to me, I have continued.

This way madness lies.

No wonder there is a generation of children who don’t know the arse end of which way and are full of anxiety about the world. Parents trying to shield the little darlings from the mundane realities of life with balloon arches and dumb shit. It doesn’t do them any favours in the long run.

The only back to school ‘ritual’ kids need is a new pair of school shoes, an early night and parents saying good old chivvying things like ‘it’ll be good to see your friends again’ and ‘just try your best’.

Balloon arch is probably for Instagram "look at me" pics. I think getting out the door on time with clean kids in new uniform is a great achievement so take a pic on your phone, job done. Then if at all possible relax for half hour and have a coffee. My dd never got a balloon arch or anything insta worthy because quite frankly I'm a single Mum and couldn't afford such unnecessary shite

Why does it always involve money? These 'boo baskets' grind my gears, full of absolute tat usually. The whole point of Halloween is that other people are paying to fill your kid with sugar 😆

A ritual? Sounds like it would be the same people who buy their kids Xmas eve boxes!

A balloon arch for first day back!!!
😆 🤣 😂

Ours was more like, ' will you just get a flipping move on!! You're going to be late at this pace!!! To be repeated every day until end of secondary.

where does this balloon arch go, over the front door? is there a smoke machine as well?

Neighbours must be expecting the kids to come out dressed up as Cher.

My DC are all grown and still look back fondly on their "first day of school pancakes"

We didn't really have them any other time so they were much coveted. I made the fatter american ones and my party trick was to do them in the DC initials.
Flipping the letter H is not for the faint hearted

Served with bacon, strawberries, syrup etc. DS told me that it helped with his "night before" anxiety to think of the lovely pancakes.

Luckily they were little pre social media influencers and it was just a nice thing.
Of course the obligatory first day of school photos out front too!

Most of us are just struggling to get the kids to school on time, asking them to brush their teeth ten times. Who has time for balloon arches and fake happy memories? The school run is a total ball ache.

I don't have any ritual other that I live in self pitty for a week, (this week is the one) not looking forward for the school runs, the rush, the many apps they use and you have to keep always checking, the shorten of the days and the fact that summer is ending.
Let's say that my ritual is being miserable for about 14 days until the routine takes on.

I don't have any ritual other that I live in self pitty for a week, (this week is the one) not looking forward for the school runs, the rush, the many apps they use and you have to keep always checking, the shorten of the days and the fact that summer is ending.
Let's say that my ritual is being miserable for about 14 days until the routine takes on.