Not to have a back to school ritual?

[Finemjen]

Does anyone else not do anything special to mark the first day back to school? Or do you have an end of summer/back to school ritual? Recently learned some give their kids a special breakfast, balloon arch, gift etc. I like to take a photo before kids head off on first day but should I be making it more of an event so they don’t feel left out?

Oh how silly.

Ballon Arch when they exit the house and Champagne Reception when they come home.

Oh, and a medal.

We have pizza movie night on the first day so the kids have something to look forward to. They are usually really excited about it!

I would say “we hang the flags out”, but might give that a miss at the moment.

This 🤣

That all sounds very performative, and for the parent not the child. Bag packed, uniform checked, early night, good breakfast, no rushing or stress is far better - get them into school ready and on time. Quick photo!
Best thing you can do is read with your child - if the balloon arch (!?)parents spent ten mins doing that every day instead of posting content ..

We don't do anything, just the usual first day photo while they still look smart!

New shoes and a photo by the front door. In the pub by 9.05

I will be taking my oldest for ice cream on his last day of holiday because he goes back the day after my little one, so it will be nice to just have him for a whole day, before he goes to secondary school. But otherwise, it’s weird

God no! Unless you count spending a ridiculous amount of money in Clarks for style-guide-compliant shoes. Why does there need to be a fuss about going back to school?

I think it’s best to keep things calm on the first day back at school!!!

No. My daughter is 10 and for the last couple of years she doesn't even want us to take photos.

Giving a gift for going back to school, as if the entire new uniform, shoes, bag, lunchbox and stationary isn't enough. I wonder who came up with that idea because it wasn't a skint, frazzled mother😅

One year we were in town getting last minute ‘random stuff’ they suddenly desperately “needed” (how many pencil cases does one household need?) anyway I digress - we walked past the greasy spoon cafe and they asked if we could go in for the all day breakfast because apparently I’d told them we would go ‘one day’. So we did!
They loved it. They following year we were again in town the day before school started and they asked if they could go again, “like we did last year”. And so a family ‘tradition’ was born which lasted 10 years. It certainly wasn’t for instagram or SM and wasn’t forced. One of them started a new proper grown up job recently and the day before their first day I suggested we should probably go to the cafe for breakfast. The smile on their face as they said “maybe a bacon roll” made my heart happy.

What absolute nonsense! Children go to school from 5 to 16/18 - it's the law (unless they are home-schooled). I think it's a mistake to be seen giving them 'rewards' for something they have to do anyway. I was always excited to get back to school - choosing a desk, seeing which lunch table you were on, catching up with friends. It's not some horrible ordeal to be barely tolerated!

Ours usually have different starting days so I take each kid on an individual day out. Do slightly adventurous but fun things to build confidence and round off the holidays.

New uniform and a photo at the front door.
Balloon arch?! Do people really do this?

Photo by front door. That’s it.
I started doing it before social media was a thing. My kids are grown up now.
baloon arches etc sounds bit ott.

I used to take my dc to our nearest seaside town for a day out the day before they went back to school. Nothing to do with a ritual or celebration of the end of summer.

We went because my kids always slept better after a day in sea air. And a good night’s sleep is my number one aim.

Oh and then a photo on the way to school in their uniform. Job done.

Nope. We dud the obligatory first day back pic in front of the house. That’s it. Unless you count sorting out their school bag/sports kit as a ritual…

Yes! 👏

I hate that ‘pamper’ word! So often always associated with things I’d run a mile from! Especially sodding spa days…

All Influencer nonsense
Feel for you Mums today. Thought it ridiculous when I heard about Christmas Eve boxes. As if it’s not enough with all the Xmas prep and Santa stockings - and now there’s a bloody box to prepare on Christmas Eve! It’s all gone mad!
Take the picture and be done with it.

A long time since mine were in school but I would drop them off and cry with relief that I had made it through another holiday without murdering one of them.

I’m thinking of booking myself into a spa for the day… does that count?

Damn social media for making parents feel inadequate. I've never heard of anything so ridiculous as a back to school balloon arch/gift, but it's up there with the North Pole Breakfast and Christmas Eve box for me. Unnecessary tat that Instagram 'influencers' make us feel we must do so our precious darlings don't miss out.

The only back to school ritual children need is a good night's sleep and a nice full tummy to set them up for the day. It certainly doesn't have to be a special breakfast, just their usual will do.

Take a photo if you must, but that's as far as I'd go. For most children, the excitement of a new backpack/lunchbox/pencil case and new shoes etc is enough to get them out of the door on the first day back. If you do feel the need to mark the occasion with a gift (unnecessary imo) I'd make it relevant to school, so the new backpack can be their gift (for example). Absolutely no need to be lavishing them with new toys to mark the first day back to school.