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?

My only ritual is getting them up early the week before school starts to get used to it again. I do the back to school pictures but it’s just the kids stood at the door, most times the past few years looking like they want to kill me lol. I know parents who make a whole big deal out of it with the balloon arches and most times kids still look miserable because their going back to school.

Oh no, the bloody hot chocolate fans are out early this year! I hate the sickly sweet stuff, especially with cream or marshmallows. Ugh!

Nope, never done any such rituals. The nearest we've ever done is a photo in his school uniform on first day of primary school and first day of secondary school. That's it. Never even thought of doing anything else. Probably another "Americanism" imported via social media influencers to make money!

I don't even buy new uniform or new shoes? what for? (unless it's a new school, obviously)

I buy uniforms and shoes as they are needed. If the shoes are too small, they get a new pair, but if the needed new ones early July, they're still good in September.

In Primary, they wear their summer uniform at the end of the year and the beginning of the new one, we buy the winter one later on if needed.

I didn't have a back to school ritual with my daughter in the days when she went to school, but I did with other parents in her class that I was friendly with. We'd drop the kids at school and then all go out for breakfast together.

We just do the usual back to school photos in uniform which gets shared in the family WhatsApp. In this final week of the summer holidays we usually reflect on what have then the best parts and talk about what we are looking forward to in the coming school term. We don’t do balloon arches or special treats, but we do usually have a takeaway for tea on the first Friday back. Back to school for them means back to work for me and I’m too tired to cook anything!

I'm 67. You just got up, put your uniform on, had a normal breakfast and went off to school in my day. No taking of photos, nothing. I don't feel in any respect deprived and if anything, it meant children didn't see going to school as the massive, scary deal that many think it is now.

god there’s some miserable people in this world, for the record i don’t do this, we have new uniform, shoes, bag, pic by the door etc. but if we wanted to do a balloon arch, why not? who am i hurting, my daughter would absolutely love it she keeps birthday balloons for weeks! life is too short, and the days of having your children as children are even shorter so it you want to celebrate and make little traditions with them so what. it’s not for strangers on the internet to roll their eyes at. they’re not asking you to blow the balloons up 🙄 i probably do a lot of things that people would roll their eyes at but i don’t do it to be showy or make other mums feel bad i do it so that when my children are older they’ll know i was a mum that loved them and did lots of little things to make them feel special

if people were doing it in the privacy of their own home, it wouldn't be an issue at all, but by going public and posting it all over social media, they invite opinion.

So yes, people roll their eye at the whole thing, and the need to constantly show off.

They don't hurt anyone, but they cheapen real celebrations which is a bit sad for their child, they also make a big fuss for themselves and end up stressing their kids in the process.

You can't judge the way I raise my kids or celebrate whatever we are celebrating, because I don't post it on social media. Simple.

Why does everything have to be such a bloody occasion. Nope we do not do any rituals. Don’t need new uniform for youngest two so they are sorted. New uniform and stationary for eldest as he’s stating high school. He’s walking to school by himself then has football training as normal and then we will have dinner as normal. Why such a fuss. It’s just going back to school after another school holiday. It’s really not a big deal.

Jesus no! Balloon arches and gifts? All just seems like another thing to brag about on social media tbh.

We take a picture on the first and last days of the school year but that’s it.

My daughter doesn’t even have new uniform this year! Shocker! Her uniform from last year was massive, she’s only just grown in to it, it looks clean, no stains so no need to buy more! I did get some new polo shirts though because they were looking a bit manky. She neither has a balloon arch or new uniform so I must be failing at motherhood 😂

That’s the spirit! 👍

I take a photo of mine in front of the front door in the morning. Might take them to the shop on the way home. Never saw it a ritual. A balloon arch is overkill imo. Making a special breakfast sounds like it could be an unnecessary faff depending on what it is.

Was feeling pretty low today but just found myself laughing out loud in agreement. Thank you!

Photo by the fireplace and some new stationary!! Occasionally a McDonald's breakfast on day 1 because it's a rush to get out, but no. Nothing else special.

I take photos at the front door and sometimes as they are walking into school.
Kids are so used to it now, they expect it so don't get embarrassed.

We used celebrate by going for pizza the day before going back or doing an activity day out type of thing.

I make pancakes or something nice after school on the first day.

Don't really do social media and never head of balloon arches which look insane to me.

I do it because when I was growing up, nobody ever bothered doing anything like that for me and I want their memories to be very different to mine.

I've never seen anything on social media other than the standard photo of the kids standing by the front door in their new uniform (which I actually love seeing - I don't have kids but I'm always pleased to see little updates on how my friends' kids are doing). I've certainly never seen a balloon arch or heard anyone going on about 'special breakfasts' or anything.

When I was at primary school, my mum used to take me for a milkshake and a bun after school on the first day back and I believe she did the same for my older siblings when they were that age. She loved having us at home in the summer holidays and disliked the first day back as much as we did! But it wasn't a 'ritual', just a 'Let's have a treat to soften the blow' kind of thing.

Load of rubbish. Its either an American thing or some wannabe so called influencer crap. Just do what we all do, take a photo on the door step and have a chippy tea.

I have never heard of this and I've four kids, taking a photo is all you need, well its all I do (I don't post), the only photo I'll do this year is my 3 year old starting nursery on the 18th The last thing you need is your kids expecting stuff every year before starting back at school till they leave, just make them a good breakfast ready for the day! :)

Yes. I pour myself a large glass of gin and celebrate my and their successful survival of the summer holiday's.

It's so stressful as it is I am happy just to get them there! If you do take a photo though I wouldn't put it on Facebook as seems to be the trend. Hope back to school goes well.

Sometimes we go out for a cheap dinner then night before school starts as a way to celebrate the end of the summer but not always.
Or if the first day back is a nice sunny day, sometimes I take them out for an ice cream afterwards to tell me about their day but again, not a ritual, just something we might do if we fancy it.
I don't take photos of either of these events though - I personally find it distasteful and a sign of problematic consumption when mums take photos of extravengent unnecessary gifts for an ever increasing amount of events to show off and try to outdo each other on socials. Yuck.
I am guilty of a wee back to school photo in the garden of them in their uniform though, they just look super cute, so maybe I'm just a hypocrite 😂

I tend to cry because im a teacher so im back at work 🤷🏼‍♀️😅

Nope, we just take a picture.

There was social media 19 years ago.

And as to the question no I never did anything special for going back to school. A pic on first day of primary and first day of secondary