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Original poster

First day at school - how do you mark the occasion?

15 replies

jodee · 27/08/2004 19:24

DS is starting Reception soon and I was wondering what others do to mark this? I was going to take lots of pictures at home and at the school gate, but do you give your child a "first day" card or present of some sort?

OP posts:
daisy1999 · 27/08/2004 19:33

No but I needed a present. Twin dd went on same day (obviously). Got Dh to take day off and told him not to refuse me anything as I might cry. Went shopping, for coffee and cake, pub lunch the works. Enjoy!
(took photos of the girls aswell)

notthecod · 27/08/2004 19:40

took a photo
everyone was doing it

Momp · 27/08/2004 19:43

Have spotted cards in local cardshops for first day at school.

Thought that might be a good idea

Slinky · 27/08/2004 19:57

My "baby" starts on Monday 6th. With the other 2, I've taken photos of them standing outside next to the "Welcome to the XXXXXXX XXXX School".

DH usually has the day off and this year (being our last child) we'll go shopping/out for lunch etc.

Lonelymum · 27/08/2004 20:40

I take pictures of mine in their new uniforms giggling inanely, but at our front door rather than in the school itself. Never seen that done before.

fabarooney · 27/08/2004 20:50

Dd1 starts on Monday 6th and dd2 starts pre-school on the same day!!!! What has happened to my babies?!! Have made dh promise to take the day off and feed me copious amounts of chocolate.

To answer the original question, my girls love cards so I was going to get them both a fun card to open before they go to school and then have a gooey cake with candles at tea time after they've come home and relaxed a bit. I want to celebrate the day with them but not overplay it.

Original poster
jodee · 27/08/2004 21:07

Thanks for the ideas. A small gooey cake sounds good (and one for me (sob! he could be my one and only baby!)).
The starting days are a bit odd - he is mornings until the October break, but his first day is Tues 7th when only 6 of them go in, then he's at home for the rest of the week until Mon 13th. The poor little mite will be wondering why he's only going in for one day!
Oh no ... bet DH is going to be working.

OP posts:
soyabean · 28/08/2004 20:41

I have alwaays taken a photo too, on the doorstep or at school. Also as they take packed lunches I have put a card in the lunch box with lots of kisses on...

poppyseed · 28/08/2004 20:48

We did photos at home but not at school and did (still do) kisses and surprises in the lunchbox. I do them on her snack too - ever seen a banana with a kissy sticker on it!!?

Frenchgirl · 28/08/2004 21:08

Last year took dd out to lunch to our fave restaurant on the sunday, (no other family allowed as I might have punched them, it's our dd and she's going to ...gulp... school!!!), and had a lovely time. Didn't do anything on the big day as too nervous.... So probably good idea to have plans to keep yourself busy!

charliecat · 28/08/2004 21:15

I cross-stitched a blackboard with a teddy wearing her colour uniform writing with chalk her name, the date, and her school...gave it too her with a big hug and none of us have looked at it since but it got me prepared, and im sure I will look at it with fond memories when she 40.

Shimmy21 · 28/08/2004 21:19

All the ideas here are lovely but it is worth thinking through what you actually do at the school itself. My ds2 started school last year. I found leaving him on his first day very stressful and unpleasant not because he was upset, but because some families seemed to be treating the event as a family outing, bringing grandparents etc along too and even filming right in to the classroom with camcorders. This meant the classroom was packed, chaotic and scary for ds. My advice would be to celebrate at home maybe the day before but to keep the actual morning school starts as low key as possible and don't let your own emotions about your baby growing up make it any more emotionally charged for your child.

nutcracker · 28/08/2004 21:57

I took photos and gave Dd a card.
Am about to do it all again as Dd2 starts on the 8th

BooMama · 01/09/2004 11:13

Ooh this is making me well up thinking about it. I had been planning to downplay the day as I didn't want ds to get anxious if we were all making a big fuss. Really hope it's now going to be manic at the school, like Shimmy suggests - I'm not sure how well he would take that.
Think I will make him a cake though, sounds like a lovely idea.
As it's his first day I was thinking about leaving dd (and consequently the buggy) with dh so that I can focus on ds and make sure he's ok. Or should I make things as normal as possible by bringing her with us, like I normally will? This will be the only time we accompany them into the classroom (to help them find their peg etc) as normally we would drop them off at the playground. Do people think it would be awkward to have dd with us? (She is 18 months and will probably fuss about getting out of the buggy...)

BooMama · 01/09/2004 11:14

that should be 'not manic at the school'
sorry!

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