Preparing for the 1st Day of School

The 1st day of school is a big event! I can remember the 1st day of most grades: new shoes, seeing friends after a long summer break, meeting new teachers, etc. Last year was Maggie’s very 1st day of school. It was such a special day. We walked her to school as a family & couldn’t believe she went right in the door, not even a tear. Here are a few ways we prepared for the 1st day of school last year & we’ll be doing the same this September!

Back to School Books

Reading a lot of books about school was a big help last summer. It helped Maggie ask questions about school & have an idea about what goes on. Julie & I put together a list of our favorites in this post.

Prepare for some fun pictures!

Last year we had a cute printed sign. This year I was trying to think of a new idea, & we tried this out while playing with chalk this week.

Trial Run

We walk Maggie to school. So last year, a week before school, we walked the route. It was good to figure out exactly how long it took to walk the school. It was also a good way to prep Maggie. We talked about where we were walking, checked out the school again, etc.

Our “Kissy Bunny”

This actually came into play mid year for us, during the last school year, & we will certainly be bringing him to school in September. Maggie never had trouble leaving me at drop off, & then sometime in the early Spring, she started having trouble. She would ask over & over again for “1 more hug & 1 more kiss”. Sometimes she would be in the classroom & I could hear her crying to her teacher “please let me out, I have to give my mom another kiss”. It broke my heart. Then I had an idea. We had this adorable little bunny, that I named our Kissy Bunny. I told Maggie I would give the bunny lots of kisses, & she could keep him in her pocket. If she needed extra kisses after I left, she could take him out of her pocket & he would give her one of my kisses. It worked wonders for us.

Last but not least: a fun new backpack!

I got this cool new backpack for Maggie last night at the Momtrends Back to School Style event & she loves it! The company that makes them is called MadPax. They have 2 different size backpacks & lunch bags too. The colors & texture are awesome.

Another favorite, for toddler sized backpacks, are these cute styles from our friends at Sila Boutique. Keep an eye out for a great deal from Sila Boutique in this week’s Yellow Friday shopping event