HeatherL Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 All of the schools around us go back this week or next. Our friends all started posting their 1st day of school photos and it makes me a little sad. We know we are doing what is best for our family (my DS reads and does math on 2nd grade level and I was told flat out by all the kinder teachers we visited, that they had no idea what they would do with him in class and even our ped said we should hs), but it still makes me a little sad. All of his friends are starting kinder and I feel like we are missing out on this big milestone. We have been formally homeschooling for the past year and just continued on through the summer (lighter though) so it doesn't even feel like a big deal to "officially" start kinder. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2samlibby Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 You can still take a 1st day of school photo to share. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chepyl Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Take a first day of school picture and do something special. I took pictures of both kids last year and just DS the year before. We made the first day special. We also went bowling on the day all the public schools went back :) it was fun! Pick something that can be your special tradition. Then post your pictures on Facebook. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barb_ Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 It's your new normal. :grouphug: You'll get used to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delirium Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I agree, take a photo and share it. I feel sad when I see others photos too, *hugs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Do something fun on the first day of ps, go to a museum or have other home schoolers over for a party. Our friends have a party, everyone brings a sack lunch, there are fun games for PE and madlibs and silliness. It's time to start your own traditions. It's a little bitter sweet sometime but they aren't missing their traditions, we are remembering ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momacacia Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I have to tell you about my K experience. I did not school K heavily and then visited one of the best private schools in town, and one which I agreed with their philosophy, etc. I saw what they were doing at the end of the year, and the little, albeit sweet, classroom they were in with small high windows along the wall all.day.long. That's when I realized that we'd missed NOTHING in K. My daugther had a literal greenhouse/sunroom for a schoolroom, went on gobs of fieldtrips and was learning cursive and reading as well or better than most of the kids in mid-first grade at that school. And I thought I'd done a shoddy job of K. Not that she'll never attend a B&M school or that school in particular, but I'm glad I didn't waste her 5-6yo year with time in that little room.:) We always take a pic right outside our front door for the first day of school. Love it! And how sad to be starting B&M school even before August!! Gasp!:confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I love those sweet little photos of cuties with new backpacks. My firends are pretty on the ball. They will try something different if their kids don't thrive. (Oh, believe me, I know! lol) Enjoy those sweet faces. We don't start school here until after Labor Day. We are in the lovely middle of summer here. However, I do look forward to those little faces. I usually post a few pix of my kids doing ther hs stuff. I only Friend friends, so it feels really nice to see their growing babies. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverMoon Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Make it a big deal! Celebrate the start of an exciting homeschool year. :) Dress up nice, take his picture, bake cookies, play games, go to the park, make his favorite lunch, and make some memories. There's a first day of school thread going in the curriculum forum right now. You might look there for some ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 My kids are teens now, but we make it a point to go to Dairy Queen during the first week of ps. We go in the afternoon, driving past our local high school and waving. (My goodness, no one can see us wave. They are all inside!) When they were little, we would go to McDonald's for lunch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sillymommy Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Our kids get a schultuete on their first day of kindergarten! Everyone else gets a smaller goodie bag. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schultüte We take pictures, enjoy treats, chew gum during school, have silly string fights during recess, etc. Then I post all our first-day-of-school photos on Facebook. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Laurie Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I agree- make your own traditions and it will feel just as special. I make a special breakfast and give my kids forms to fill out about themselves, we have fun looking at previous years and seeing how their answers change. We get new school supplies and start the day with something fun and new that we've all been looking forward to. I often had those pangs too, not because I wasn't happy for my friends and their kids, but because I loved elementary school as a kid and loved back to school time. So I would feel a little sad that my kids weren't experiencing that too. But public school wasn't the right choice for my circumstances and particular family, and I realized I could still make special school memories for them, they'd just be different than what I had experienced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swellmomma Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 wow that seems so early. Out here the last day of school was just on June 28th. Schools have another month before they start back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happypamama Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Start your own first day traditions, including photos! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Remember! This is not a contest. It's simply people showing memorable family moments. :001_smile: Just do your thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 All of the schools around us go back this week or next. Our friends all started posting their 1st day of school photos and it makes me a little sad. I always feel this way too. We have started our own traditions. I know this is right for us. I'm glad they aren't at school all day. But I still feel that twinge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruby Rose Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 We did something similar to this and it was a huge hit! Plan to do it every year! Back to School Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom in High Heels Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 You can still make it special! We do a first day of school photo every year and I share it. We also put it on his "All About Me" page that goes in the front of his history notebook. It has places for him to write height, weight, age, favorite book, movie, TV show, color, school subject, game and what he wants to be when he grows up. It's neat to look at the past pages and see how much he's grown, how his tastes have changed (though he's wanted to be and archaeologist every year) and how his handwriting has changed. We do a special breakfast of his choice on the first day of school too. When the local ps schools start, we go out to lunch and have ice cream. I must say, I look forward to ps starting. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NanceXToo Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 You're not missing out on a big milestone. You're thinking of K the way it used to be when you were a kid. When my daughter (who I didn't start homeschooling until toward the end of 3rd grade) went to K, it was a long day of deskwork, with only 15 minute recesses, "silent lunches," and she was constantly losing said recess for talking too much in the classroom. And she brought home homework, at age 5. You can still make your first day of K special. Buy little first day of school gifts to give him. Make a "back to school" wreath to hang on the front door or some other first day of school craft. Take first day of school pictures and print one to put on a piece of posterboard and include his height, weight, age, handprint, etc. Wrap up the day with a special treat, going for ice cream or baking cookies or going to the park. Or do school outside that day if it's nice out. On the first day your district goes back to school, go on a fun field trip instead. I actually thought this was going to be a rant about how people on Facebook are saying how they "can't wait" for their kids to go back to school and counting down the days lol. That always makes me a little sad, like they can't wait to get rid of their kids. I'm glad to not count days until my kids are gone from me all day, every day. I like having them here. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 (edited) We used to take a "not back to school" camping trip every year. OK, not everyone can do that - we can't anymore either. I never did "back to school" things - no special photo for the day, or anything like that, because, well, my kids didn't go back to school. ;) But when friends started back, we just did something different and fun to emphasize the fact that yes, we are different, we do live differently, and we are happy about it! Oh, some homeschoolers around here go to the beach in a big group on the first day of ps. Do you know other homeschoolers you can do something with? That said, I do have moments of sadness that there are typical milestones my kids won't experience. Then something great happens here, and I get over it! Edited July 27, 2012 by marbel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisbeth Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I honestly feel sorry for those kids in the first day of school pics, but I can understand where you are coming from. So many people post how happy they are to get rid of the kids that I have to avoid those posts. Ick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Make a big deal of the first day for him too! Make one of those german "school cones" for him, have a special breakfast (maybe go out for pancakes?), take pictures, etc. Post them. Or, we do a "not back to school" party with our group the first day of public school. We meet up at Denny's and then see a movie, or to to a local park, or what not. Trust me, in a bit your public school friends will be sad and jealous they aren't doing all the fun stuff you are posting about! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Goodness, we are only halfway through summer here. No back to school talk! I am not ready. We always take a 1st day of school mug shot (as we fondly call it) of the kiddos holding a sign that says First Day of X Grade with the date. However, I will admit when I see all of my schooler friends posting those oh so cute pics of their kids with their backpacks full of new school supplies and smiling kiddos I get a pang or three. There is a definite tug to go with the flow and stop fighting against the stream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeatherL Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Thanks for all the ideas! I ended up getting him all new "fun" school supplies, things he would never use in "real" school like 96 box of crayons, 24 water colors... I put them all in his backpack and surprised him this morning and he loved it! I also snapped pictures of us doing school in our pjs that I will post later on fb ;) It's also nice to know that I'm not alone in my feelings. Thank you ladies for making me feel better about everything. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Thanks for all the ideas! I ended up getting him all new "fun" school supplies, things he would never use in "real" school like 96 box of crayons, 24 water colors... I put them all in his backpack and surprised him this morning and he loved it! I also snapped pictures of us doing school in our pjs that I will post later on fb ;) Good for you! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JessReplanted Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 It's your new normal. :grouphug: You'll get used to it. :iagree: I remember feeling 'weird' about the first day of school when we first started homeschooling. Now, after 4 years, I get excited about our first day of school (and I'm so thankful that I'm not sending my kids off to pschool). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlsdMama Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 I have a tradition you can share. ;) We school off and on and/or lightly in the summer so you're right, the first day doesn't seem like such a big deal. :( But, you can set up a different tradition that is more fun. :) When the public school goes back to school, we have our UNSCHOOL day! :) We take pictures of each child and as a group. Daddy takes the day (or sometimes just the morning if it can't be helped) off of work and we usually go out for breakfast. Sometimes we spend the day doing something special and sometimes not, but we DON'T do school that day. It's all a celebration of NOT going to school and having the freedom and enjoyment of being homeschooled! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raceNzanesmom Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 We take first day of school photos every year in the same place so we can watch them grow. Well, hopefully, the oldest is done growing, but he still gets his picture taken. lol I take last day of school photos too, but they're usually more on the fun, silly side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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