Back to school pictures on Facebook are making me sad...

[MiniBlondes]

This is our first year homeschooling. Today was the first day for our old PS district in VA. All of my friends and my girls friends went back to school today. I saw all these pictures of kids that they've grown up with, dressed up and headed to classes where my kids won't be. It kind of made me sad. I was expecting the opposite.

[Just Kate]

I understand. This year is the first that my kiddos will be attending school. I am heartbroken over this.

 

Enjoy your time with your kiddos and don't forget to make their first day of school fun. We always went out for breakfast (usually daddy tried to come too). I would also get my kids a book or something for their first day. You will have fun. :)

[Heather in Neverland]

Honestly, lots of homeschoolers feel that way. It's normal. :grouphug:

[Lolly]

We started a new tradition when we started homeschooling. Usually the week before and the first week of school we head to the beach. That has us miss all of that beginning of school shopping and starting. While they talk of heading off on the bus, we talk about being at the beach. (We are lucky to have a free place to stay there!) It helps tremendously to have something else that is super special to do. It helps even more to not be there while school starts. Even if they feel homeschooling is the best, kids are left out of the conversation completely when talk turns to who has what teacher and who is in their room.

[kwickimom]

It'll pass!! I felt like that the first 2 years. My kids didnt care one bit though :) This year we are super happy to not have to buy all the back to school junk and I have had so many moms tell me that they wished they were homeschooling to avoid all that! We are taking a trip to the zoo Friday when the public school has their first full day.

[jennsmile]

I feel sad for the kids headed to school. They are sent to be with strangers. It makes me very sad to see little kinder students pictures and know they won't be with their mom/dad.

 

I don't dare post my thoughts on their pages. Last year I made the mistake of telling somebody that it was a choice to send their kid as they were complaining. They didn't like the fact that yes you choose to work as a teacher and send your kids to school. I sacrifice and make the choice to stay home. They don't see it that way. So this year I am not saying a word to a soul on face book.

 

PS We also head to camp around the start of school. Love our family camp. One week away...yea!

[jelbe5]

Please know my children have never attended traditional school.

 

We celebrate "NOT Back to School Day". That is our internal name. :lol:

 

Kids get dressed in nice play clothes.

 

We have a nice hot breakfast or go out for breakfast (very rare for us on a weekday).

 

Then we hit the empty park or forest preserve for fun and nature study. :D

 

And I take some nice pictures of my children.

 

Why not create a tradition for yourself? You can still post pictures on Facebook if you feel comfortable doing so. :grouphug:

[Dinsfamily]

I get a little sad too. My dc have never been to ps, but I loved going back to school as a kid. There's nothing like new clothes and school supplies. We'll get over it and are happy to have another good friend IRL new to homeschooling this year.

[Sue G in PA]

:grouphug: It's funny but I see those pictures, see my friends sad comments about the first day (esp. with a Ker) and hear about the tears (from Mom!) and can't help but thinking, "but it doesn't have to be that way!". I look at my dear, sweet little 4yo (my baby, sniff, sniff) and just KNOW I couldn't send him off in the big yellow bus even for 1/2 a day! You will get used to it and many homeschoolers implement first day back to homeschool "traditions". Some go out to breakfast, some wait until the first day of the ps and go out to Chuck E Cheese or some kid place b/c all the other kids are now in school, etc. We used to do pictures and such but now...it's all I can do to just get started, lol! I put a sticker on the calendar marking our first day...there...tradition! :D

[Kathryn]

We make sure to have extra fun when the kids go back to school here. One of many reasons we homeschool.

[GoVanGogh]

:grouphug:

 

I remember feeling that way on my son's first day of kindergarten. The next year was even worse! For some reason, keeping him home from first grade suddenly made our homeschooling seem so "real."

 

We have always "celebrated" the first day our public schools go back in session, but I started calling it our "Educational Freedom Day" at that point. We make a big deal of it... Go out for a late breakfast, go play video games at the arcade, go to the comic book store, stop and get a banana split. Just totally junky fun! I do give my son a gift that morning - something educational and serious, like a new book he has been wanting.

 

Find some way to make today special and memorable. :grouphug:

[Catwoman]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

I agree with having a fun "Not Back to School Day." It makes the day special, and helps you remember why you decided to homeschool in the first place -- and a big part of that is because you have the freedom to have a Not Back to School Day whenever you want to have one! :001_smile:

[Dmmetler]

:grouphug:

 

me, too. While I'm very glad DD doesn't have to go to a traditional school, there's some part of me that feels left out and that she's missing something.

[NanceXToo]

Oh, gosh, not me! I pulled my daughter out toward the end of her third grade year almost 3 1/2 years ago and never once looked back! My almost 7 y/o son has never gone to school. When I hear/see all the "back to school posts" I just think, "Aw, you and your kids don't know what you're missing out on by not homeschooling," followed immediately by, "Yay, I can't wait to be able to go on field trips and not have all the summer crowds now that your kids are going back to school" haha. I KNOW my kids aren't "missing out" on anything based on my daughter's early school years and that they are able to have much more of a real childhood this way!

 

Make it special. While everyone else is going off to school, put on your "first day of school" clothes, take fun pictures- heading off to an awesome field trip of your choice! :D

[ErinE]

We combat the twinges of nostalgia by going on vacation. There's nothing like sitting on a beach or exploring the mountains while everyone else is back to the grind. Enjoy the benefits of homeschooling to remind you why you do what you do.

 

ETA: Also, you don't have to get up at 6 am to hustle the kids through breakfast so they can be at the bus stop at 6:30. It looks like fun and games in August, but think of those cold days in the depths of winter.

Edited August 13, 2012 by ErinE

[GoVanGogh]

followed immediately by, "Yay, I can't wait to be able to go on field trips and not have all the summer crowds now that your kids are going back to school" haha.

:lol: and a giant, "Amen!" to that.

I am counting down the days until we can go back to the community rec center and not have it overrun by unsupervised middle school kids. :D

[warneral]

Take your kids out to lunch or do something else that helps you all realize your newfound freedom :)

 

Doing something special helped me swiftly get past that felling last year

[shanvan]

It will pass, but like others said make your own fun traditions! You can take your own pictures.

 

Our tradition is the "not back to school" celebration. I purposefully don't do school on the first day back in the district and we go out and do something really fun.

 

Yep. I used to take pictures when they were younger. As they've grown it's become more strictly business, but this thread (and a couple of others) have me thinking of doing something to make the day special.

[jelbe5]

ETA: Also, you don't have to get up at 6 am to hustle the kids through breakfast so they can be at the bus stop at 6:30. It looks like fun and games in August, but think of those cold days in the depths of winter.

 

:iagree:

 

Many a dark, cold morning I awake to the sound of the snow plow going down the street and rejoice that we don't have to go out in bitter cold/snow/ice.

 

Nothing like doing school in warm pjs under a toasty electric blanket!:D

 

ETA add hot chocolate and a crock pot with a delicious-smelling hot soup or stew wafting through the house!

[TN Mama]

We take and post our first day of school pictures, too! I'll be doing that later today, actually. :)

 

Hugs. :grouphug:

[MiniBlondes]

You ladies are amazing. You've made me feel so much better.

 

I know that HS is the best choice and I can't wait to get started. But I guess seeing that has made it very 'real' for me now. The weight of my decision is sinking in. I hope I don't screw them up!

[DianeW88]

Oh, gosh, not me! I pulled my daughter out toward the end of her third grade year almost 3 1/2 years ago and never once looked back! My almost 7 y/o son has never gone to school. When I hear/see all the "back to school posts" I just think, "Aw, you and your kids don't know what you're missing out on by not homeschooling," followed immediately by, "Yay, I can't wait to be able to go on field trips and not have all the summer crowds now that your kids are going back to school" haha. I KNOW my kids aren't "missing out" on anything based on my daughter's early school years and that they are able to have much more of a real childhood this way!

 

Make it special. While everyone else is going off to school, put on your "first day of school" clothes, take fun pictures- heading off to an awesome field trip of your choice! :D

 

:iagree: I have never felt anything close to sad that my kids weren't starting school in a brick and mortar building. If you've chosen to homeschool your kids, I'm assuming there's a reason you don't want them in a traditional school. Celebrate the wonderful opportunity homeschooling is and enjoy all the great moments, fun times, and learning you'll now be able to SHARE with your kids instead of watching from afar and not really being a part of at all.

[mom2scouts]

Our city school district is one of the few in our rural county that starts the same week as the county fair. When school starts, we go and spend the day at the fair with the country kids. The first year we did it, I felt so guilty and rebellious.:lol:

[Desert Rat]

Honestly, lots of homeschoolers feel that way. It's normal. :grouphug:

 

:iagree: I still put up first day pictures. When the boys were little I would also take pics of their bare feet. My oldest said he loved that about homeschooling. He didn't have to put on shoes to go to school. So for awhile, we called our school No Shoes Academy.

 

I get my kids new folders, a book, a snack, and something small (like a little lego kit, coffee mugs, this year those plastic cups with straws everyone likes) for the first day of school. And I usually make pancakes. This year will probably be donuts though because we have a little donut maker.

[thessa516]

Take your own Not Back to School Day pictures! I took pictures of us at Krispy Kreme this morning. :D Yummmm.

[starwarsmomma]

We have a tradition that my boys just love.

 

We get up (sleeping in late on the first day because nobody else gets to!) we go in the car -- in our pajamas-- to the donut shop and get donuts and chocolate milk.

 

On the way home, we drive by the school, roll down the windows and yell SUCKERS! go home and eat donuts.

 

This year, I plan to take the kids to the indoor surfing place nearby for an hour of surfing (PE!!) :D

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

I agree about making your own traditions. Are you involved with a group of any kind? There are several around here who have Not Back to School traditions--camping, a week at the beach (which is where we'll be :D) etc. You could even start a NBTS event of your own, and then the kids will have that to talk about instead. Our first day of school will happen at our local cafe!

[Lolosoli]

On the first day of the schooled kids returning to school we have a "Happy NOT Going Back To School" celebration. We meet up with other homeschooled kids and have a wonderful day!

 

On the second day we have our first day of school at home. We open up our "homeschool box" and go through all the supplies and curriculum that we'll be using for the year...including fun art supplies and science kits/experiments.

 

We make it a lot of fun!

 

On the second and third weeks of the kids returning to school we have fun going to stores and buying up school supplies on sale!!!

 

Try to make this time as fun as possible...it is an amazing time and it won't last long...they'll be grown up before we know it!!! :)

[*Lulu*]

We school year round, and sit in the middle of two school districts with two different start dates. We have developed a few traditions over the years that help mark our year and help remind us of some of the cool parts of our educational choice.

 

On the first date we have a "Not Back To School" celebration, go swimming, eat out for lunch, and talk about the fun things we are going to do in the coming year.

 

On the second day we celebrate "Pajama Day" and hang out watching tv, playing video games, and eating processed convenience foods I normally refuse to buy, all while wearing our jammies.

 

Then we take 2 or 3 weeks off, (so when kids ask mine about school they get to say they are on vacation), and take advantage of all the cool places in town before any of the schools are even remotely close to starting field trips.

[I.Dup.]

I feel sad for the kids headed to school. They are sent to be with strangers. It makes me very sad to see little kinder students pictures and know they won't be with their mom/dad.

 

:grouphug: It's funny but I see those pictures, see my friends sad comments about the first day (esp. with a Ker) and hear about the tears (from Mom!) and can't help but thinking, "but it doesn't have to be that way!". I look at my dear, sweet little 4yo (my baby, sniff, sniff) and just KNOW I couldn't send him off in the big yellow bus even for 1/2 a day!

 

I have never felt anything close to sad that my kids weren't starting school in a brick and mortar building. If you've chosen to homeschool your kids, I'm assuming there's a reason you don't want them in a traditional school. Celebrate the wonderful opportunity homeschooling is and enjoy all the great moments, fun times, and learning you'll now be able to SHARE with your kids instead of watching from afar and not really being a part of at all.

 

:iagree::iagree:

 

Never once have I felt sad that my kids aren't going off to school! I always feel so sorry for the little ones being shuffled off to school!

[Ipsey]

I feel sad for the kids headed to school. They are sent to be with strangers. It makes me very sad to see little kinder students pictures and know they won't be with their mom/dad.

 

I don't dare post my thoughts on their pages. Last year I made the mistake of telling somebody that it was a choice to send their kid as they were complaining. They didn't like the fact that yes you choose to work as a teacher and send your kids to school. I sacrifice and make the choice to stay home. They don't see it that way. So this year I am not saying a word to a soul on face book.

 

PS We also head to camp around the start of school. Love our family camp. One week away...yea!

 

Please, feel free to save your pity. As a child, I loved going to school! I begged for years to go to school before kindergarten. Many children are very excited and view it as a wonderful adventure. Not everyone feels this way, surely, but not everyone is hurt over going to school.

 

I created my own adventure day on our first day each year of homeschooling, but there's no reason to pity and feel bad for most of the children going to public school. It's not exactly child abuse.

[Ellie]

See, I'd be kind of sad that those poor children are being sent away from their mothers, bless their hearts. :D

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Please, feel free to save your pity. As a child, I loved going to school! I begged for years to go to school before kindergarten. Many children are very excited and view it as a wonderful adventure. Not everyone feels this way, surely, but not everyone is hurt over going to school.

 

I created my own adventure day on our first day each year of homeschooling, but there's no reason to pity and feel bad for most of the children going to public school. It's not exactly child abuse.

 

:iagree:

 

My cousin always posts photos of her kids on their first day of school. Cousin really loves her kids' little suburban school, and the kids actually like it, too. (All elementary age, when for lots of kids school is still kind of fun.) They are the kind of people to really gel with their local community and do well at school, bright but average kids who don't mind the homework, Mom involved, etc. This just isn't a big deal or a bad thing for them.

 

So I just hate it because I'm a little bit jealous. My cousin gets to dress up her kids in cute back-to-school clothes, take their picture at the bus stop, and send them off to a place that she truly believes is healthy, safe, and beneficial for them and effective for their education, and! the kids like to go! Uh, yeah. I'm jealous.

 

If my kids went to school, none of that would be true for me. They'd be shabbily dressed, sent to an institution that I don't believe in, for an educational experience that would bore and frustrate them, and they'd hate getting on that bus as much as I'd hate putting them on it.

 

Cousin has her life, and I have mine. We both have the responsibility to count our blessings.

[TracyP]

I also take first day of school pictures.

 

Gosh, I remember the first year. The bus stopped at our house and I had to wave it away. It was so surreal. To say I had mixed feelings doesn't even come close to describing how I felt. Excited, scared, happy, sad, nervous, oh my!:grouphug:

[myfunnybunch]

:grouphug:

 

I get it. We've homeschooled for years, and I still feel a little nostalgic about my own first-day memories: choosing the first day outfit, Mom getting a picture by the tree, the new pencils and crayons, and the excitement of seeing friends and a new teacher.

 

We have our own first day of homeschool traditions, with first-day pictures and new school supplies. It's a good trade. But I still miss that first day excitement and anticipation a little.

 

Cat

[MiniBlondes]

We've homeschooled for years, and I still feel a little nostalgic about my own first-day memories: choosing the first day outfit, Mom getting a picture by the tree, the new pencils and crayons, and the excitement of seeing friends and a new teacher.

 

Bingo. I think this is it.

 

I already have a really fun first day planned out for us. And I really am excited to homeschool. But this was a new experience for me and it took me back for a few minutes. I really was not expecting that.

[chepyl]

We take first day of school pictures. For kindergarten, we went outside and posed in front of the house then we came inside. Last year we posed at our desks amd took pictures doing school work. The day PS started....we went bowling. Now, I will be unable to bowl this year so I will find a different activity to do for our "not back to.school day."

[Homemama2]

Well, I figure why not have the best of both worlds? (I was one of the kids that LOVED school, LOVED back-to-school time and Loved buying all the "school" stuff.)

 

I like to buy "school" things like backpacks, lunch bags and school supplies and the kids like them too. They use the backpacks/lunch bags when they go to Grandma's and if we're in co-op at the time. But I always have them go outside with their backpacks and new clothes (clothes are always cheap at back to school sales) and take pics. But then they get to come back inside and spend the day with ME. :D If you don't want to buy anything like that when you're homeschooling, you don't have to. But if you LIKE to, then do it! I don't spend a lot either...I mean, they don't need the expensive, nice backpacks b/c they aren't carrying heavy books in them. We went to walmart and the back packs were $8 and $10.

 

We also decorate with streamers etc. for the first week, make cookies, etc. And you can do any of the fun stuff from ps, for the most part. We have a "spirit week", where each day we dress in a special way (Crazy Hair, PJ day, etc.) We even have "class parties". :001_smile:

[Starr]

One year I found the name cards that get taped to school desks every year for free at an educational store. Large and colorful for elementary school. The kids were so excited to have them at their study place. :D We always get new school supplies and ease into the work.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

I just posted a back-to-school photo that appears to be just a nice little pic of my kids but actually contains a lot of symbolism to remind me why I'm doing this.

 

They are sitting at a table (in a home, not a noisy cafeteria)

eating with their brothers (family togetherness)

laughing their heads off at the 12yo's joke (they are best friends at ages 8-16)

in no kind of a rush (lunch is actually 1/2 hour late today, and that's fine)

and they are eating homemade minestrone, garlic whole grain toast, and grapes (which is not the kind of healthy lunch you get at school)

and they're close enough to me that I can take a photo of the moment.

 

OK, I feel much better now.

[myfunnybunch]

I already have a really fun first day planned out for us.

 

:) What do you have planned?

 

Our first day of school tradition is a nature day. We go to the park and the kids paint, and catch minnows, and watch the birds, and feed the ducks. I take lots of first day pictures. Then we go to Target and each child chooses some new school supplies. The next day we get out all of the new school supplies and new books and we read for an hour before we start subjects.

 

It's lovely. I remind myself that they will have their own wonderful memories about their first day of school.

 

Cat

[MrsJewelsRae]

Have a little fun and brag about your kids going "back to school" on fb- homeschool style! Go to the beach and take pictures of them examining shells, reading a classic on the sand, looking through nature guides to identify leaves on a hike through a forest, an awesome field trip, or pics of your own little 'not back to school' party. Celebrate homeschooling and all the fun and memories your little family will make this year, and be proud!

[Trish]

We're kind of glorying in the fact that we don't have to get up too early. We had an easy day of looking at the new books, reading some introductions etc. We decided to eat out for lunch and go to Books-a-Million for a treat. My kids kind of think of the whole school thing as a prison, so we're not regretting much of anything!

 

But this is our third year homeschooling, so they've had a number of years in school to know what they're not missing.

[MiniBlondes]

I just posted a back-to-school photo that appears to be just a nice little pic of my kids but actually contains a lot of symbolism to remind me why I'm doing this.

 

They are sitting at a table (in a home, not a noisy cafeteria)

eating with their brothers (family togetherness)

laughing their heads off at the 12yo's joke (they are best friends at ages 8-16)

in no kind of a rush (lunch is actually 1/2 hour late today, and that's fine)

and they are eating homemade minestrone, garlic whole grain toast, and grapes (which is not the kind of healthy lunch you get at school)

and they're close enough to me that I can take a photo of the moment.

 

OK, I feel much better now.

 

 

See. Now THAT is awesome!! :)

[MiniBlondes]

:) What do you have planned?

 

Well I put together a conglomeration of different ideas I read here and other places online.

 

When they get up, they will help me make a special breakfast (still deciding on what to make). Then we will get dressed and go up to our room. I will have decorated our room with streamers and big numbers for their grade levels. They will fill out an 'All About Me' booklet and I will take their pictures. I will measure their height with a string and then we will put the booklets and the strings in a 'time capsule' sort of thing. They will help me put up a 'Character Tree' on the wall of our classroom that we will be using for our Virtue Study. We will label and decorate our notebooks for various subjects. Then we will go out to the park and have a picnic lunch and spend the rest of the day playing on the playground with some other homeschooled kids from our church.

 

Now this is how it looks in my mind. Reality may look very different. ;)

[PrairieSong]

Well, I figure why not have the best of both worlds? (I was one of the kids that LOVED school, LOVED back-to-school time and Loved buying all the "school" stuff.)

 

I like to buy "school" things like backpacks, lunch bags and school supplies and the kids like them too. They use the backpacks/lunch bags when they go to Grandma's and if we're in co-op at the time. But I always have them go outside with their backpacks and new clothes (clothes are always cheap at back to school sales) and take pics. But then they get to come back inside and spend the day with ME. :D If you don't want to buy anything like that when you're homeschooling, you don't have to. But if you LIKE to, then do it! I don't spend a lot either...I mean, they don't need the expensive, nice backpacks b/c they aren't carrying heavy books in them. We went to walmart and the back packs were $8 and $10.

 

We also decorate with streamers etc. for the first week, make cookies, etc. And you can do any of the fun stuff from ps, for the most part. We have a "spirit week", where each day we dress in a special way (Crazy Hair, PJ day, etc.) We even have "class parties". :001_smile:

 

Homemama2, can I come to your school? :001_smile:

[myfunnybunch]

Well I put together a conglomeration of different ideas I read here and other places online.

 

When they get up, they will help me make a special breakfast (still deciding on what to make). Then we will get dressed and go up to our room. I will have decorated our room with streamers and big numbers for their grade levels. They will fill out an 'All About Me' booklet and I will take their pictures. I will measure their height with a string and then we will put the booklets and the strings in a 'time capsule' sort of thing. They will help me put up a 'Character Tree' on the wall of our classroom that we will be using for our Virtue Study. We will label and decorate our notebooks for various subjects. Then we will go out to the park and have a picnic lunch and spend the rest of the day playing on the playground with some other homeschooled kids from our church.

 

Now this is how it looks in my mind. Reality may look very different. ;)

 

That sounds like so much fun! You'll have a great first day! I hope we get to hear all about it when it's over.

 

:)

 

Cat

[bethben]

We go out for ice cream and every year I explain that the school kids can't do this. I'm sure people wonder why we're there also.

 

We'll have already done two weeks of school by the time it's back to school time around here. Minnesota starts late because we wouldn't want to interfere with the state fair the last week of August. Gotta have your priorities!

 

 

 

Beth

[Lang Syne Boardie]

MiniBlondes, your plan sounds great.

 

I have to update my previous post. You know that cousin that I'm slightly jealous of, b/c she likes her kids school, and they like their school, and she can just kiss their little noses and put them on the bus every morning?

 

I went to have a closer look at her back-to-school pics and read the comments. She is homeschooling her youngest child!!! The others are still going to ps, but she's keeping her 5yo home this year b/c their school district switched to full-day kindergarten and she disagrees with it. So she's teaching him at home for K and will put him in school for first grade.

 

:lol:

 

So there he was in his new clothes and backpack, getting his picture taken at the bus stop with big siblings, but then he followed Mom back in the house to homeschool as the bus drove away. LOL I hope they have a great year.

 

Families are great. Kids are great. Back-to-school pics are great, no matter what 'school' means to each family.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

MiniBlondes, your plan sounds great.

 

I have to update my previous post. You know that cousin that I'm slightly jealous of, b/c she likes her kids school, and they like their school, and she can just kiss their little noses and put them on the bus every morning?

 

I went to have a closer look at her back-to-school pics and read the comments. She is homeschooling her youngest child!!! The others are still going to ps, but she's keeping her 5yo home this year b/c their school district switched to full-day kindergarten and she disagrees with it. So she's teaching him at home for K and will put him in school for first grade.

 

:lol:

 

So there he was in his new clothes and backpack, getting his picture taken at the bus stop with big siblings, but then he followed Mom back in the house to homeschool as the bus drove away. LOL I hope they have a great year.

 

Families are great. Kids are great. Back-to-school pics are great, no matter what 'school' means to each family.

 

That's awesome!!! I often feel like the only person who doesn't agree with full-day K. That was the straw that broke the camel's back WRT sending oldest DD to school. Her K year was the year they switched to full day.

 

I agree that whatever is working best for each family is great. I wish I had a wonderful school to send my kids to. Sadly, I suspect that my imaginary ideal school does not actually exist :tongue_smilie: