Back-To-School Traditions: A Special Dinner

In just a few weeks, the kids will be heading back to school and “summer will be over forever,” as my daughter put it just today as we drove home from a summer adventure at the lake. Little does she know, summer sticks around for a while in the form of many more 100-degree days. However, school is back in session soon. What do you do to prepare?

For several years, I have enjoyed reading about different back-to-school traditions and planning what I want to do with my own kids. One of my favorites is a back-to-school dinner. There are all kinds of variations of this on Pinterest and blogs, but here are some basics I’m planning to include in our back-to-school dinner this year:

Theme for the School Year

This could be a quote, a short phrase, or any type of encouraging and motivating mantra for the year. This can be a “go-to” for your kids when they need a little extra courage or confidence at school. Since we recently moved and my daughter is starting a new school, I’m thinking “Bloom where you’re planted” will be a great one this year.

Favorite Foods

It’s really fun to make this meal special for your kiddos. If you have more than one going back, choose one favorite food for each child. This makes it a fun combination of different foods.

Simple Decorations

Make the dinner feel a bit more festive than usual by adding a few simple decorations. Some fun straws in their favorite drink, balloons, or any other type of décor will really make it a memorable meal.

Show Kindness and Respect

During this special meal, remind your kids what it means to be kind to others and to look out for those who might need a friend. You can never talk about kindness and respect too much.

Remind Them of Their Strengths

Starting a new school year, especially at a new school, can be tough for kids! Remind them how important and unique they are by highlighting some of their strengths and what makes them stand out. It’s bound to put a smile on their face and will help them look forward to the school year with confidence!

Amanda Stewart
Amanda moved to the Dallas area as a child, moved away for college, but then returned “home” with her husband and new daughter. Now five years later, she and her family are putting down roots in Collin County. Her educational background is an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and a graduate degree in Early Childhood Studies. Most days you can find her doing her best to put her knowledge to work with 3 of the sweetest students around- born in 2010, 2014 and 2015. Once bedtime hits, you can find her doing some instructional design work, blogging, or finding the next great series on Netflix, usually with a cookie in hand. You can read more about her collection of thoughts on everything from motherhood and parenting to DIY and fitness, and whatever else is on her mind at her new blog <a href "http://www.thiscollectivelife.com/" This Collective Life .