9 ways to make your child’s first day of school, just that extra special.

So, tomorrow is the first day of school. Nerves are high, feelings of anxiety are everywhere, and your child may not want to leave your side, no matter how much you coax them into meeting their friends, new classmates and teachers. The first day of school is always going to be a challenge – thrilling - but nonetheless, quite a challenge for parents. It’s always going to be hard to leave your sons and daughters when they don’t want you to leave…but you've got to. Consequently, (as our †˜Back to School Edition,’ nears its end) we’d thought we’d come up with just a few simple ways to make your child’s first day of school, just that extra special (hopefully easing their anxiety).

1. Have a themed breakfast/lunch/dinner – apple shaped pancakes, boy and girl shaped cookies, alphabet cereal or soup and the like.
2. Write cute messages on post-it notes to leave in their lunchbox. Inspiring quotes or just a simple †˜Have a great day. I love you,’ will boost their mood when it’s time for lunch.
3. Or…you could laminate small photographs of siblings (if they’re close) and/or family pets to also leave in their lunchbox.
4. Take a photo! Get your children to pose in the same spot each year, and take a photo to commemorate their first day. You’ll be able to watch their growth progression over time, as well as, being able to use the photos for a great 18^th or 21^st birthday present/ photo montage.
5. Walk (or drive) them to school, and just enjoy having a chat with your kids – let them know how much fun they’ll have, how much you’ll miss them, and that you love them, no matter what. Soon they’ll all be grown up, and not really asking for you to walk them to school anymore…
6. Plan a special outing after school…like a trip to the park!
7. Or…if you feel like cooking, whip up some tasty after-school snacks, courtesy from us!
8. Ask them how their day was. Don’t ask vague questions like †˜How was your day?’ – This will only trigger an automatic response for teenage years. It’s much better to ask open-ended questions, such as, †˜Tell me what you did today,’ therefore making them recount the contents of their day, rather than just replying with a simple †˜Fine.’
9. Don’t forget to designate a homework area for your children. Let them decorate a table, have some jazzy stationary on hand, a whiteboard if you like, and keep them under your watchful eye. Having an area just for them, will make them feel extra special.

Good luck!