Sending your Child Back to School with Confidence & Grace

*This post has a lot of tips for when I had elementary-aged kids – and now I have a high school Junior and a college student!  We still do the Back to School Feast, set expectations (a bit differently) and a father’s blessing! A good read for those with younger kids, and I’ll do an updated post for college kids soon.

Summer always seems to fly by. After weeks of adventures, travel, family time, and memory making, suddenly it is time for one of the biggest transitions of the year: back to school.

And if anyone asks me what my biggest adventure has been, my answer will always be parenting!

A new school year brings so much excitement, but it can also bring new teachers, harder subjects, changing friendships, busy schedules, and plenty of unknowns for our kids.

Over the years, I have found that taking a little time to intentionally prepare my children for the school year helps them walk into it with more confidence, purpose, and grace.

These are a few of our favorite back to school family traditions and simple things we have done to help our kids feel ready for a new year.

And if school has already started in your house, it is definitely not too late. You can plan a special family dinner or family night anytime during those first few weeks.

1. Talk About Back to School Expectations

I can still remember how excited I was for the first day of school each year. I want my kids to have that same excitement, but I also want them to remember that a successful school year is about so much more than grades.

Of course I am proud when my kids work hard and do well academically. But no grade will ever be more important to me than kindness, integrity, faith, respect, and the way they treat other people.

Before school starts, we talk about what those values might look like during the coming year.

• What does it mean to be a good student?
• How can you be a good friend?
• How should you treat your teachers and classmates?
• What can you do when someone feels left out?
• How will you handle a class or assignment that feels difficult?
• What kind of person do you want to be this school year?

It does not need to be one big, serious conversation. We usually talk about these things naturally during the days leading up to school.

I think those little conversations help remind our kids that while we care about what they accomplish, we care even more about who they are becoming.

2. Celebrate With a Back to School Feast

In 2015, our family started one of my absolute favorite traditions: a Back to School Feast, also known as our Back to School Dinner.

I definitely cannot take credit for inventing the idea. Many families have their own version of a special dinner before school begins, but once we tried it, I knew it was a tradition I wanted to continue.

We choose a night before school starts, make the evening feel special, dress up a little, and celebrate the beginning of a brand new year.

For us, the most meaningful part of the Back to School Feast is choosing a family theme for the school year.

Jon and I think about what our kids may be facing during the upcoming year and choose a short phrase or message that we hope will encourage them, strengthen their character, and remind them of what matters most.

Some of our past school year themes have included:

“Have Courage and Be Kind”

“I Can Do Hard Things”

“Let Your Light Shine”

Each child gets a framed copy of the year’s theme for their desk or room so they can see it throughout the year.

I love watching a simple phrase take on new meaning as the year goes on. Sometimes the message we choose before school even begins ends up being exactly what one of our kids needs months later.

Our Past Back to School Themes

The feast has also become the perfect opportunity to take pictures before the school year begins. The kids have worn crowns as a reminder of their worth, and we try to make the entire evening feel like a celebration of them and the year ahead.

It is one of those family traditions that has become more meaningful to me with every passing year.

3. Write a Back to School Letter to the Teacher

Another thing I have loved doing over the years is sending a short back to school letter or email to my child’s teacher.

Teachers are meeting an entire classroom of new students at once. A brief introduction can give them a little insight into your child before conferences or back to school night.

I might include things such as:

• My child’s personality
• Academic strengths
• Areas where they may need encouragement
• How they learn best
• Interests and hobbies
• Anything that might affect their school day
• Important family or scheduling information
• Any concerns I would like the teacher to be aware of

I try to keep the letter positive and helpful rather than telling the teacher how to teach my child.

For me, the goal is simply to open the door to communication and help the teacher understand a little more about the person sitting in their classroom.

This has also been especially helpful when our family has unusual schedules, multiple children at different schools, or different arrangements for who will be caring for the kids after school.

Communication early in the year can make such a difference.

4. Start the School Year With Prayer

Every year, we also have a special prayer for each child before the new school year begins.

We usually do this around the same time as our Back to School Feast. We have a family prayer and traditionally include a Father’s Blessing for each of our children.

For our family, faith is an important part of helping our kids begin the year feeling supported and loved.

A Father’s Blessing offers guidance, comfort, and encouragement as they head into a year filled with both opportunities and challenges.

I especially love the reminder it gives our children that they are not navigating the year alone. Their earthly father and their Heavenly Father are there to love, guide, and support them throughout the year.

It is a meaningful way for us to pause before the busyness begins and focus on the people we love most.

Helping Kids Start School With Confidence

Back to school traditions do not have to be elaborate or Pinterest perfect.

For me, what matters most is creating an opportunity to connect with my kids before another busy school year begins.

Talk about what they are excited about.

Ask what they are nervous about.

Remind them what makes them special.

Let them know that mistakes, difficult classes, changing friendships, and challenging days are all part of growing up.

Most importantly, remind them that home will always be a safe place to come back to.

Some years our Back to School Feast has been elaborate and other years it has been much simpler. The decorations and food are fun, but years later, those are not the parts that matter most.

What I hope my kids remember is that before each school year began, we stopped and celebrated them.

Favorite Back to School Finds

There are also a few practical things that can make the school year run a little more smoothly.

A Good Student Planner

A student planner can make a huge difference once homework, tests, activities, practices, and projects start piling up.

Shop one of my favorite student organization finds here.

Homework Timer Cube

I also love using a simple timer cube for homework sessions. It can help kids break homework or study time into manageable chunks and make it easier to focus on one task at a time.

Back to School Clothes and Deals

What Are Your Favorite Back to School Traditions?

Whether you plan a special dinner, choose a family theme, say a prayer together, or simply spend a little extra time talking before the first day, I hope you find a way to make the beginning of the school year meaningful for your family.

I would love to hear what your family does to celebrate back to school and help your kids begin the year with confidence.

Here is to a wonderful school year filled with courage, kindness, growth, confidence, and plenty of grace.

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