The school bag is ready. The right clothes have been sorted, and now it’s finally the first day of school! The first day of school is definitely a day that both you and your child have been eagerly anticipating. But what is important to remember on the actual day?

• Take a picture of your child at home. When you have taken one (or more) pictures in advance, you don’t have to remember it at school, and you can be more present in the moment without experiencing the day through your phone/camera.
• Help your child feel secure in the situation. Tell your child that it’s okay to be nervous and excited. Talk to your child about any other children he/she knows. You can also discuss that the other children are probably also nervous and have butterflies in their stomachs.
• Be positive. Most parents are positive about their child starting school. But if you have negative memories from your own school days, it can seep through. Therefore, remember to be positive and show your child that school is a nice place to be. Your child will be attending school for many years, and a good start generally leads to a better school experience.
• Prepare in the days leading up to the school start. Use the days before school starts to label clothes and prepare the school bag and pencil case. Label your child’s clothes with name tags. For the items in the pencil case, you can use mini labels or stickers with names.

Before school starts, you can also make labels that your child can put on the outside of their books.

Create a fun T-shirt with an iron-on patch as a memory of the day

Decorate your child’s clothes. With iron-on patches or iron-on patches, it’s easy to create a fun and very personal T-shirt with a name or your child’s favorite characters, such as Spiderman, Batman, or Harry Potter. You can create the iron-on patches with a picture, text, or other graphics that you upload yourself. Design the patches in any shape you want. It’s also fun to create patches with a contour, such as a hot air balloon. You can also find a wide selection of name tags.

Traditions for the first day of school in other parts of the world

In Germany, all children starting school receive a Schultüte. It is a large cone-shaped bag filled with candy, toys, stationery, and other gifts from the parents to the children.

In Japan, children receive a backpack or randoseru on their first day of school. It is a leather school bag with a slightly square design that children use in their early years of school.

In Russia, the first day of school is always on September 1st. It is a day of celebration. The day is called “Knowledge Day,” where knowledge and learning are celebrated. Students dress in festive clothes and bring flowers for their teachers.

Does your family have any special traditions for the first day of school?

Some families always start the first day of school with a special tradition. Perhaps you could introduce a tradition where you have an extra delicious breakfast together? You can also go out for lunch when the school day is over. Do you have any special traditions associated with the first day of school?