Back-to-school was always a big deal in my house growing up. Maybe it was because my mom was a teacher and my dad was a principal, but I think it was really more because my mom used back-to-school as a special time to connect with her three girls and get us pumped up for the new school year.
We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, so new clothes were really special, and back-to-school meant new clothes! And not just new clothes, but a beloved first-day-of-school outfit and new shoes!! This outfit had to be special; after all, you only have one chance to make a good first impression!
So each year we got our very own day with mom. We would get dressed and head to the mall. Our departure had to be timed just right, because you had to finish up shopping just before lunch, because after you had your first day of school outfit secured, it was time to hit Friendly’s!!!
New clothes and lunch out, followed by a bowl of butter crunch ice cream–nothing could rival this experience! To this day, I can’t pass a Friendly’s Restaurant without my head tilting to the side as images of me and my mom sitting in a booth at Friendly’s fill my head. She always got a melt of some kind and a chocolate milkshake. And I always had a hamburger and french fries followed by a bowl of butter church ice cream (if you haven’t had this ice cream, you have not lived)!
I really want to have a tradition like this for my daughter. I’m not sure it will have as big of an impact on her, as she is an only child and is constantly the center of the universe. But I plan to try my best to build a back-to-school tradition that sticks with her for the next generation of women in our family. What is your back to school tradition?
