We haven’t always been homeschoolers. My kids went to public school briefly; my daughter went until second grade, and my son went to kindergarten. I hated every minute of it. For me, the start of the school year was NOT a happy time. That is why, in our family, we now celebrate Not-Back-to-School.
So, what is it?
For us, we do something to celebrate that my kids are NOT getting on that big, yellow bus. So every year, when the kids in our school district start their first day of school, we go on a field trip to celebrate that my kiddos aren’t going.
Some may think it sounds awful, and we are putting down the public school. However, we celebrate because we are happy to be home together and not separated all day long.
Of course, being together all the time has its challenges (you can read all about it and other challenges of homeschooling here). Still, we are much happier when we are together homeschooling.
This Year’s Field Trip
So, as the other kids in our school district loaded onto school buses, we went for a nice hike. This year’s field trip was to a nearby bog boardwalk. It was a relaxing way to spend some time together and celebrate. Take a look.
Not-Back-to-School vs. First Day of School Celebration
When the first day of our homeschool year starts, we have other traditions. We have our own particular way of marking that occasion. But first, we celebrate Not-Back-to-School.
I know many families have a party, give little gifts, and have other fun things planned. However, it is for their first day of school.
Why do I keep it separate?
For me, it is sort of like an anniversary. It marks the special day when I could finally keep them home and start our fun homeschool journey. As the other kids head off to school, my kids aren’t going.
Then, when we start our first day of school, we celebrate the beginning of our new year ahead. By the way, we NEVER start school the same day as our school district. Instead, we wait until Labor Day.
Plus, we technically homeschool year-round. But, we celebrate our new fall schedule, which is a fuller schedule after the lighter, low-key summer schedule.
It is fun to have traditions with our kids. They will look back and remember the fun ways we started the school year, and it wasn’t with them leaving our home for the day. That is something to celebrate!
What fun traditions do you have for your new school year? Comment below and share your ideas!
Happy Homeschooling!
