Best First Day of School Tradition to Help Kids Calm Back to School Jitters

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First day of school notes to brighten up your child’s day & combat nervousness. Notes to make your child feel brave and loved as they head back to school.

People have been telling me ever since my twins were days old, “enjoy them while they’re little, it goes fast,” and “don’t take this time for granted.”

I’d tell myself, they weren’t the ones doing double duty, and night feedings with two babies, or changing 20 diapers a day and then trying to keep the peace once they began to scratch and claw at each other for their beloved Barney doll or “favorite” matchbox car.

Back then, those words were lost on me and I didn’t realize what they meant until I sent the kids off to Kindergarten last year. Admittedly, I was a bit of a hysterical mess. The kind of parent who who cried the entire week before school started, wrote a sappy blog post about her child leaving the nest, sobbed over breakfast, and then again when I said goodbye and watched them walk into their classrooms.

Kindergarten gave me a renewed sense to hold on tighter, to hug them longer, snap more pictures, write more letters, and record everything with a urgent sense of importance.

Last year we had some school anxiety and I wanted to find something that would help comfort them when they’d be off on their own. It worked so well, I’ve vowed to make it a tradition I do every year for them.

I created a little note for the first day of school which is meant to be paired with two matching bracelets (or necklaces, hair ties, etc.)

The note describes that if your child feels sad or scared during the day, all they have to do is touch the bracelet and they will know you’re with them and are thinking of them.

Here is the note one I made for my son and the matching leather bracelets he received for him and his Dad to wear:

I know this sounds a little silly, but last year when Juliette came running up to me after the first day of school, the very first thing she told me that her necklace helped her be brave when she started to feel scared.

You can download a boy and girl version and print out a copy for a special surprise on the first day of school.