Our back-to-school dinner tradition
Belonging with a side of "special drink"
Let’s start with a poll, just for fun:
Like many of you, our family is getting ready to head back to school. (Annie’s official first day is next week and June’s is at the end of the month. Shep doesn’t start until after Labor Day!) The internet (and even other parents IRL) can make this out to be a very overwhelming time, but it has been pretty… low-key? at our house so far:
I printed out the school supply lists and June and I went to Target on Saturday1; Shep and I will go next weekend. I love these little opportunities to have a one-on-one adventure (and you know how I feel about grocery shopping with kids!).
Our TTT next Tuesday will cover all things back-to-school: we’ll talk about how they want to show up this year (kind, helpful, etc.), review school routines and rhythms, review emergency contacts, practice back-to-school FAQ (“How was your summer, June?”), and pray over them and the school year.
We’ll choose first-day outfits from what we already have. (Such is life when almost all of your clothing is hand-me-downs from cousins!)
But there is one part of this season that I’m happy to go all-in on, and that is the back to school dinner. Even before we had kids I knew this was a tradition I’d want to celebrate as a family one day — and four years in, it’s just as sweet as I imagined it would be.
Today, I thought I could share a bit about how we celebrate. And I’d love to hear your ideas, too!