Why Our “First Day of School” Looks Nothing Like Theirs — and Why I Wouldn’t Trade It
This has been on my mind today…
The hardest part of the homeschool year for me wasn’t math lessons, or planning, or juggling the day-to-day chaos. It was the first day of public school.
Every September, my social media feeds would flood with photos of smiling kids at the end of the driveway — shiny shoes, new backpacks, parents buzzing with excitement. I would feel it in my chest, that little ache of missing out. Was I depriving my kids of this milestone? Was our homeschool missing something?
But then, something shifted. I realized those photos were it. The moment. The kids posed for a quick picture, then disappeared into a classroom to sit under fluorescent lights, being taught by a stranger for the rest of the day.
So one year, I decided to do something different. I started our own tradition.
That morning, I snapped a “first day of school” photo of my kids… still asleep. Because that’s the beauty of homeschooling: they wake when their bodies are rested, not when a bus pulls up.
Then, just for myself, I kept taking pictures throughout the day. Hour by hour.
? Pancakes in pajamas.
? Jumping on the trampoline after math.
? Reading aloud together on the couch.
? Baking cookies in the kitchen.
? Building sandcastles at a beach we had all to ourselves.
? A social studies lesson with a cat curled up in their lap.
? Walking the dog in the late summer sun.
And when I scrolled through those photos at the end of the day, I finally saw it: this was more.
It wasn’t just about lessons and curriculum (though those happened too). It was about time. About laughter. About siblings who actually enjoy each other. About kids who get to learn at their own pace and still have energy left to play, imagine, and connect. About a childhood that isn’t rushed out the door.
That was the day I stopped feeling wistful about the back-to-school buzz on my feed. Because the truth is, I wasn’t depriving my kids of anything. I was giving them something different. Something richer.
So now, every September, we take our first-day photos too. They just don’t look like everyone else’s. And I’m okay with that.
With love,
? Lindsey
Certified Special Ed Educator & Co-Founder, Schoolio