Back-to-School Outfit is About More Than Just Looking Good

The first day of school is all about first impressions. 

In our house, planning the first day of school outfit starts early. From the gelled hair for my fifth grade son to the pressed shirt and tie for my second little man who masquerades as a third grader, my kids think of every detail and spend hours (at least that what it feels like) perfecting it.

And my job, as the parent who needs to help prepare them, started early Tuesday morning as I raced from kid to kid, making sure each one was impeccably groomed and suitable to the standards they set.

Of course the thought ran through my head that in three months my kids would walk out the door with bed head and their breakfast smeared across their faces --but not today. 

Today is the day we put our best foot forward and for one day at least, we strive for perfection and perfectly coiffed hair.

And then, after the mandatory back-to-school photos, I always save the last five minutes before the bus arrives to drill my kids with the Do’s and Don’t's list. 

By the time the bus turns the corner, my kids want to burn off their ears and I’m out breathe and fully convinced I’m going to get a "bad" phone call on the first day of school.

Crossing my fingers and sneaking in one last kiss before any of the other kids see, I send my kids off to their future. Prepared, well-groomed and ready for a new year. 

Then I spend the next eight hours waiting, praying the phone doesn't ring to tell me my kid(s) are in trouble/hurt/bleeding/lost or (God forbid) crying.

And then, as they come off the bus one by one with smiles on their faces, I can finally relax. We did it. We made it through the first day. Mental high-five.

“So, how was school today,” I asked my youngest son.

“Awesome,” he tells me as he pulls off his tie that made it through the whole day. “My teacher asked what I did this summer.”

Well, this will be good, I think and then wonder which summer activity he chose to talk about. From vacations to summer school, which event, that we spent all that time and money on hoping to entertain our kids with, stood out the most for him?

“I told her I played video games.” 

And there it is. 

Well, there’s always tomorrow to make a new first impression since we have go back and do it all over again.