When I first started homeschooling I noticed some commonalities around different homeschooling families. Even though they all had different reasons for homeschooling, and even personal beliefs, they were all doing the same “homeschool traditions!” I LOVE a good tradition, so I started to look into this more. I asked a group of homschooling parents “what were some homeschooling traditions your family has?” An overwhelming response was: “Birthday School!” Birthdays are something that should always be celebrated. They are such a special day and a great way to show someone how much you love them. So we adopted the idea of Birthday School! This is a homeschool tradition you will love!
What is Birthday School?
So birthday school can look different for everyone, but it boils down to, you don’t have school on your birthday, and instead you celebrate your loved one who is one year older! Birthday school could be as simple as hanging out at home and having a relaxing day at home, or it could be as involved as having a party! The beauty of homeschooling is its totally up to you. This is a way to enjoy your child (works for adult birthdays too!) and to shower them with love. I love that image because how often do we get to dedicate a whole day to loving and celebrating a family member.
How do you Celebrate Birthday School?
Here is how my family does this. We spend the whole day doing what the birthday kid loves. We just had a birthday school day, and my middle child had some basic requests, so here is an example.
- Donuts for breakfast!
- She wanted balloons for her birthday, so we went and grabbed a few from the store.
- She loves temporary tattoos and we went home and got tatted!
- Headed to lunch at our favorite sandwich shop!
- Stopped to see grandma, and open presents from her!
- She requested to play hide and seek with her friends, and even though it was freezing we were able to play for a little while!
- We then got home and gave her a big gift! She got a bike!
- Headed to dinner for her favorite cheesy fries
- She requested ice cream instead of a cake!
- Then we did a shopping spree at Claire’s with gift cards they got for Christmas!
It was such a fun day and she loved all the attention. My other kids also learned an important lesson about loving their siblings and being okay with them getting more attention for the day.
How else could you do this?
If birthday school seems daunting, let’s simplify it! You are in charge of your kids, your family, and the expectations you want to set. Traditions are wonderful, because you get to decide what they are and what they look like! What I also love is that if you aren’t a homeschooling family, you can still participate in this tradition! Here are some more simple ideas:
- Donuts for breakfast! This is a great option if you still want your kids to go to school that day. Wake up early and go grab donuts at your favorite spot, enjoy them together and then check your kid in late to school! They will love the attention and the fun treat! Or grab donuts and bring your kiddo home to spend the day playing with their favorite toys!
- Park Day! Parks are so wonderful. Kids love them, and they are free. We have some really awesome ones locally that are perfect for birthday fun! Its a great option to make birthday school fun! Throw lunch in your bag and do a picnic to extend the fun!
- A Box Cake! I promise all kids like to bake. Grab a box cake and let them make their own birthday cake. It’s a cheap way to spend time with them and celebrate.
- Playdate! Call up your fellow mom friends and let the kids have a blast. Nothing better than spending the day with friends.
- Go on an Adventure! Go hiking, to the zoo, a museum, the pool, an art class! The options are endless! Pick one thing and take the whole family.
Ultimately, birthdays are important a need to be celebrated! So however you decide to celebrate birthdays is perfect. We love Birthday School and hope you will too! Go celebrate the ones you love while you can! I also love that we are creating homeschool traditions my kids love. I highly recommend adopting some homeschool traditions for your family to enjoy! It really makes all the difference.
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