Do you want an easy way to capture the end of the school year memories? Then read on!
The school year has officially come to an end for 2023, which can only mean the beginning of a summer filled with endless snacks, pyjama days, and six weeks of family fun.
As we guide our families through the chaos that often accompanies the end of the school year, it's crucial to remember that these moments are fleeting.
The whirlwind of activities, the hustle to get everything done, and shuffle everyone to where they need to be – can feel like a lot (that’s because it is!).
So, if there's one piece of unsolicited advice to offer during this time, it's to recognise it's all momentary.
I encourage you to lean into the chaos, soak up those tiny pockets of joy amongst the never-ending to-do list, and don't let guilt overshadow the days where you feel like you haven’t achieved anything.
1. Set your alarm for school yearbook photos with a difference
This one requires a little bit of forethought, but not much I promise! Each year I enter the school dates in my diary, I set an alarm for 8am Tuesday.
You can set whichever time works for you and your family, but Tuesday at 8am works for us.
Each week, when your alarm goes off, everyone has to stop what they are doing and snap a selfie. It doesn’t have to be perfect, in fact I encourage you to not plan for the photo at all.
At the end of the year I search “tuesday” in my camera roll and add them to a separate folder and now I have 52 precious memories at my fingertips.
2. Send your children and end of year wrap up
At the end of each school year, I send my son an email of all the things we did that year.
Who his teacher was, the names of the other kids he spent time with during the year and a sentence or two about how his school year was.
And because I have my weekly photos to look back over, it’s a simple and easy way to create a truly unique time capsule for our children.
My plan for future years is to create a physical version of all of these emails from his primary school years and store it away for safekeeping.
3. School yearbook memories, but better
I want you and your children to be able to take a moment to reflect on the significance of this time with a free printable, it’s our last day of school keepsake.
This printable school yearbook page can be a wonderful way to capture how your children feel at the end of the school year, serving as a memento that your children can cherish for many years to come. It's not designed to capture their report scores, or even what they want to be when they grow up.
It's sole purpose is to help your child process the end of the school year in a way which is fun and accessible to them.
Whether you choose to have your children print it out and fill it in, so you can preserve their memories or simply use the prompts to initiate a heartfelt conversation, the ultimate goal is to focus on the time spent together.
Heartfelt School Memories
The last day of school is not just an end; it's a new beginning, a time to create connections and strengthen family bonds.
So, as you slap on the sunscreen and head out to embark on this month’s long adventure of family fun, I want you to remember that it’s moments shared and the memories created that are far more significant than any completed to-do list.
