Today’s Hint: A Parenting Hack for Meaningful First Day of School Signs

It seems like taking a picture of your child with a sign on the first day of school is a parenting requirement these days, or at least it’s a requirement among parents who use social media.

However, in the mad rush to get everything ready during back-to-school season, crafting a pretty blackboard sign with school and date details can fall by the wayside. The good news is you don’t need to spend hours or money making a meaningful sign. Today’s hint is a parenting hack for easily making a simple, yet significant first day of school sign.

The trick: have your child write their own sign. Not only is this method quick and inexpensive, it also can be repeated each year, allowing you to track the progression of your child’s writing skills. The hack came to me a month ago when I found myself signless with no blackboard to be found in the house and about to take my daughter to her first day of Kindergarten.

I quickly grabbed a piece of paper and asked my 5-year-old to write out “1st Day of K” (I wrote the phrase on a piece of paper and had her copy the letters). I then added the date, and taped the sign to an empty picture frame we had around the house. We then had a photo-ready sign and a tradition we plan to repeat for years to come.