When I was growing up, my abuela used to take me Back-to-School shopping every year. It was always such a special day. It was just the two of us and we'd take the train downtown and I'd get to pick out my Back-to-School dress. Back then it seemed like I was allowed to get whatever I wanted, but now that I'm a mom, I realize that she, too, had her ways of steering me toward the affordable and appropriate clothing! And it seemed no matter what dress I picked out with her, it ended up being my favorite.
My kids are not as lucky as I was. They don't have grandparents who live nearby. Every year I get a little bit sad when back-to-school time rolls around, remembering my childhood tradition.
But then I realized that I can make my own tradition. It doesn't have to be an abuela who takes my daughter shopping for her Back-to-School outfit. It can be me!
I thought about it for a while and came up with the Target plan. Of course, every generation wants to raise the bar, so I added a new element to the day. We'd make it a Back-to-School shopping spree all around. We'd not only get new a new outfit, we'd get school supplies at the same time.
My daughter loved the idea. And better still, she loved the Back-to-School styles that Target carried. The hardest part was limiting her to one special outfit. But, I made sure to keep in the back of my mind the clothes she liked the best, knowing I could come back later and buy them. I just wanted to keep that part of the tradition alive – buying one, and only one, special outfit for the first day of school. Well, times have changed and she didn't want a fancy dress, but instead got a really cute pair of jeans and a pretty pink top with a pair of glittery ballet flats. She was thrilled.
Of course I was happy that she was happy, but what really made me happy was how easy it all was! We stopped in the special area called the School Shop and found every single school supply that was on her list, including a brand-new backpack!
I'm already looking forward to next year's Back-to-School shopping excursion. And in two short years, my son will be starting kindergarten so I will do the same thing with him. But, I'll make sure to take each one of them on their own separate day so they feel as special as I did when I went Back-to-School shopping with my abuela.
Image via © istock.com / monkeybusinessimages
