Make this school year amazing with a Back To School Bucket List of kindness and friendship! This cute printable will motivate your children to make friends and be a positive influence at school.

Back To School Bucket List

I love a good bucket list! Give me a festive Fall Bucket List full of things like: eat a caramel apple, take pictures at a pumpkin patch, jump in a pile of leaves, and ride with a skeleton in your front seat. Can it get any better? I also enjoy a fun Summer Bucket List with activities like: sleep under the stars, roast a perfect marshmallow, get in a water fight, and make a lemonade stand. Summer at it’s finest. Checking those activities off is the best.

Bucket Lists help people make the most out of a season in life.

Bucket lists are pretty awesome. They give focus, purpose, and direction! Having a solid bucket list can motivate you to take action when you wouldn’t otherwise. This post contains a different kind of bucket list! It is a Back to School Bucket List for Kindness. Cool right? Before you get started making the world a more awesome and friendly place, take time to read about why it was created and how doing this list can change your life and your children’s lives for the better!

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT BACK TO SCHOOL BUCKET LIST

What do you feel when you hear the phrase, “Back to School?” I hate to even think about Summer coming to an end! But, it happens every year. School supplies line the shelves at the local superstores, backpacks go on sale, and teacher assignments come in the mail. Back to school is an exciting time for kids. Mine start looking forward to seeing their friends again and wearing their brand new outfits. Sometimes, going back to school can be a little bit intimidating and scary. My daughter started Jr. High last August. It was a big change from ruling the school at the elementary school. She was nervous about the size of the school, working her locker, changing classes, meeting new friends, and feeling small. (She is pretty short! HA!)

There are a lot of things we did to combat her anxiety. We started with polishing her up on the outside. She got a new haircut and we picked up some cute lip gloss and mascara. Then, we browsed the web for some fun new clothes to add to her collection. The stuff around town wasn’t cutting it. My little sweetie is short and super picky! All in all, she was happy with the results. To make things even better…she got her braces off just a few weeks before the first day of class. Total bonus. I may be a bit bias, but… she was looking totally cute!

However, the scary feeling didn’t go away. She continued to carry a yucky feeling in her gut.

We had more work to do for our Back to School prep! This time around, we focused on the things that matter most.

We changed the letter board in her room to read, “I am a daughter of a Heavenly Father who loves me and I love Him!” We prayed for peace and inspiration. Knowing who you are and what the purpose is for this life really does put things into perspective! We talked about her amazing divine qualities that are a gift from God. She came to this life prepared for success.

We went to the school and practiced opening her locker and found a good route to all of her classes. Jesus taught us that, “If you are prepared, you shall not fear.”

We visited about the things she was excited for and made a list out loud of all the friends she had that were also starting this new adventure! After a few good pep talks about her individual worth, the message started to sink in and the tension relaxed.

But, there was still a little nagging feeling left behind.

It is okay to feel anxious about new things and to be nervous about the unknown. It’s human nature. But, I thought we could take one more step to replace the fear with faith and excitement!

Instead of focusing inward, we started thinking about others…

Incorporating a common and often underestimated thing called service into our preparation made all the difference! Service is a crazy thing! The act of service blesses both the giver and the receiver. Directing your thoughts and actions towards another, allows your emotions and problems to take the backseat. Service is healing. That is why the Lord commanded us to, “love one another” and to “do unto others and I would do unto you.” Both encourage action. Both include service. Both heal a nervous heart.

Elder Steven E Snow said, “Look for ways to bless the lives of others through seemingly simple acts of service.” So, we did! Here is a Back to School Bucket List with suggestions on how to serve at school. This list has easy things that anyone can do! Even shy people. This Back to School Bucket List gave my little girl purpose. By thinking about helping other people transition happily into a new school year, she was able to feel better about it herself. With a plan in place, she was ready to make a difference. Her anxiety was replaced with a feeling of excitement and adventure.

I saw a cute little quote on the internet that reads, “If you have the power to make someone happy, do it! The world needs more of that.” It really is that simple. Taking just a moment to brighten someone’s day does make a difference. In both of your lives!

Unfortunately, (or fortunately if your kids are making your crazy!) back to school will be here before you can blink. Make this year the best one yet with this simple Back to School Bucket List for kindness and friendship. Let us know if it makes a positive impact in your experience this Fall! It sure did make a difference for us.