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John Legend, Joanna Gaines and More Share Back-to-School Photos of Their Kids

Too cute

Joanna Gaines in black
Rob Kim/Getty Images

School is back in session, and it's safe to say that parents everywhere are feeling a mix of emotions as their kids embark on a new chapter.

Whether it's a nervous pre-teen who's heading off to high school or a preschooler who's moving on to kindergarten, we can all agree that these moments are bittersweet (it's so special seeing your kids trade in their playpens for backpacks—even as you start to get swamped with school activities, homework and bus pickups).

Famous stars like Joanna Gaines, Jessica Simpson and John Legend know the feeling all too well. Keep scrolling to see photos of their kids starting the first day of school.

1. Hilary Duff

Duff shared a carousel of her 5-year-old lookalike daughter, Banks, who was all smiles and fully decked out in uniform as she prepared to start her first day of kindergarten.

The actress captioned the post, "My queen. My boss. My CEO. My top dog. My big cheese. My kindergartener. Let’s go baby girl!!! How does she know it’s my life’s work to chase her around with the hairbrush all morning to make sure we don’t have a meltdown about a hair out of place????"

2. Hoda Kotb

To mark their first day, the TV personality posed alongside her adopted daughters, Haley, 7, and Hope, 4, in her driveway. Even better, the proud mom included footage of one sibling embracing her friend at school.

3. John Legend

The 45-year-old singer shared a photo of his daughter Luna, 8, and his son Miles, 6, as they celebrated the first day of third and first grade. Both are seen holding up a colorful chalkboard sign that includes their name, age and the grade they're starting.

4. Joanna Gaines

In August, the TV personality posted a sentimental pic of herself hugging her oldest son, Drake, goodbye before he went off to his second year of college. Her caption read, "Second year in college... saying goodbye doesn't get easier. Lots of love to all the parents sending their kids off to school this season."

5. Jessica Simpson

Here's yet another reminder that Jessica Simpson's genes are mighty. The songstress posed with her mini-mes, Maxwell, 12, Ace, 11, and Birdie, 5, and wrote. "Y’all make your Mom beam with smiles and grace! Keep on showin’ up for yourselves with each step of the way through this new school year! I’m so very proud of y’all for individually shining your light so that in return others feel the glow."

6. Tamera Mowry-Housley

Mowry-Housley had her two kids, Aden, 11, and Ariah, 9, hold up signs to indicate which grades they'd be starting this year. The Sister, Sister alum captioned the post, "First day of school vibes! Aden is off to 6th grade and Ariah is starting 4th grade—where does the time go? I’m so full of joy, but wow, they’re growing up so fast. Who else gets all the feels this time of year?"

7. Katherine Schwarzenegger

First off, Lyla and Eloise's customized backpacks and lunchboxes are so chic. And second, leave it to Schwarzenegger to include a full breakdown of her back-to-school routine. She wrote, "Here’s what we’re doing to help get the kids back into a routine: Start early—the best way to transition into a back-to-school routine is to start soon, not the week they go back to school."

8. Melissa Joan Hart

The Sabrina the Teenage Witch star shared a pic of her youngest sons, Braydon and Tucker, in matching uniforms and captioned the post, "First day of school! Or rather first day of 10th and last first day of elementary school!" (Her eldest son, Mason, graduated from high school earlier this year.)

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nakeisha campbell bio

Associate Editor, News and Entertainment

  • Writes celebrity news, TV/movie reviews and SEO-focused entertainment articles
  • Interviews celebrities and covers red carpet events
  • Has 8+ years of experience covering entertainment topics

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