I’m sorry… but what is going on with graduations??
This time of year drives me bonkers. I have overheard SO MANY conversations lately…
‘I’m on my way to my kid’s graduation’.
YOUR KID WHO IS IN PRESCHOOL!! Seriously how hard can it be to pass preschool?? You color, you play in the sand and you occasionally cook cookies.
Then I heard ON THE NEWS: ‘My son is graduating Kindergarten today’
PLEASE… Kindergarten is the best YEAR EVER!!! You play with clay, you get to go to recess and then color and maybe plant a pumpkin in the school’s garden. THERE IS NOTHING TO GRADUATE!
Any why are parents handing their kindergarten ‘graduates’ flowers??
And the parties… Oy!
Don’t even get me started on the parties; the parties are ALL for the parents so they can sit around and nibble on snacks while they ‘kiss up’ to the teacher and talk to the other parents about their summer plans and how wonderfully amazing their children are.
Makes me want to throw up.
Today I attended my son’s ‘graduation’ from middle school. Call me a bad mom, but I think all of this graduating stuff is OVER BOARD! It takes away from the more important accomplishments in life. Of course I attended his ‘graduation’ and snapped a few pictures of him up on stage, but inside I was thinking, ‘this is ridiculous’.
What do I and my kids have to look forward to?
We have been to 4 kindergarten graduations
2 middle school graduations and
3 elementary graduations
I’m tired of them, and they just keep on getting more and more out of control.
I’m afraid if these things don’t calm down a bit I’m going to be too burned out to attend my daughter’s high school graduation next year. I think I am going to boycott any graduation from now on, unless it’s from high school or college. Yep, that’s what I’m going to do… burn more bridges in my neighborhood--because I'm wild like that.
Besides, what ever happened to good old fashioned ice cream and pizza parties and then calling it a day…or maybe a year?
Friday, June 19, 2009
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24 comments:
I just attended my oldest son's high school graduation. Some of the parents were whooping and hollering like it was such an accomplishment. Were they surprised that their child graduated?
I'm saving my cheers for college graduation (and hopefully med school!).
I hear ya sister! It's a bit ridiculous.
We had kindergarten and 8th grade graduation, too. But my family never had a party. I think we went out to eat!
I totally agree!! I felt like such a scrooge at my daughter's pre-k graduation. Everybody was tearing up and emotional and I was rolling my eyes. It's pre-school for crying out loud. Get a grip, people.
My daughter had the bit kindergarten graduation with caps and gowns. I was totally Ms. Scrooge because really she wasn't leaving the school or anything, just moving up a grade. If you graduate to first grade why don't you graduate to 2nd grade and 3rd.
I teach junior high and I have no issues with graduating from 8th grade. But again, I agree with the statement, "Did you think your kid wouldn't graduate?" Although, at my school some of them this will be their last graduation because quite honestly it isn't like they passed their classes. Don't get me started on that topic...LOL
I think we're currently blacklisted because we didn't go to my nieces 5th grade graduation. Okay, Seriously, you're f'n expected to "graduate" from the 5th grade. Lord have mercy.
I totally agree with you! It is very rare that a kid gets held back in kindergarten so why the hoopla? If there's going to be any celebrating, it should be high school and then, college. My niece graduated from middle school and they had the Disneyland trip the dance and of course the graduation dinner and the actual graduation. They all costed a major amount of money! When she gets to high school, it's going to be outrageous!
I spent years in the senior portrait business. I will never forget one mom's response to my asking "what about the graduation party plans?"
She was miffed. She told me she would not be hosting a party for her son, a HIGH SCHOOL graduate. Said she didn't throw hooplas to celebrate that which was a basic expectation of her kid. Perhaps, she said, if it were from college. But not from high school.
Her thinking has stuck with me for years.
I'm so glad i amnot the only one that sees thhis as ridiculous
Here in NZ we don't do the whole huge graduation bonanza from every grade bs. It is just expected. The only graduation you get is when you get a degree with your name on it and a student loan to boot. Kids have never even seen a cap and gown until the get to wear the REAL one. It makes it actually mean something. But, I lived in the states for 6 years and my husband is american so we have agree to disagree on this one. Love your writing btw. I appreciate a good bit of cussin' on a Saturday night with my bourbon!
Good, I'm not the only one that rolled my eyes instead of wiping away tears at the early ones... pre-K, kindergarten, elementary school. Enough already.
Interestingly, my son's middle school did NOT do a graduation. And I was THRILLED. Not one of the kids minded at all, either.
I'll save my elation for high school, thanks. And those tears I cry then? Will be tears of JOY. Cause it means a) I didn't kill him, b) he didn't get kicked out and c) it means either college, military, or FULL TIME JOB.
I always hated the graduations & parties and recently heard from a friend that it's gotten worse than it was when my kids were in school. But, it was always much worse in private school than when they started public in Jr. High. Those private school Moms are insane for giving parties...
Agreed. In the town where I work, the 8th graders are having a party, a dinner CRUISE, a song writer to write a song just for them, and god knows what else.
Um, hello?
This is a town where ALL of those children are expected to graduate from high school. Couldn't they hold off until then?
Bring on the pizza and ice cream! Sounds like a good way to celebrate anything!
We started homeschooling this year and my youngest is in Kindergarten. The school they did attend didn't do graduations. They had a little awards ceremony but that's about it. It's nice to be homeschooling now and not expected to contribute to the parties!
I am so with you on this! I HATE graduations. My youngest sibling graduated high school this past weekend and I'm just so thankful that I never have to set foot inside that high school EVER AGAIN.
With ya. We used to invade the nearest pool and get nuts. I don't even think parents sprung for pizza. We just swam until we turned into prunes.
The real shit of it is, if you DON'T attend these stupid preschool, kindy, etc graduations, you kid is the only one there without a parent. Sigh.
High school graduation I can understand, because you are leaving school FOREVER. (Unless you go on to post-secondary education, that is.) You worked hard for 13 years, and you should celebrate your accomplishment. Preschool is not an accomplishment. It's not even a mandatory learning experience (at least here in Canada). You PAY to send your kid to preschool. Of course your kid will "graduate". Kindergarten is just a public-funded extension of preschool that teaches basic social and learning skills, and you will be shuffled off to grade 1 regardless. If your kid failed that you should stop procreating immediately. Do not pass Go. I agree, we're rewarding kids for basic expectations, not great accomplishments. Make no wonder so many kids are screwed up. We're setting them up for disappointment.
Graduations for things other than high school and college are kind of like those participation trophies and team parties for soccer or softball or whatever. Like kids need some kind of reward for just showing up and participating? When I was a kid, we had to walk 22 miles through snow and broken glass to even get to kindergarten! Now that's is deservant of a pizza party!!
I totally agree on the under high school graduations. Thank goodness where I live and where LOML has attended school, they don't believe in that crap either.
I agree.....over board.
They did away with Jr High graduation here. They didn't want the kids to think they were done with school after 9th grade. I think it's the right thing. Granduation should be High School and College.
I totally hear you. I had two graduations...high school and college. They meant a lot to me.
I hope this over-graduation thing passes before the Bean gets into the school system. But chances are...it won't.
OK, you laugh, but I just graduated from "Potty training school", OK? Worst 35 years of my life, but I DID IT!!
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