to have never seen a 'graduation' photo for pre-school before?

[TiaMariaandDietCoke]

Tonight a couple of old school firends have posted photos of their 4 yr old DCs who finished preschool today - in full graduation robes, mortar board and scroll. I was a bit and I have never seen or heard of this before - is this new? is it another Americanism brought over to the UK?

Before anyone asks, no, I'm not bothered by it, just very curious as to whether this is new or if I've had my head under a rock until now!

But lots of nurseries do nursery photos. They could do photos of the leaving party, surely? Why dress as graduates?

I would pay for nice leaving pictures but why the mortar board and gown? Would parents really not pay for nice pictures of their kids in their favourite clothes/playschool t.shirt?

oh right, sorry x post.
No it doesn't. I just find it a bit "grown up too soon" I suppose. Leaving nursery at the appropriate age is not really a cause for celebration IMO. It's a time for saying goodbye to friends and staff.

I can understand, and do sympathise with the reasons a pre-school would arrange it: They can clearly raise much-needed funds while pretending its about 'education'.
I just don't think it's a great message for kids and wider society in general.

My DS has been in childcare since he was a baby so for him it was a bit of a big deal. The ceremony was really lovely and he was so proud :)

I love the photo - I think I paid £3 for it to raise funds for the preschool (they took the photos themselves) but he is not remotely interested.

Similarly, the only person with a photo of me in my ridiculous degree cap and gown (and they do look ridiculous) is my mum.

We got one for DS1 - totally free and they loved dressing up. Mind, it was a University staff nursery, so kind of fitted, if that makes sense!

I've never heard of this. But surely it's just a bit of fun and dressing up, seems harmless enough.

Ours didn't have a ceremony, just the photos in all the gear to make money. TBH I found it a bit odd and in dd2's case was disappointed as it was a really lovely photo of her spoiled by wearing the cap and gown.

If they had wanted aspirational they should have dressed up her up as a Unicorn as that's what she wants to be when she grows up!

Our nursery does this. The children wear some nice clothes and are given a scroll. I have two pictures hidden away in a cupboard and both of my kids look thrilled. There is also a massive loud party where froot shoots and sausage rolls are consumed, the children prepare songs to sing on stage in front of parents and there is huge emphasis on childrens positive contributions.

This is a brilliant West of Scotland nursery though, so obviously tacky unlike the university ones...

The only time I've ever heard of this is from my cousins who live in the US and Canada.

DS's nursery did this and he "graduated" 6 years ago, so its not that new an idea.

My son 'graduated' from nursery about seven years ago. The photos were very cute and free.

I'm not keen. I'd prefer a decent class photo in normal clothes.

Finally getting to wear a graduates robe really meant something to me. Nowadays it will represent £50k and years of hard work. These cutesy photo opportunities seem to devalue getting a degree to me :(

DS's nursery had a 'graduation' party - they made mortar boards, and parents could take photos. It was lovely as it was a marker of the end of that group when there wasn't actually a date when they finished as some would be at nursery right until they went to school, some would keep going to before/after and some stopped at the beginning of the summer holidays

DD's just finished nursery, starting Reception in September. They did a little play and did some songs for the parents, then the nursery had them up on stage one at a time and gave them a personalised sweatshirt and a teddy bear. That was lovely, made the children feel special, marked the move from nursery to school, was fun and cute AND it was age-appropriate.

Well at least they didn't emerge from boxes dressed as Barbie.

we're in ireland and our local preschool do it. I don't like them much tbh but unfortunately the year ds1 finished the non grad picture was awful as his hair was all over the place so I ended up putting the grad picture on the wall

We have one, ds loves it, and its cute. So what?

I am that people think it devalues their degree. I mean really?

I know, glasto, it's ridiculous.

They must get super pissed off every May when all these little girls making their Communion go around devaluing marriages by dressing up as little brides :o

Did they get their degrees in Overthinking and Being Ridiculous?

Could there be anything less important to get all worked up about?

It really is a ridiculous thing to say. Or perhaps you had a worthless degree to begin with?

Not worked up at all and I suppose my degree was in Overthinking and Being Ridiculous looking back at it. But it still meant a lot to me

I guess I don't think the children look as cute as you think they do.