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!

I work in a preschool and we have a photographer come in twice a year to take pictures of the children. This time when she came she brought gowns and mortar boards for all the children leaving for school. There was no graduation ceremony etc, they just put the gown on for one of their pictures. Its not to my taste nd I wouldn't have bought a copy had it been my dc wearing it but loads of the parents did order them so they must have liked them.

My dd had an assembly (wouldnt call it a graduation). They made hats n wer given a certificate and a disk with photos on it. Hers is framed n proudly placed in her room as she loves it. Dont agree with the whole formal graduation - hats, gowns that kind of thing.

on MN anything that also happens in America, or happens in America FIRST, is automatically a bad thing!

but think about it, its a big thing for the children and it is right to make it into a happy occassion rather than a stressful one (leaving their preschool and starting big school) - pre-school graduation at DS's nursery has a HUGE focus on the fact that they are going to primary school next so they have lots of oportunities to think about it and talk about it, and see that lots of their preschool friends are also "graduating" on to primary school so they don't feel like they alone have been taken out of preschool away from their friends and plonked into a new environment

"These cutesy photo opportunities seem to devalue getting a degree to me"

bonkers!
I don't see how it devalues degrees at all
I'm very proud of my degree, still would be if Sainsburys changed their uniforms to mortar boards and robes

It doesn't really I suppose.

I'm not bothered either way really.

dd1 was given a picture of her in one when she left 4 years ago. there was no ceremony, just a picture. I think it's a novelty. meh

though to answer something earlier, I did have my certificate in my graduation picture, we were given them at the ceremony, though the photographer did have a scroll.

It certainly doesn't devalue my degree though, I worked fucking hard for it, dd in a silly picture doesn't make that any less true.

also DS has seen the big kids go through this ahead of him, so it'll be easier to talk to him about going to school when it comes to his turn, because we can say "Remember Toby who you used to play with, he left nursery to go to big school didn't he?" - and he'll remember it happening because an event was made out of it

I don't think DS dressing up in a fireman's outfit for a photo on "safety day" devaluses the training and hard work that firement go through either

It is a bit of fun. Our nursery had a graduation ceremony last year. The kids got "mortar boards" made from cardboard and a paper plate, and had their photo taken getting a certificate from the nursery manager (photos free to download from nursery website). Then we all went outside for a barbecue and a bouncy castle and had an afternoon saying goodbye to all her friends and the parents we'd got to know over the years. What's the problem?

I've not really got a problem to be honest. I'd forgotten what nursery was like

After a swimming course they should do little Olympics ceremonies put em on a podium play national anthem and take photos.
And after play time they should give everyone a Nobel peace prize and sell the photos too.
Like Jins I'm not really bothered, I just think its crap.

always had podiums and medals at swim races when I was little, bit of competitiveness can be a good thing! better than them "all being winners"

I think starting school is a big deal. To me, it represented the end of my having control over where my DS is every day. I feel like I've lost him to the State sometimes (although perhaps I'm also Overthinking and Being Ridiculous :o)

I'm that people think 4 year olds getting a pretend graduation for completing nursery devalues a real degree.

At our nursery there a many children from disadvantaged backgrounds, others with behavioural problems or both.

I think it is about showing some struggling parents their DC in a good, positive light, having 'achieved' two years at pre school or whatever, making child feel valued.

Our nursery also holds these events because it is a chance to speak to parents in a less formal setting perhaps finding out more about child's home life etc

Shit, just thought, I run a mums and toddlers group with my friend and for the last meet of term we are having our usual leavers party but with an olympic theme. We are having some olympic races for the children with fake olympic medals for all of them.

I must talk to my friend. Pre-schoolers getting olympic medals will no doubt devalue the experience for any medal winners in the real olympics

What were we thinking?

Could they perhaps superimpose the Queen or the Dalia Lama on the graduation photos?

I don't want my son to have any doubt that his playing in the sand pit and on the slide at play-school three times a week has been a massive achievement.

I suspect your children have a lovely positive home life and therefore the degree aspects are a bit of a joke.

I appreciate that I'm coming across as curmudegonly.

I'm interested in what you say aboutlastnight as a childcare professional, and it being a good opportunity to celebrate and praise children who might not often have that.

I suppose my worry is this: the children in my wider family are from disadvantaged backgrounds and I've seen them feted and praised at every opportunity: Eg every birthday/end of year sees them getting massive (ill afforded gifts)Now they are at working age and they will not work. Everything is beneath them. They seem to think they are destined for better things but they don't try to do anything. I suppose I saw the toddler graduation ceremonies as part of the continuum of not understanding the value of anything.

However, I bow to majority opinion, (not being sarky) the OP has not come back (weep) and I don't care that much.

I think DS has achieved a lot in his years at nursery, isn't that the age where you learn at the fastest rate of your life? he put on his own shoes today - its not long since he was a helpless blob! He can count and knows his left from right etc. He enjoys learning and working things out, even if it looks like "just play'" to us, I hope he retains some of that positivity towards learning throughout school

I don't think praising him for learning and developing now will stop him working towards stuff later
yes getting a stupid amt of expensive presents for doing nothing isn't great, but his preschool graduation wont be for doing nothing - far from it!

I think it sounds sweet.

I don't think it devalues it in general, as in employers saying "pah, a degree, every 4yo has one". I do think it devalues the experience a bit for the individual, assuming they do it again for graduating university then its just another one, isn't it?

I find it a bit .

Can't they just leave, ffs? Does everything have to be a big 'event'?

I prefer things low key.

I am sure it doesn't do any harm of course, but it's a bit unnecessary and over the top, surely?!

My daughter is now 15, but when she left nursery we were gven a bulging A4 folder full of lots of work she had done over the year with loads of photos in it, things we had perhaps never knew she had done or just not been able to see, and at the end is a photo of her in a mock graduation thing. Didn't have to pay for it at all. No full ceremony was done or a party, it was great looking at the folder, we still have it!