Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

208 replies

TiaMariaandDietCoke · 06/07/2012 21:56

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 Hmm and Shock 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! Grin

OP posts:
HeadfirstForRomance · 07/07/2012 15:14

I had a "baby" doll when I was four, when I had dc1 I didn't think, meh, this is just another one Grin

the nursery degrees aren't real

nethunsreject · 07/07/2012 15:15

Oh, the folder made me sob, and I am nails. Blush

No graduation photo, but lots of photos of him enjoying/sometimes not enjoying his nursery days.

StealthPolarBear · 07/07/2012 15:16

But it is a ceremony to mark leaving nursery. Some people are arguing it means something as their dc learned loads, other people are saying it is just dressing up. Dressing up, I have no problems with. A ceremony to mark the leaving of nursery and achievements there, I find a bit excessive

insancerre · 07/07/2012 15:22

As a childcare professional and a graduate who graduated from a real university on Thursday, I think it is really sad that so many pf th posters on this thread think that a ceremony to mark the end of an era in a child's life is pointless.
I have looked after some children nearly every day for the best part of their whole lives, I have seen them grow and develop into amazing self-confident capable children with the world at their feet. Is it really so pointless to celebrate the transition from pre-schooler into school child?
I have done graduatiion photos for years, on a nursery camera and have used the funds from selling copies to fund the leavers' party to celebrate with the children.
It is a big deal to the children and I think they look cute in their photos. Although I am not so keen on the professional photographers who have recently jumped on the band wagon. To them it is about making money but to us childcare practitioners, it actually means something. We take great pride in helping children reach their full potential- why shouldn't we celebrate that?
It's about marking an important transition in a child's life.

nethunsreject · 07/07/2012 15:26

Ah, but there is a difference between 'pointless' and 'unnecessary'.

Is it worth celebrating how they have learned and grown? Absolutely!
Does this require a 'ceremony'? No, not for me anyway.

When ds1 finished nursery we had a wee outing that day, had juice and a cake in town and looked through his folder .

It's lovely if you enjoy doing/being involved in events, but I find them a bit ott, personally.

nethunsreject · 07/07/2012 15:27

...and, as you say, it often involves expense. And that tends to snowball with time.

Will there be nursery proms by the time ds2 finishes nursery I wonder? Wink

Cheriefroufrou · 07/07/2012 16:01

DS's graduation doens't cost anything (but a day off work), they decorate their own cardboard mortar boards and parents take their own photos

I do appreciate that its not very done in England these days to do festivities, whatever they may be, apparently they're all "american".. I think that's sad!

Cheriefroufrou · 07/07/2012 16:02

oh and they perform a graduation song about beavers Confused

blisterpack · 07/07/2012 16:14

YANBU. I think it is beyond tacky.

It's like putting on a white bridal dress and veil on your 50th date or 1st year as a couple or some crap like that.

Save it for the real occasion you fool.

BettySuarez · 07/07/2012 16:16

"a graduation song about Beavers" oh god sorry, that is brilliant GrinGrinGrin

StealthPolarBear · 07/07/2012 16:18

YES! I was trying to think of a suitable analogy with weddings and that sort of thing is it. Fine for children to play at dressing p IMO, but a little tacky when they use adult ceremonies to mark childish milestones

PenisVanLesbian · 07/07/2012 16:20

It's a photo and handing a kid a piece of paper.It takes 2 minutes. It is nothing like an actual graduation ceremony.
It's really nothing to get your knickers in a bunch about. Hmm

blisterpack · 07/07/2012 16:21

It's not though. Isn't the whole point of the thread that they're in full graduation dress? Hmm

StealthPolarBear · 07/07/2012 16:21

I'm really not :) just adding my opinion as is everyone else
It's either "only playing at dressing up" or it's "a big deal - marking the end of nursery" - people who think it's a good idea don't seem to agree which

PenisVanLesbian · 07/07/2012 16:24

"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?"

Seriously? You actually think that people will do four years of hard work at university, get to graduation and think "well this isn't exciting at all, dressing up for 30 seconds almost 2 decades ago totally ruined this as a novel experience for me".

Bonkers as conkers.

StealthPolarBear · 07/07/2012 16:27

Oh am I?? I find that quite insulting TBH
Assuming they do this for "graduating" nursery, thwn I presume they do something bigger for "graduating" infants, "graduating" juniors and leaving primary, GCSE "graduation" A-level "graduation"....

Or is that not the case? Why is leaving nursery more ceremonial that all those others?

StealthPolarBear · 07/07/2012 16:29

and yes, once you've "graduated" from all these other points in your life, every 3 or 4 years on average, your graduation ceremony will be another in a long line
Or is that not the case? Do people leave juniors with just a leavers' party? And if so, why?

Cheriefroufrou · 07/07/2012 16:31

because its a bit of both stealth

and why not celebrate the end of infants and GCSEs and A levels and everything else? Life's short! celebrate every achievement and milestone and HAVE FUN I say!

Cheriefroufrou · 07/07/2012 16:32

I went to a school that did proms etc
and my graduation from my degree was my first graduation for a degree! didn't take from it at all

also have been to a lot of balls.. and quite a few with DH before we got married, none of that took from seeing him in his suit at our wedding while I was wearing a big frock!

StealthPolarBear · 07/07/2012 16:33

But why celebrate it by ripping off an adult, fairly well established, ceremony for a specific reason? Why not come up with an age appropriate ceremony in its own right? Teddy bear's tea party would be the obvious choice for me.
Do these little graduands get a pretend bottle of champagne?

Shesparkles · 07/07/2012 16:37

My dd did this when she finished pre-school 10 years ago. It was all lighthearted and a bit of fun. We were GIVEN a photo the staff had taken of each child, and it was a lovely morning.
I just don't see why people have to be so cats bum mouth about these things...don't children DO dressing up and role play anymore? That's all it is, FUN

gordyslovesheep · 07/07/2012 16:37

OH good lord ...My DD3 had a 'graduation photo' taken 2 weeks ago - I had imagined a lovely pic of her and her mates not some crappy faux cap and gown actual mini graduation pic - oh FFS who silly - she is 3.5

StealthPolarBear · 07/07/2012 16:38

They do. Did she dress as a graduand at ay other time or was it to ceremoniously mark her leaving nursery?

gordyslovesheep · 07/07/2012 16:42

It could be worse though Stealth ... DD3's graduation party is 'princes and princesses' themed

PenisVanLesbian · 07/07/2012 16:44

Are you this prickly about it because you didn't graduate from university, or because you did? Got to be some kind of chip on your shoulder to be so invested in what other peoples toddlers do.
The kids enjoy it, the parents enjoy it, the teachers enjoy. For some bizarre reason no-one cares what catsbum internet randoms think about that.