Graduating from Kindergarten

[BioSuisse]

My friend just posted a photo on FB of her DS 'graduating' from Kindergarten. He was wearing a hat and gown. Seriously.

AIBu to think that this is very daft?

They did this when my ds finished at nursery. They all made a hat and gown out of paper and cardboard. On the day, they went to a local church hall and when they all walked in with their little outfits on I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. I thought it was a brilliant idea to mark the transition from nursery to school like this and the children absolutely loved it. I've still got the "graduation" picture of my ds on the mantlepiece and its my favourite photo as he is beaming so much. So, in summary, yes I do think yabu.

Forgot to say - we live in the UK.

Obviously i am in the minority. Enjoy your DCs graduation days. I do get the point that some DCs have been in Kindergarten since they were a few months old, so it is a big milestone for their parents.

Bio I've already been asked by Americans why I'm miserable . I'm not miserable! I'm just not pretending to be a fecking fifteen year old cheerleader

Itt may be a big milestone for the parents but honestly, they're still babes, they will make new friends alarmingly quickly. (used to run a KG)

These tacky rituals are just another way of getting guilt ridden parents to spend money.

Have a party& a bit of cake, thank the staff, maybe a prezzy, but GRADUATION?? Seriously??

YANBU OP

I wish they would stick to age appropriate activities- I am thankful they did when mine were little.

I'm in America (from the UK though). Dd had a graduation from kindergarten this week. It was a little ridiculous! But very cute. I had no idea that it was a BIG DEAL and that DH was expected to take time off work to attend.

It makes a mockery of real graduation give me strength its 4 year olds leaving nursery its just marks the end if their time there yes is daft but come on a mockery and americanised sigh

Well I'm a fecking 15 yr old cheerleader American, and I think it's silly. I never had one, my son didn't have one when he left kindergarden in the States. I had one when I graduated high school and received my diploma and one when I graduated from Nursing school.

IMO graduations are things to look forward to when you grow up, like driving a car or moving out. Fair enough if my kids school had one for my smallest I'd still go, but I'd still think it was silly.

My son had a graduation from nursery school. They made their own caps from paper, were given a certificate showing photographs of things they had done at nursery and then had a picnic with their teddy bears. No spending of money involved.

Apologies for any offence Smashley, I am aware of the rare non perky types among the American population

I think it's ridiculous!! And the kids look silly!

I know it's not the children's fault though as I'm assuming they don't get a choice as to whether to participate??

I think it's very cute. No harm in it at all.

No worries rootypig. To be fair I am perky, but I can still see when something is over the top like Kindergarten graduation ceremonies.

Plus not all Brits are miserable. I hate when my yankee friends and family make that assumption. DH is mostly not a Misery Gus.

It looks ridiculous, completely age-inappropriate. They are children, not mini-adults ffs.

YANBU.

They did this when DC4 left nursery and I was like

but I went and it was very cute and sweet so YABU too.

It was quite a high point in my performance parenting career.

DC4's keyworker asked him what he wanted to do when he grows up and he said 'Paediatric Oncologist'

Ha ha ha ha ha

Before I had a child in Nursery I think I would have been all sniffy about it like some of the people here but now that I have a son who has been in his nursery since he was 10 months old and will 'graduate' (Or go to school) next year and leave all his nursery buddies as they go off to different schools, I think it's nice for both children and parents to mark the occasion.

It's nice to mark the occasion. But I think graduation gowns and caps are going a bit far. My DDs nursery teacher made little cardboard mortar boards for fun and I thought that was fine. But I know of some kindergartens where they have a full on ceremony and I agree it's ridiculous.
YANBU.

These tacky rituals are just another way of getting guilt ridden parents to spend money.

Ds has just 'graduated' yesterday from nursery. A ceremony in the school hall with a slideshow of photos of the kids, paper mortar boards made by the teachers and a wee certificate.

they each got to step up onto a wee platform to applause and the teachers angled them towards their parent for a photo. then they sang songs about starting school and I cried.

Didn't cost a penny and was a lovely morning

YABU. Different cultures have different traditions. DS "graduated" from kindergarten in an American school. He wore a hat and went on to the stage to get a certificate. It was a big deal for him, and really marked the end of kindy life.

We're now back in the UK and I can't say that I'm sorry to return to a more traditional school environment, but while we were abroad I was happy to embrace it fully. It was kind of fun (don't get me started though on what they did for Halloween....!).

Yes - very cute and probably some 'government policy' to start the 'aspiration' to a university education at a very young age. Otherwise wouldn't they have been wearing Leavers hoodies (graduating from yr6) or prom clothes? YANBU.

Dd1's uni graduation is in a couple of weeks time, Dd2's nursery graduation is a couple of weeks later.

I have already decided where to put their pictures side by side .

YANBU. It is plain daft.

YANBU at all it is absolutely ridiculous. Graduation is for the end of University and nothing else. At the end of nursery/kindergarten or whatever have a little party, a few pictures etc (dgs was given a book of photos of him working at various things throughout his time there) but don't make it pretentiously silly by calling it a graduation.