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Original poster

Nursery graduation

141 replies

LadyRussell · 16/07/2018 22:41

My FB feed is full of children “Graduating” from Nursey, last day at primary/middle prom.

Parents sobbing - loads of people off work for “graduation” from schools.

WTAF?

I went along with prom for my DD in yr 11 as that is what she wanted but all that other shit WTAF? I couldn’t attend sports days because I was a working single mum never mind “graduation”.

I never cried when my kids changed school - does this make me a shit parent?!

Why do we have to embrace all this American shit? Baby showers? Graduations? Gender reveal?

ARGH!!

OP posts:
HoppingPavlova · 17/07/2018 11:08

Not sure they are pointless and silly.

Graduation from daycare is celebrating the milestone where you have worked to achieved the necessary requisites to start school.

Graduation from school is celebrating the milestone where you have achieved the necessary requisites to go to uni or into the workforce.

Graduation from uni is celebrating the milestone where you have achieved the necessary requisites to enter your chosen profession.

Not sure any of these are any more or less pointless and silly than the others?

Seafoodeatit · 17/07/2018 11:22

What's with the middle proms? since when it did it stop being end of school disco? That's we had as kids to break up from school, prom is for teenagers (and can piss off too if I'm being honest).

I wonder how much of it is because of the kind of culture we have now, everything has to be a photo moment, you need something to mark out every occasion, people seem to feel the need to document every second of their lives.

Trooperslaneagain · 17/07/2018 11:59

Me: I hate all this American shit.
Friends"

Also me: Bawling my eyes out on the day. They worked so hard and I'm so proud of them.

They sang 5 songs they had rehearsed for weeks. They wore purple robes and the nursery did a 'best bits' video. I'm welling up again.

Not all the kids are going to the same school and the nursery teachers have been a part of DDs life since she was 14 months old. It's a big rite of passage for all of us and I'm so glad to have the pictures and the memories. (and it was on a Saturday so convenient for most people.. plenty of notice given for those who needed to rearrange work).

So YADBVU

awesomeness · 17/07/2018 12:01

I don't think they are necessary, but I don't think they are stupid or pointless. I'm a single working mum and I made time to go to my daughters preschool graduation last week, she's been there nearly 3 years.

Tbf I don't care what other people say, my daughter enjoyed it, the other children enjoyed it. Don't get what the issue is other than parental guilt when they can't attend

Trooperslaneagain · 17/07/2018 12:01

And yes, the cash grab is cynical, but ours cost nothing.

We took DD and her two bestsos out for lunch afterwards. It was a lovely day

awesomeness · 17/07/2018 12:09

We had a raffle and donated cakes sold BUT there was exceptional circumstances as to why this was done this time, and not one parent moaned, we all over paid what they asked for, for shop bought cupcakes, but it was for an extremely good cause and it is a charity run preschool, and the rest of the event was free

halfwitpicker · 17/07/2018 14:47

Totally agree.

SIL was the same, photos on nephew on facefuck, graduation gown etc. He's 4!

Totally ridiculous.

halfwitpicker · 17/07/2018 14:48

So ?????

^^

Best comment ever

Hmm
PitterPatterOfBigFeet · 17/07/2018 14:56

I don't feel strongly about it but yes a full blown graduation ceremony for 4 year olds with cap and gown and a certificate for showing up there for a year is silly. A nice leaving party would suffice! I think it's definite nice to mark kids finishing primary and secondary but again it doesn't need to be a long, boring ceremony pretending to be a university graduation. My DC's school do a leavers assembly where they all get a little comment about what they've achieved and a little gift from the school which is lovely.

blackbirdbluebottle · 17/07/2018 14:59

Graduations seem silly unless you have done a university degree. I don’t get the American thing of having a graduation every few years and nursery graduation ceremonies sound so pointless! An end of year party or celebration fine, but it just devalues the university graduations even more

elliejjtiny · 17/07/2018 15:14

I think they are sweet. I'm a bit disappointed that my son's preschool isn't doing one, they are just having a leavers party.

AirForce0ne · 17/07/2018 15:51

but it just devalues the university graduations even more

they are 4 and 5 years old... I think most graduate can see the difference between a nursery graduation and a university one Grin

KipperTheFrog · 17/07/2018 15:59

DD1 has been in 3 different childcare settings, due to house moves. When she leaves nursery to go to school she'll have been at this nursery for only 6 months. I cant get emotional about her leaving. I am emotional about her starting school though! I do think calling it "graduation" and having a cap and gown is a bit much, but I do think the transition needs to be marked somehow. Nursery did graduation photos, but there's no ceremony as far as I know. Makes it seem even more silly.
When DD2 leaves nursery for school she'll have been there 3 years, so I think I'll be a bit more emotional about that one. That 1 place will have more of an attachment for her.

SoyDora · 17/07/2018 16:00

but it just devalues the university graduations even more

Oh come on. Any sensible person can see the difference between a fun ceremony for a bunch of 4 year olds and an actual graduation. It doesn’t devalue anything.
Do you take everything so seriously?
The children loved DD1’s graduation ceremony. The parent enjoyed it too. Should everyone stop doing it because some grumpy, over serious people dislike it?

sonsmum · 17/07/2018 16:20

It's about celebrating the little steps our children take.
These memories last forever. Childhood goes by so fast.
These events bring out the positives, the nice comments, the everlasting photos, the warm fuzzy feelings and embeds in our kids continually during the informative years that they matter and people are interested in them.
I have every fond memories of my child's nursery graduation (which essentially was the kids doing a few songs/actions and receiving a certificate with the nursery manager saying what each individual child was known for).
However I do object to 'graduations' for primary school kids with the posh clothes and limos. That is totally unnecessary. A regular clothed event surfices!
I also object to baby showers to receive baby gifts.

Vanillaradio · 17/07/2018 16:25

Well ds's graduation was adorable. Both dh and I took annual leave and neither of us felt remotely guilty. There was no cash grab, in fact refreshments for parents and kids provided and ds got a certificate and bag of presents and a photo. The kids had been rehearsing their little songs for weeks and were fizzing with excitement. Yes I am emotional about ds leaving nursery where he has been for 3 and a bit years and has been really happy. Should he happen to graduate from university I don't see how the fact he looked pretty damn cute in a cap and gown aged 4 will devalue that in any way.

bonbonours · 17/07/2018 16:30

Leaving nursery is a big deal for a four year old, graduating University is a big deal for an adult. I don't see any problem with celebrating both. I felt emotional each time my kids left schools or nursery as we had had happy years there and were sad to move on. Also kids growing up makes me emotional. I'm sure it won't stop me or them appreciating the enormity of later events in their lives.

craxmum · 17/07/2018 18:34

My DD's nursery graduation is this week. Gown rental (from the nursery), tickets, group photo, baby champagne - £70 altogether plus a day off at work.

SoyDora · 17/07/2018 18:36

Bloody hell craxmum. As I said above, ours was £1 donation for refreshments and they got a free professional graduation photo as their leaving photo.

Serenitymummy · 17/07/2018 18:38

Why not celebrate the things that aren’t the everyday norm? What’s wrong with making a fuss? They’re never going to get to do this again so yay let’s make a big deal of it!!

Senga67 · 17/07/2018 18:41

YES!!! To everything @ladyrussel. I thought it was just me!!!

Terramirabilis · 17/07/2018 18:42

So tiresome the endless slagging off of anything American on this site...

craxmum · 17/07/2018 18:46

@SoyDora
To be fair to them, nothing apart from tickets is compulsory. Only if you don't rent a gown or buy nursery branded baby champagne, the child won't be allowed in for a group photo (as it is a gowns-caps-and-champagne-being-opened photo).

Original poster
LadyRussell · 17/07/2018 18:55

I don’t want to be part of a society that blithely copies anything American. It’s trashy and I don’t like it.

I am British there is nothing wrong in liking British traditions.

“sweet sixteen” is another one - why?!

OP posts:
PitterPatterOfBigFeet · 17/07/2018 18:57

Graduation from daycare is celebrating the milestone where you have worked to achieved the necessary requisites to start school.

That's not true at all. You've passed the milestone of being at the age to start school.

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