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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:
DailyMailFail101 · 18/07/2018 12:55

Yes I agree OP, my sons ‘graduation’ from nursery is today, It’s also £25 for a picture 😲 in his cap and gown!

NoWordForFluffy · 18/07/2018 13:02

We didn't pay anything and they gave us refreshments afterwards. I think it's s bit much to charge for stuff really; that's the nursery / preschool taking it all too seriously, I think!

reluctantbrit · 18/07/2018 13:18

DD just finishes Y6. At nursery they did a nice garden picnic, the children who left got a certificate and a cuddle from the head of the nursery. Done, dusted. I have a photo with a smiling happy child. Another, more school-ish, preschool did it with graduation gowns and all the jazz you see at uni. And crying overwhelmed children.

Y6 leavers do, godness why did I decided to get involved. We had huge rows about it. Not necessary the party, most were actually happy to have a party not a prom. Yes, we dressed it up, had two A-level photographic students taking lots of photos with props but everybody had a great time. As the school does 3 discos per year we wanted one a bit more different to the usual stuff.

But the biggest disaster was the yearbook. It was distributed yesterday and one mum complained that there weren't enough sport photos and the ones in there didn't have her son on it, she send one in.

My husband spend 3 months on this thing, we waded through around 1000 photos and had a log to know how often a child was shown. When she complained about the lack of official photos and we broke the news that the photographer refused permission to use it and she said we should have just ignored it my DH got ballistic (copyright is his business).

Emmasmum2013 · 18/07/2018 13:27

Ours had her 'graduation' a couple of weeks ago. It was a lovely event! It was totally free, they all sang songs and got a certificate to mark the completion of nursery with their name and the date on it, they had refreshments and some food, and there was a photographer who came to the nursery the week before which parents had to pay for if they wanted prints, but we were on holiday. I wasn't upset that she didn't get her picture taken at all.

For the kids, its just a pretend dress up day - at that age all the meaning and poignancy is totally lost on them.

I get that events like this are becoming more Americanised, but you don't have to participate if you don't want to. And you only have to do as much as you want. Some people like going all out at halloween and other events like that. Others don't. No one is judging you.

As for the people who get all upset over it, it can feel like your baby is growing up and marking these milestones can be emotional I suppose. I have to say I didn't cry though, my DD was made up with the day and the treats, so getting all sad and teary didn't seem right.

HouseworkIsASin10 · 18/07/2018 13:42

Leaving nursery is a milestone but it’s not a bloody graduation!

Totally agree, it's ridiculous. Can't believe the kids get dressed in a robe and have professional pictures.

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 18/07/2018 18:07

At my nursery it was a wee tea party,nothing else. No robes,no mortar boards

Original poster
LadyRussell · 18/07/2018 19:01

Tomorrow is Leavers Assembly. Lots of mums saying they're crying just thinking about it. The biggest noise will be those mums crying theatrically and then their daughters will join in

GrinGrin

OP posts:
LightAsTheBreeze · 19/07/2018 08:17

A lot of this nowadays is for putting on social media, people never bothered before Facebook and suchlike, I glad DS was a child before all of this stuff existed. Iirc the nursery took a group photo and gave us a copy, that was just over 20 years ago.

MarthasGinYard · 19/07/2018 08:30

'Yearbook'

Oh yes, now those were just something I remember reading about In Sweet Valley High books. But that's popped over the pond to I see. Please tell me these are just for leavers if secondary education still though....

kyrenialady · 19/07/2018 08:34

You sound like me walkingtheplank Grin

My dd leaves tomorrow and is my last child to go through the primary.

The fuss some of the parents are making over the leavers party is amazing.

There are even some travelling in a limo? in year 6!

No doubt there will be kids in floods of tears. Why do they have to work them up into a frenzy!!

bookworm14 · 19/07/2018 08:38

Yearbooks have been around in the uk for ages. We had them every year when I was at secondary school (1993-2000).

MarthasGinYard · 19/07/2018 08:39

Blimey

I'm older than I thought

Wheretheresawill1 · 19/07/2018 09:10

I think it’s naff and would refuse to take part

WhiteHartLane · 19/07/2018 11:46

Both my DS's had Graduation's from Pre-school (DS1 left 2011 and DS2 left 2017). DS1's was more formal (gown, professional photographer-took forever to get through everyone and was quite boring). DS2's was more of a fun/activity day and at the end the children collected their workbooks and certificates. Photo's of the children wearing their gowns were taken during a normal session and given out on the last day.

Their primary school doesn't do much for the Yr6 leavers, 1 assembly and a trip to a splash park. My eldest would not be impressed with a prom neither would I

MilkyMamma · 19/07/2018 14:55

I've always felt a bit similar as you, OP, thinking it's Americanized rubbish.

However, my DS's nursery just did a graduation and it was absolutely wonderful, the nursery put so much time, effort, thought into it and it was a really great morning. Particularly the children standing up one by one showing us what they want to be when they grow up, not a dry eye in the house.

They also did a little cap and gown ceremony and their key person said a few words about the child's time in nursery. It really was lovely. They were sent away with a few keepsakes which was a nice touch too. The children all thoroughly enjoyed it and I've changed my opinion entirely. Completely harmless fun.

TheLesserOfTwoWeevils · 19/07/2018 15:16

Well my son's graduation yesterday was very sweet and a harmless bit of fun. It was held in the garden where all the children sat in a row behind paintings they'd done of themselves, wearing little mortar boards they'd made as a craft activity. The preschool leader called each child up in turn, said what that child wants to be when they grow up, and gave them a certificate saying they were ready for school. There was a brief pause to pose for a photo either taken by a parent or by one of the nursery staff to send home, then it was on to the next child. A short song, a poem from one of the staff members and done. It took 20 minutes, there was juice and cake afterwards, it didn't cost a penny and all the children were so excited and proud to get their certificates. I don't see what's so wrong about that.

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