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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

“Graduating” from nursery/infants/primary etc

70 replies

Happypuppy · 20/07/2018 19:51

Kinda light hearted.

AIBU or is this a ridiculous concept? My fb feed is littered with pictures of kids “graduating” from what? Fucking messy play for a year ?

OP posts:
Drycleanonly7 · 21/07/2018 06:16

Been thinking about this a bit more...time on my hands. It's so age inappropriate. I know that is an obvious thing to say but where/ when does it all stop. Sending your 1 year old to nursery with a mini brief case and lap top? Encouraging our children to dress up in graduation gear is not cute. They are not role playing as they have little concept of what 'academia' means at such a young age. Nor should they.

tomhazard · 21/07/2018 06:19

I think it's ludicrous. Whilst a lovely and useful experience nursery is for many children , it is not a time in their lives they will remember. It's just silly marketing and yet another Americanism that parents have to attend and in many cases shell out for

PhilODox · 21/07/2018 08:56

None of my children's US nurseries, elementary or middle schools have done graduations

Perhaps they haven't semester but I have to assume they will "graduate" from high school?
In Europe one can only graduate from university. Studying at university, one is an undergraduate. On completing the course, one becomes a graduand. Then there is a graduation ceremony, where the degree is conferred. Any further study at university is done as a postgraduate.

Graduation isn't something that happens to school pupils.

PhilODox · 21/07/2018 08:58

Sorry semster my phone helpfully "corrected" your name! Grrr. At least it had an educational theme Smile

Wheretheresawill1 · 21/07/2018 11:29

It’s naff

SelenaMeyer2016 · 21/07/2018 11:41

DC ‘graduated’ from nursery yesterday. With a cap and gown... (30 of these were made by the nursery team).

Yep a cheesy concept but also very enjoyable and marked the end of 3.5 years in full time childcare.

I appreciate how the nursery wanted to celebrate the children’s time there and my DC loved the day, as did all the children.

I also got a little tearful saying goodbye to the carers who have massively participated in nurturing and caring for my DC.

Am guessing a lot of you haven’t actually participated in what is a small harmless celebration; can’t see the issue with it but my pre children self would have probably felt that way too...

MaisyPops · 21/07/2018 11:44

A small celebration or party to mark the milestone is sweet.

Dressing kids up like uni graduation seems silly to me and more about the adults getting cute photos than anything else.

Semster · 21/07/2018 16:21

Perhaps they haven't semester but I have to assume they will "graduate" from high school?

Yes - have you been to a US high school graduation? It's not only a lovely ceremony, but a legal process in which the state validates that the students achieved a certain level of education. I actually found the one I went to this summer much more moving than my own UK university graduation, and it wasn't even any of my children graduating (it was my DD's room mate's though, and she has made such a huge difference to my DD's experience of high school).

toomanyeastereggsurghh · 21/07/2018 16:33

My fbook is full of pics of 4 year olds in caps and gowns holding scrolls - completely ridiculous shmalzy American import. I would not be impressed if my kids nursery were doing this. It would be far better to spend the money it cost to make/hire these daft outfits on a nice party for the kids. A mini ceremony with certificates or similar is fine but why the need for the cap and gown?!!

Strugglingtodomybest · 21/07/2018 16:35

I think it's naff too. Of course it's OK to celebrate leaving nursery but the caps and gowns are just naff beyond belief imo.

dimples76 · 21/07/2018 18:48

My son and I really enjoyed his - as it seemed did the other children and families. I now have some lovely photos of my boy and people who have played a key role in his life. They read a little speech about each child and I found it very moving. Much more enjoyable than the Uni graduations at my work!

My boy looked gorgeous in his outfit - the caps were given as a souvenir.

A lot of things wind me up on FB but not photos of my friends and family's children looking cute and marking milestones.

BottleOfJameson · 21/07/2018 18:59

dimples76 surely you could have had taken photos if you had just had a little party to celebrate the end of nursery? My DS would have hated a ceremony with little speeches at that age! I'd also rather have normal photos of ending nursery not dressed up in silly outfits! Obviously it's not the end of the world either way but it does seem like these things favour getting good Facebook photos over an age appropriate event!

Rosie342 · 21/07/2018 19:32

I once a few years ago said how ridiculous I thought of the whole thing. Every mother I knew jumped on me saying I was miserable and a terrible mother, some even started private messaging me on Facebook to tell me so. I stick to my opinion, especially when a massive ceremony is made of "graduating" from one year to the next.

stargirl1701 · 21/07/2018 19:36

Ridiculous.

NoIsACompleteAnswerSometimes · 21/07/2018 19:37

Just had our grandson's. It was lovely. They didn't wear mortar boards or anything like that, just ordinary smart clothes. The kids sang songs, the key workers read out a little thing about each child, which was laminated and given to each child (last I saw of my grandson's he was chewing it!) parents all clapped, final song, job done! It was lovely.

NoIsACompleteAnswerSometimes · 21/07/2018 19:38

I forgot to say, they were all leaving nursery to go to big school.

MayhapsIAm · 21/07/2018 19:41

It's ridiculous. I work in a primary school (we do a leavers assembly). This year 12 children didn't come to their induction session because it clashed with their nursery 'graduation'. No we can't re-arrange it, no they can't come in on another day - grrrr

SelenaMeyer2016 · 22/07/2018 09:18

You do realise the caps are made out of cardboard and the capes will be used again and again (Halloween, pirates, etc etc.)

I feel sorry for your children - what a miserable bunch you are!

AvoidingDM · 22/07/2018 11:02

MayhapsIAm I'm surprised the nursery weren't able to rearrange the graduation.

Can people not see it for what it is? A bit of fun marking the end of an era?

Somebody commented can they not just have a "wee party" well actually most have the "wee ceremony" collect their certificate / gift / photo / school tie (whatever the nursery give) and have a wee party after the ceremonry" My son's nursery didn't do the gowns etc but had a group photo of the children taken a few weeks earlier and the kids were given that as their gift with their new school tie and lunch box.

Honestly do people really believe it compares to a University Graduation??

Actually I think even they are more for parents than they are for students. Students do their celebrating when they get the exam results. The graduation is an expensive do for the parents.

For me my son's nursery graduation was more emotional than my own uni one.

NotASingleFuckToGive · 22/07/2018 22:53

It's cringeworthy, and I'm glad I avoided having to do this with DD.

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