To think parents should back off, Prom is just a school disco.

[AIBUPromPromProm]

This week I've bumped into a few parents with 16 year olds going to Prom and heard about the crazy amounts of grooming, money and time going into what is actually a school disco for 16year olds.
We're a small beach town - all the hair dressers are apparently booked out for blow drys & make up. People are scrambling around for anyone who can sew to take up/let down overpriced dresses for still growing 16year olds.
My daughter's friends seem to have a crazy amount of appointments next week and no one else wants to go surfing incase they break a nail or upset their hair.
I'm surprised at how much our laid back town has actually bought into the 'most important night of your life' rhetoric.

It's partly due to the values you've imposed in your DC surely? My parents never saw the value of having nice clothes/makeup/haircuts so I probably go rather the other way with DD.

When it came to prom I asked if she'd like to go to a "proper" dress shop and have her hair styled, but she assured me she thought it was a waste of money and she'd rather have a cheaper dress and do her hair and makeup round at her friend's house. A couple of her friends did buy more expensive dresses and have said they wouldn't bother again.

Yeah, all of this.

I don't understand the anti prom sentiment. It isn't exactly a new phenomenon, we just called it a leavers party and brought a new outfit. For kids now it's the new Debutant Ball, celebrating the journey to adulthood. Let them have their fun, they need it after the GCSE stress - just not too much fun, obviously 😉.

I hate that it's trickling down the year groups. My dd's year 6 (so 11year olds) leavers dinner was a depressing experience with the girls divided between those who did the full on "prom" thing complete with make up, heels, professionally done hair etc and the ones who got a new pair of sparkly flat sandals to wear with a nice top. Guess which group spent the evening bitching about the other and making it a miserable time?

I'm not sure. I left in 2009 and we had a boat party on the Thames. This was inner city comp. I've seen videos of something very similar happening now. It was eerily similar to be honest. There does seem to be a lot more with professional input, at my prom only a couple of kids had proper blow dries and makeup. Dresses were mostly high street.

It's not crap in the slightest.

Dc worked so hard for the last couple of years. Isolated from friends and family during covid. Struggling with homeschooling due to SEN and no support.

They have been impacted so much. To see her so excited for a posh frock and the weight of all the GCSEs being lifted off her shoulders was absolutely priceless. A rite of passage and memory to last a lifetime.

My eldest's was 21 years ago. It was called Record of Achievement and 7 sets of parents hired a limo between us as a surprise. It was a magical moment. My others have had varying things depending what they wanted, but I've never spent much on it.

Ha ha @user1469908585 it was cider in the park for us too! We did have the occasional school disco. For one my mother crocheted a gold lurex halter top for me and I wore it with pair of mint green trousers from C&A. It was 20p to get in and you got a cup of warm orange squash.

I think it's nice for them
Teen life isn't as fun as it once was let them enjoy it and round here it's all about the after party anyway.

Misery people.

Ridiculous commercial hype imported from America to fleece gullible people.

well, that is what school is about.

Regardless, Prom is a celebration of the end of exams or school, not about what they have learnt. The end of the hard work (until A levels or Uni or whatever is next). it is a celebration unconnected to how well they might have performed or how hard they have worked.

My prom was 40 years and ago and some of my friends got their dresses made and got their make up done, we all got our hair done. I do thinks it's got ott with some dresses costing thousands and limos etc but a nice dress make up and hair is standard I would say.

It’s sad & regressive. It’s all about looking good for the photos & everyone trying to outdo each other. I cringe when I see girls & their parents fall for this crap

You are sad and regressive. What a nasty, judgemental post, sneering at an entire generation, not to mention the sweeping generalisation. Do you try and look good when you are having your photo taken? Doesn't everyone? I honestly can't imagine feeling entitled to pass judgement on anyone in this way, but especially young people!

I'm shocked at how many people on this thread have such strong opinions about something that has zero impact on them, and absolutely nothing to do with them.

They have plenty of "celebration" events linked to learning and performance. This is simply a celebration of the end of an era at the school. Trying to link everything to learning is tedious and ridiculous.

I agree with this. So many secondary schools now have a go straight home policy. There's not much of a going to your mates house or to the park after school culture. I understand why, but still. Compared to my teen years in the 00s, the teens now really don't have very much fun, at least not in my part of London. It's all very organized, and not much is being organized. I'm glad they get to have proms. I just hope they actually enjoy them as I doubt very many have genuine experience of a proper party.

Maybe they could put a price limit on dresses

@gypsytrampandthief it's pure vanity.

Crikey it's just a celebration about them leaving school. If you don't want to spend fine then don't buy the level of sneering at others who want to is bizarre!

Well my 2 have prom this week and they along with all of their mates have lovely dresses, nails and hair booked.

Eldest missed out due to covid but they are doing a scaled down version instead at 18.

Like everything else, proms, holidays, cars, you spend what you can afford and what you want to. It's a big occasion for them and hopefully a lovely way to finish off their secondary education.

This was the norm when i had my 'leaving disco' in 2001. We all got our hair done, bought or hired dresses and hired a limo. Just a fun way to celebrate leaving school (no sixth form at that school).

I see the OP just threw the "prom is disgusting" grenade and ran.

Do people have to show a receipt at the door?

Do you propose similar restrictions on all social events?

Yes defo can't be because people actually just like festivals and want to recreate it for fun. God you sound a little bitter if I'm honest

I agree.

Mine was in 2000. This was before spray tans were a thing but we all went to the hairdressers to get our hair done and had a limo to the event.

An acquaintance of mine has spent 1000s on her daughters prom that will happen next month. I dont understand it at all.