Husband to not attend nursery graduation?

[AleenaM]

Nursery graduation at the end of the month and summer party right after, but husband says he has a sports/hobby competition that day. Don't know if he's joking but even the suggestion annoys me.

AIBU to expect him to attend party? Child won't graduate again but I'm sure they'll be competitions again. He is just getting back into this sport and it's a regional competition, it's not like a once in a lifetime olympics or something ...

Where have you all been, nursery graduations have been a thing for at least 20 years

I wouldnt be bothered by my partner not going but you obviously feel more strongly

It's nearly always a female member though isn't it, we need to make sure that dad's are contributing to the emotional aspect of being a family member and that means turning up to things like this for the children imo.

My cousin graduated from nursery 20+years ago

I mean... they didn't. They left nursery and had a (probably lovely) little goodbye celebration.

Preschool "graduations" are nonsense! The child is 4. They've achieved little more than a few finger paints and being able to pull up their own pants.

I say this as the mother of 4 children.

It's a nice little day for the children. They'll sing a few songs and get their photo taken. So long as one parent is there it's fine. Absolutely no need for 2. I don't think my DH ever attended any of these things. He's a teacher and time off to attend a 4 year olds "graduation" certainly wasn't a consideration.

I've heard it all now. What's wrong with just having a bit of a party for the kids on the last afternoon?
No ceremony or certificate, parents' attendance strictly optional.

Nursery graduation is not a thing

Yanbu, I clicked on this thinking it was some kind of work thing he couldn't get out of but a hobby? That would infuriate me too.

Also to anyone who thinks nursery graduations are stupid that's neither here nor there. It will matter TO THE CHILD when they see other kids there with their parents.

Nursery 'graduation' is a joke. I wish I'd had a reason not to attend. I thought it was bloody ridiculous that there was a graduation from something your nothing except age out of

It’s not a big deal at all. Honestly there will be school speech days, sports days, plays for the next 14 years.
This is really minor and one parent going is fine. There is no way we would both take time off or attend something like this.

They have a photo is a little cap and gown with a scroll. Cute photo, they don't remember it. Same as what happens now.

The annual "is that new" discussions are very tiresome.

I think one of us would feel obliged to go but I one of us had something planned we wouldn’t be cancelling it

Nursery graduation? Seriously? If he was missing an actual graduation- you know from university - then I could understand it. But at age 4? Americanised nonsense- I bet they wear gowns and mortar boards too...

My dd “graduated” nursery over 20 years ago….some parents were there, some parents weren’t.

I don’t think there’s any emotional scarring in these now 26/27 year olds

My son is eleven and I can't even remember his nursery 'graduation'. It's lost in the distant past 🤣. My husband would have been working.

Nursery graduation!! What utter nonsense. I'd not expect him to go, and only go quite reluctantly myself.

I couldn't get het up over this to be honest, he'd be better off going to his sports event.

My youngest is 22 now. There was thankfully no such thing as graduation from nursery back when mine were that age.

Very very VERY few children will have 2 parents there. One is enough. And a granny/grandad if you really want to bump the numbers.

Working parents can't always get time off for these made up "events". And even though this isn't a work event it is something he has already committed too. He is part of a team and has committments to that. Trivialising it to "it's not the Olympics" is bitchy to be honest.

Nursery "graduation" is bollocks. As long as one parent goes that's fine. Just make sure you aren't doing every last nativity, parents evening, assembly, sports day. Divide and conquer. Just one of you go and the other one use your time for something worthwhile.

This can’t be a serious post. Can you imagine 😂

It will matter TO THE CHILD when they see other kids there with their parents

The other kids won't all have both parents, not by a long way. And some DC only have one parent. It's really not this big trauma TO THE CHILD. There'll be umpteen nativities, sports days, concerts, blah blah to attend and THE CHILD seriously will not remember many of them.

YABU. It's a total non event.

Come on, most four year olds would be totally oblivious to the fact that both parents weren't there. They're four! It's a tiny little ceremony. A week later they will have forgotten it.

Why are so many people acting like this hasn't been happening for years? Pics of 4 Yr old with their wee caps and gowns have been popping up on my FB for ages. Loads of those kids have had their actual graduation since.

It's a made-up thing to mark the end of nursery. That's all.

OP, I wouldn't expect DH to cancel something for it, as long as someone is there for your DC to see. If it's his turn, though, and he made plans while knowing this was coming up, I would be pissed off.

Let your husband enjoy this day and remind him of it when you need some time to yourself to enjoy a hobby / time with friends. The words “nursery graduation” sound insane so I can kind of see why he doesn’t think it’s super important xx

PFB op?😄

My parents didn’t even come to my graduation after 6 years of vet school as they didn’t want to leave the dogs. That’s really hurt but nursery isn’t a big deal if one parent is there