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 ...

They will graduate again- properly from university

Not read all the replies but it has made me laugh regardless.

It's totally a non event

You probably have to donate a cake or something for the buffet don't you? Just tell him that he can do that job since he can't make the event. Saves you the job

"This is Tommy, valedictorian, who learnt to wipe his arse at 18 months and inspired his fellow students to stop eating sand."

Is it really that hard to picture?

It’s a bit daft to call it a graduation, but leaving nursery/preschool to start Reception is one of those rites of passage that’s arguably more meaningful or sentimental for the parent than the child.

Having said that, I don’t think it’s a big deal if both parents don’t attend.

My eldest left primary school last summer and that was quite gut wrenching actually!

I agree but the problem is have the nursery made it into a massive thing? If the nursery have gone on and on about what a special event this is going to be, the child may be upset if a parent is not there. I think a nursery graduation is maybe, in theory, a nice idea (although also a bit ridiculous and over the top) but in reality it just puts pressure on everyone.

@Jellycats4life I was struggling to see how on earth anyone in their right mind would dress up a tiny in a mortar board and gown. Utterly ridiculous.

We lived overseas and all four of my kids 'graduated' from nursery. This was about 25 - 30 years ago. It's a fun silly event. There is no harm to it. My husband didn't attend as he was working. It's not important.

Our school never did nursery graduation and I've got 3 kids still in primary. I'd never heard of it until now.

I wouldn't be causing a faff over it.

Nursery graduation is a ridiculous concept. One of my children even begged not to go so none of us attended.

Do you plan on being one of Those Families where both parents turn up to class parties as well, when normal families barter with each other to be able to get out of going and begrudgingly take turns.

It's easy to say it's insignificant when your kids are older, like mine are.

But realistically, an involved parent will want to attend something like this, if they are able to. Your DH puts himself before something nice for the family.

If there was a job that he couldn't move, that would be different.

I'm thankful my children didn't got to nursery so we were saved from such nonsense as nursery graduation! Neither my husband or myself went to children's reception class "graduation", we were busy and sent Granny. If I had a sport event on nursery graduation day I would def go to the sport event.

In my day you graduated from university and that was about your lot. I couldn’t get upset or even be bothered to care about nursery graduation lol

Nursery graduations literally exist so that parents can post pictures of their sprogs in gowns on social media. I find the whole shebang sickening to be honest. On a slightly different note, I think it sends a pretty poor message to tiny kids about what is necessary for a 'graduation'.

Christ, the miseries are out in force today.

Not being miserable at all, I work in early years education. But I wouldn’t stop my husband from doing a hobby over a graduation

It's still nonsense! Despite your update. You are massively overreacting

I've worked in early years for 20 years now and believe me this annual tradition is the biggest load of bollocks I've ever had the displeasure of having to organise

They are not "graduating", FFS! The child is just having a little tea party with a few friends, so I'm not sure why any parent needs to be there. OP's husband absolutely should be prioritising his own event.

Nursery graduations are a nice little gimmick. As long as someone is there to wave at your child that is all that matters.

Its really not worth getting in a stew about.

Another one attending to the people saying this has been a thing for a while.

Mine are both adults now. Not sure if they remember but we have the photos and book they were given.

I wouldn't want to miss thiis.

It's absolutely fine if YOU wouldn't want to miss it. it doesn't mean it has to matter to other parents.

I would have happily missed mine if my DH would have been going that day. It could not, so I went, I think it's important if ONE parent (or a grand-parent) attends. Pretty much all the kids will have their adult, it's sad if one hasn't.

No need for both parents, and all the grand-parents and everyone around, to come too.

Few weeks downs the line, kids won't remember that day, or remember it for completely different reasons 😂

Oh come on. That's really not an important thing to attend !

Oh yes.

A couple of my DGC had gowns and mortar boards and everything for the photos...

No, realistically "any involved parent" will definitively NOT want to attend this. Some will, most will make an effort to have ONE adult because it's important for the child that day, but they don't really care about the actual "graduation".

it's a fun day, so is Halloween and dress up day. It's important to have fun days, even if they don't really mean anything for most people. Nursery graduation is a non-event.

Thinking about it, I can't remember many couples, if any, going to my kids "graduations".

My kids have all of that. It's nice photos and it's fun for nursery to organise things like that, kids enjoy it on the day. Said kids have 0 memory of that non-event later on.😂