How much are people giving their children for graduation?

[BerryTwister]

DS1 is graduating this week. I’m very proud of him, he’s worked hard and done well. It seems to be the done thing to give graduating kids some money, which I’m happy to do. But I’m wondering what the going rate is. Most of my friends in the same position are much richer than me, so I don’t want to ask them, because the money they can afford is crazy! Can people on here tell me how much, if anything, they’re giving their graduating kids?

Perhaps it’s an American thing because we do tend to be generous. I got $500 and a new dress in 1991.

Money? Hell no. How common!

Nor did I pay them allowances after graduation or pay for them to have a week away with their girlfriends - they're not 12 years old.

Call me mean, grudging and small-minded if you like. My parents didn't give me money for graduating either. I would have been mortified if they did.

Why do we always have to copy American traditions that seem to involve vast sums of money?! (Baby showers, gender reveal parties, Halloween ……)

Been trying to think if my parents have ever paid for me to have a holiday, ( as in a holiday without them, just me and a friend). Nope , never happened. So sad ! Why don't they love me ? I'm going to cwy...Waaaaaaaaa..

Not RTFT, but say whaat now?? Giving adult children a cash payout for graduating?????

That is totally infantilising.

No "reward" for GCSE and A level results here. I think we told DD how proud we were of her and had a celebratory meal. For her degree we had a celebratory meal then for a joint birthday present and degree I took her to a Michelin starred restaurant another day for a 10 course tasting menu lunch.

Not giving £££££ has nothing to do with being mean spirited or tight but it isn't the norm and we don't have that kind of money.

We didn't buy DD a present -didn't even cross my mind. We had supported her financially during and we had a lovely dinner afterwards.

We didn't know this was a thing that other parents did or didn't do but we gave DD £200 to buy equipment to replace something she'd been using at university. It was something she needed to continue in her chosen field.

Our ds graduated a few years earlier and I think we gave him £100 towards a holiday he was taking with his girlfriend.

Op does your DC need something in particular related to their degree or chosen career?

Otherwise I don't see the point in just throwing money at them for the sake of it.

Go for lunch. Wetherspoons etc is fine. Lunch is a bonus. I think i had a coffee and possibly a sandwich for mine and was envious of colleagues who had a cake 😆 in retrospect probably quite embarrassing. Parents paid for gown hire etc which is very kind

Zero.
He has a job waiting. That's his reward. We did go out for a nice dinner.

I'll have nothing left to give them by the time they graduate. They should be paying me! Surely cash gifts aren't expected, on top of everything else that has to be paid for at graduation.
Obviously if you're incredibly rich you could buy them a flat or something.

My DS can finally afford to move out. That's better than any reward. We might help if he needs any small appliances.

Well they don't graduate for a while, but I never imagined giving them anything other than the finances to support them during their degrees. Besides, after 3 yrs they won't be done anyway, post-grad will need completing in each of their cases.

Could be wrong but I don't think it was the done thing to give cash even when the burden on parents wasn't so great. Ie. Early 2000s when loans covered everything

Just because that's what your friends are doing. It doesn't mean you should feel obligated to do the same.

DC will graduate next year and other than a fancy dinner we won’t be doing anything. The financial support needed through uni is enough.

We went out for a celebratory lunch and then went on a lovely family holiday with all the children.

Love it ! Best answer I've seen 😄

I've graduated twice and didn't get a cash gift for either. My mum got me a Rennie Mackintosh brooch for my first one and a pen and letter opener set for my 2nd, and we went for a meal after each ceremony. That was fine with me, though to be fair I was 38 at the time of my second graduation!

Not a cash gift but LOTS of financial help.

A complete set of new clothes: thesis presentation suit, watch, shoes, plus daywear and uniform for his new role. Admittedly he’d spent his whole university career in jeans and tshirts.
A buffet and drinks party for his friends and a meal out with us.
A second hand car (uncle and us) and help with insurance the first year.
3 months’ rent deposit (to be returned, so we consider it savings without interest) and help with opening gas bills etc.
DH kept a total but I hesitate to guess!

When I graduated in 1988 my parents paid for my gown hire, a posed photo and lunch at the BHS cafe!

I have my niece a cheque for £111.11 because she got a first. She kept the cheque but I don't think she ever cashed it.

we just paid for the photos, gown etc and lunch

didn’t occur to us to give any money

this was in the 2010s

Did she not know what it was?