Nursery Graduation Party

[Anonymous2005]

Can someone please tell me if it's reasonable not to attend a nursery graduation party ?
I haven't got any annual leave left and the nursery has organised the event for 3pm when both of us are working. We have just done extra juggling around work with doctors/dentist appointments and can't really take any more time off. Plus our DC's last day with the nursery isn't until the start of September.
I didn't realise nursery graduation was a thing until I was emailed about it!

I would have thought it was for the children, not the parents.

For the love of god! Nursery graduation🙈 Could a grandparent attend?

Can a grandparent go? Does she know any of the parents of the other kids you could say that that parent is watching her and ask them to talk to her at the event. These sort of parents attend events are rife at primary school. I am very lucky my job is very flexible and I try to make sure I say well done and comment on how good my daughter's friends did at events their parents can't attend as their jobs are not so flexible.

I mean it depends how much of a deal your nursery made out of it. I would have been gutted to miss ours.

The nursery made them all a cap and gown out of their own clothes, put up a huge marquee, the children sang, each child stood up and says what they want to be when they grow up, the teacher did a little speech about each child and their nursery journey and gave them a gift. The marquee was decorated with photos of all the children over their years there and there was afternoon tea for the adults!

It was absolutely fantastic and one of my fondest school journey memories 🥰

Ours was on a Saturday afternoon so everyone could attend. But it was a big deal at the time, every child was recognised individually and afterwards there was food, an entertainer and family photos, it was very much a party for children with their families and nursery staff were involved in organising but not so much with the children. It would be really sad if they didn't have someone there for them. But if you can't make it, you can't make. I'd speak to the nursery and make sure that your dd is included and not isolated if neither or you can go.

It was a big thing when DC2 left last year! There was one family who turned up late and their DC was sat on stage sobbing because they didn't see their grown up. 😭

Can you take a late lunch or make up the hours later? I've found school is a nightmare for last minute events so I always keep a couple of days annual leave so I can use it for events at short notice.

Ffs, can the kids even pronounce ‘graduation’? I hate this hyperbolic description of what is just a ‘good luck and goodbye’ party

How “switched on” is your child? Will they notice you’re not there?

TBF you either need to set a precedent now that you don’t always attend these things, so they grow up not expecting it. Or you move things around so you can attend. It’s the start of a looooong primary school journey where often the last week of every term is a write off with regards work.

To contrast some of the above ours was it low key. Children sang a song together and each got a handshake and a certificate. Then free play and dancing. Maybe 4 children out of 16 children didn’t have adults there so the key workers took extra care to sit with them and look after them

it was sweet but no crying children and not terrible if we had missed it

Honestly DD's was so adorable it was well worth half a days leave. She was so excited and she had the only actual speaking role in their little play (because she's an extroverted show off) so she'd have been so upset if we missed it, as would I have been.

If you're desperate then only one of you go but I wouldn't miss it completely. Same as all the nativities, assemblies and school plays that will come over the next few years.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions! DC is only 3 and moving to a school nursery so his nursery journey hasn't really finished yet.
No one mentioned afternoon tea for parents or refreshments, just an entertainer for the kids. I think it's low key.

You are entitled to unpaid parental leave (I think up to four weeks per year?) so this is an option if you really want to go. I would 😅

I would do anything I could do attend, can you take a lunch break later? I have just been to my sons and it was one of my favourite days of parenting I’ve done I felt so proud of him and his friends and they were definitely looking for parents in the crowd