<p>Getting a lot of vicarious enjoyment out of this thread. My D has absolutely no interest in any of this (her words: “You’d have to shoot me first.”)</p>
<p>I felt the same way in hs. My friends and I just weren’t into homecoming, prom, etc. I thought I’d enjoy experiencing it as a mom, but no such luck…my D feels exactly as I did in hs. Oh, well, I’m enjoying your posts and, apparently, saving quite a bit of $. :)</p>
<p>I am actually glad than DS is at a large HS and is able to participate. I am learning new traditions along the way. I think he is getting a little annoyed with me as I am asking too many questions, so will need to back off a little. But it is so difficult, especially since I have never experienced it personally 
Ok, so far the tickets to the dance were $15/pair, wrist corsage is around $20, dinner is reported to be $50 per couple/flat rate. The tie I bought today (I have a bought five of them! but already returned four) was $10 (Polo !). Apparently the will be crashing at somebody’s house to finish the party in wee hours of the morning.</p>
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<p>Yikes!!! Now that’s a whole 'nuther discussion. Here’s two of them.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/931074-after-prom-activities.html?highlight=sleepovers[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/931074-after-prom-activities.html?highlight=sleepovers</a></p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/993147-coed-sleepovers-good-14-year-olds.html?highlight=sleepover[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/993147-coed-sleepovers-good-14-year-olds.html?highlight=sleepover</a></p>
<p>I didn’t go and had no interest in going either. But I must say it was awesome to see my son and his friends (the guys and girls) get dolled up for HC and Prom. The taking pictures, the dinners, the dance, the worrying. It was especially fun when my son was one of the HC court his senior year. All of the festivities which took place that we were able to attend because he was one of the nominees. </p>
<p>GREAT Memories I wouldn’t trade for the world.</p>
<p>Just picked up the corsage :)</p>
<p>Toledo, thanks for the warning - will have a talk with S on the way there.
I also plan on going inside the house where the boys are meeting and introduce myself to the parents/mom (?) as this is apparently the house they will be going to after the dance.
Would it be tacky to ask parents if they will be present/what kind of a party it is going to be?</p>
<p>Usually the parents hang out before the dance at the meeting house and act like paparazzi to the kids - take lots of pictures. That would be a great time to casually ask about pick up and yes, about supervision.</p>
<p>I am grateful that two of the parents in my child’s school are hosting an afterparty. My child told me that this will be the “nonalcoholic” one; she has heard of others that are the alcohol parties. </p>
<p>Is it appropriate or desirable for my daughter to write a note to thank the hosts afterwards? Or is it enough for me to tell my good friend how much I appreciate it?</p>
<p>Reading these responses, this all sounds extreme for Prom, much less homecoming. Kids at my school show up in the same clothes they wear to school. Nobody brings dates. There are certainly no corsages…Really few people even go. I didn’t realize homecoming could be such a big (and expensive) thing.</p>
<p>RiceOwlHopeful - where are you? I always thought that Homecoming was much bigger in the South, but some of DH’s cousins (in PA) seem to be going thru similar things with their kids (dates, fancy clothes, corsages, dinner, etc).</p>
<p>Just came back from a nice dinner with DH, after meeting up with my son’s group (about 30 kids) for photos before their dinner. The boys looked so handsome and the girls were just lovely. Oh, to have the figure I had at 17!!! </p>
<p>They have a great party bus and are dining at a very nice hotel/club in the Galleria area of Houston, then going to the dance. They have to hang out at the dance because 2 guys in their group are on the Homecoming Court and they announce the “king” toward the end of the dance. </p>
<p>Then off to one of the girls’ house for the after- party which lasts until about 2…at which point the girls stay and the guys go to a nearby house to continue with their festivities (basically eating and playing Halo on X-Box). Then back to the girl’s house for breakfast a some point tomorrow morning.</p>
<p>I know they are going to have a great time!!! </p>
<p>APenny - while not necessary, I am sure a thank you note would be a very nice touch! I plan on having my son doing a couple. And, like you, I am glad my son is at the “non-drinking” after party!</p>
<p>
)YES!</p>
<p>There’s really no party situation I can think of where a thank you note is not desireable and appropriate.</p>
<p>We have some casual acquaintances who threw a post-show party for the cast of a community theatre play my D was in in 7th grade. It was a lovely thing to do…the kids enjoyed it immensely, and I guess it turned out that my D was the only one (out of a cast of 40) to write a thank you note to those parents.</p>
<p>We bump into them once a year or so, and they STILL talk about how gracious it was of my D to write that note and how much they appreciated it.</p>
<p>It will take your D less than 10 mins and will mean a lot.</p>
<p>Kelowna - did everyone in your household survive Homecoming???</p>
<p>We did, thanks!
Of course it was a sleepless night DS had a stomach ache the morning of Homecoming (stress?? - of course). Overall it went really well. All the girl’s had short dresses, absolutely all of them. This was a little shocking to me, but I guess that’s how it is. Everything ended at a quiet party that actually did not last very long. The only scary thing came when they were transporting themselves to the party after the school dance. Too many kids in the car.
DS was in the front seat with his date sitting in his lap. I have no idea how many kids in the back seat. My comment was "next time I am staying close so I CAN DRIVE YOU AND WHOEVER ELSE NEEDS A RIDE ! No wonder they get killed!!!</p>
<p>I’m glad everything went well, Kelowna. After reading this thread, I mentioned to my son that several cc moms said their sons were wearing black shirts to homecoming this year. Guess what? He went shopping yesterday and came home with a black dress shirt. Of course, he hasn’t mentioned anything about it yet. But I’ll offer my “thanks” for that suggestion.</p>
<p>I know this homecoming is over (as is ours), but for any future planners, my son’s group had sandwiches, cheeses, fruit, and dessert at someone’s house before the dance. Many parents contributed and the idea was to offer non-drippy finger food. To me this option beats going out because you get the pictures in, they eat, and then they go. Parents hang out for the whole thing and provide transportation when needed. We are very lucky because the kids don’t seem to mind the parents haning around. We are separate from them and have a good time. It’s as if two parties are happening at the same place.</p>
<p>This also is a private school, so it is a great opportunity to meet other parents.</p>
<p>^
In D’s group of friends, the parents did a similar thing every year, although we actually served an entire formal dinner. It was done at different houses and we hosted junior year. Her group actually preferred this to going out to a restaurant.</p>
<p>S is a freshman this year, says he most likely won’t go :(</p>
<p>WOW - not to be insulting but I thought this Homecoming thing was from the 1950s! I didn’t realize it was alive and well in parts of the country! My high school never had homecoming or even a prom so I’m clueless to this all, it truly is something I’ve only seen in movies. Our high school has homecoming but it’s just a football game with “spirit week” before that, which I thought was dumb (the kids dress up in a certain way determined by the day - pajama day, neon day, oldtimers day, etc.).</p>
<p>Again, don’t mean to be so negative or to insult anyone, it’s just a new concept to me even though I have one daughter in college and one is a junior in high school. Do you guys have homecoming queen and king or couple or whatever that they crown at the dance? Do the kids vote as to who should be in the running and then vote for who wins? Again, my knowledge of this all comes from the movies. I’m from NYC, can you tell?</p>
<p>You call this thread “Homecoming 101” but I think I need a tutor! Hope you all have fun with the event!</p>
<p>Texas homecomings are just like you see in the movies, but more so. Spirit week, parade (in some towns), football game with homecoming court announced at center of the field at halftime, our school has a bonfire afterward at a lake (this is all on Friday). Then on Saturday they have the dance, usually the kids go out to dinner first. Homecoming king and queen crowned at dance, followed by after-parties (very parent supervised usually). And in Texas, we confuse the issue with “mums” - huge tacky trinket filled corsages that the girls (garters for boys) wear to school on Friday and to the football game. BTW - the mums started out as real flowers in the 50s and have just evolved.</p>
<p><<do you=“” guys=“” have=“” homecoming=“” queen=“” and=“” king=“” or=“” couple=“” whatever=“” that=“” they=“” crown=“” at=“” the=“” dance?=“” do=“” kids=“” vote=“” as=“” to=“” who=“” should=“” be=“” in=“” running=“” then=“” for=“” wins?=“”>></do></p>
<p>At my boys’ Texas high school -yes - the students vote on who gets onto the Homecoming Court and then who gets chosen as King/Queen. The Queen is announced during half-time of the football game and the King is announced at the dance.</p>
<p>But, back in the dark ages when I went to school (private school in New Orleans), the football players chose the Homecoming Court and the Queen (all girls, no guys on the Court).</p>
<p>Homecoming is not just about the dance at our HS. It’s a week of festivities including football, assemblies, the dance. The school nominates and then votes on the court. It’s still a big deal in our area not just our school or district.</p>
<p>Sweethearts is the same as far as nominating and voting for the court. Our school does NOT elect a prom king and queen due to petty parents living vicariously through their overly entitled children.</p>
<p>My oldest son is actually a homecoming king candidate for his Pennsylvania college. Our high school only votes on a queen.</p>