We don’t live close to any family and we don’t belong to a co-op or local group, so it’s just going to be our happy family of three. Son really doesn’t want a party, just his favorite take-out. He sighingly agreed to let us be mushy parents and buy him a cap and tassel. He doesn’t want a gown so I’m making him a t-shirt with our school’s logo and then a list of colleges he got accepted into. We’ll take pictures of him in it too.
I’m also making him a stuffed version of our school’s mascot wearing a t-shirt with our school’s logo on it, same as you see at any college. Finally, we thought he’d get a kick out of having a valedictorian medal. He is first in his class after-all. And more importantly, he’s worked his butt off, achieved so much, faced a ton of obstacles, and come really far. He’ll also get a diploma. (Heard how that can actually be an important thing for some employers and in some situations.)
Our first celebration though will come with that first college acceptance letter.
I like that, @raregroove. Not quite a week of playing XBOX, but once the last of the college and major scholarship applications are in, my son’s asked for a 3 week break of doing nothing but the two of us marathoning Code Geass and Attack on Titan.
High school graduation: there was no such thing because she didn't graduate (no diploma). When she received admission to the state flagship, the family (all 3 of us) had dinner at a nice restaurant.
Admission to PhD program: dinner at a nice restaurant, and a nice cake at home.
BS graduation: 2 dinners (on different days of course) at 2 nice restaurants. We did buy her a cap & tassel & gown. But she didn't attend the commencement ceremony. The outfit was only to take photos to send to grandparents.
She said the real celebration would come when she was hooded, hopefully in a few years.
My D wanted and received a big graduation/send-off to college party this past July. It was something she’d envisioned for a few years, so it was important to her. We didn’t order a cap or gown, but we put her senior picture a picture frame with a tassel on it, and her cake had a tiny diploma on it.
And more importantly, he’s worked his butt off, achieved so much, faced a ton of obstacles, and come really far. He’ll also get a diploma. (Heard how that can actually be an important thing for some employers and in some situations.)