<p>I started filling out the important days for my 2013 calendar, and discovered that my two youngest kids will be graduating on the same day from schools that are 4 hours apart. One is graduating from college with a BSN, and the other is graduating from a 6 year program (PharmD). </p>
<p>Splitting up the graduations between parents isn't an option. Their other parent is in a nursing home and wouldn't know that they were graduating, and I've basically been a single parent over the last 12+ years. An older sibling offered to attend a ceremony with a video camera. We have no other famly.</p>
<p>They're both being noble and have said that it's ok if I choose to go to the other kid's graduation. The college kid says that the PharmD is a bigger deal, and the PharmD kid says that the college kid is younger so it would mean more. They both say that if I don't attend, they won't go to their own graduations. They look miserable about it.</p>
<p>I've been trying to determine whether there are professional ceremonies that I could attend if I miss the main ceremonies. </p>
<p>Flipping a coin seems wrong for something so important. I don't see any solution. Has anyone else ever been in a similar situation?</p>
<p>Wow. What a bind to be in! (Obviously, this is in many ways a happy dilemma–much better than, say, having to choose between one kid’s arraignment and the other kid’s exorcism–but I’m sure you’re sincerely conflicted. I would be.)</p>
<p>Did you go to the new pharmacist’s graduation from college? If so, then perhaps one way approach this that doesn’t seem like some sort of pale imitation of *Sophie’s Choice *is to decide that you attend kids’ graduations when they receive bachelor’s degrees, and you attend commencements for graduate or professional degrees when you can.</p>
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<p>If their other parent were available to go to one graduation, isn’t this more or less what you’d be doing? I think you should take this sibling up on that offer. But I do hope that one university or the other will split up commencement events in such a way that you can get to at least part of both.</p>
<p>Congratulations to you and your kids on their accomplishments.</p>
<p>I would take up the offer from the older sibling. So the PharmD kid has never had a graduation for his/her undergrad degree? I would probably attend the younger kid’s graduation and have the sibling, since it was offered, attend the older one’s. Then I would plan to meet the older kids after the younger’s ceremony and take them all for a celebratory dinner.</p>
<p>Take the sibling up on the offer to videotape it and if the ceremonies don’t overlap maybe you can Skype it for a sense of “being there.” Good luck…</p>
<p>The fact that they are both being noble about it is a testament to your parenting. Congrats on having raised two selfless and wonderful young adults!</p>
<p>Triplets here…but two attend the same school so that helps. One of the first things I did was to look at the schools’ long-term calendars to see if we would face the dilemma you are facing. Thankfully, the graduations are on different days. Good luck to you!!</p>
<p>Is there another adult family member or friend who could attend the second ceremony? What time are the ceremonies…maybe you could make them both?</p>
<p>I would check if the college graduation does separate events by program. It could be that your daughter’s might be at a different day/time. Also, since she’s a BSN, many nursing programs do a pinning ceremony on a different day which tends to be more meaningful than the big stadium event.</p>
<p>I can’t speak to the PharmD, but I know for the PhD, very very few candidates actually attend graduation ceremonies, as many are already employed elsewhere, and all graduate at different rates. I would absolutely attend my younger child’s undergraduate graduation, and take up the older sibling’s offer to video the PharmD ceremony.</p>
<p>The exorcism/arraignment comment made me laugh out loud! Very funny. </p>
<p>No, the 6-year PharmD program didn’t have a separate undergraduate ceremony. We did go to this kid’s “white coat” ceremony though, so he has had at least one occasion where his family was there to cheer him on a milestone. </p>
<p>Good idea to ask about the pinning ceremony. D will ask her Dean about it next week. I also liked the Skyping idea a lot - never thought about that, but it could work too. </p>
<p>I also liked the idea of meeting up for a dinner. I think I could find a really great restaurant about half-way between the schools.</p>
<p>I’m thinking about possibly suggesting a graduation trip instead of attending either of the ceremonies?</p>
<p>I’d go for the graduation trip, but I would make sure the kids know you want them to go to their ceremonies. Maybe it isn’t a big deal but they only get one shot at those ceremonies!</p>
<p>I think not attending either makes it appear that you don’t think they are that important. The kids know you can’t do both, so only doing one isn’t really slighting anyone or dismissing their importance.
Can you do a trip as well as go to the younger’s ceremony?</p>
<p>What wonderful kids you have raised in what seems an extremely difficult situation. If there is a pining ceremony or separate graduation for the BSN program, that would be your answer. Since you attended the white coat ceremony for your oldest, I would attend the BSN graduation and have your sibling record and skype if possible. Congratulations!</p>
<p>There was an article in our local paper last May about a family who attended kid #1’s graduation here in town and then rented a helicopter to fly to kid #2’s graduation about and hour-and-a-half away…pricey but it did solve the problem!</p>
<p>Or maybe you could do “graduation eve” with one child and drive to the other one’s ceremony the next day?</p>
<p>Assuming that graduation announcements are published in your local paper, I would attend the one that looks best in press.</p>
<p>‘Mrs Jackie Beanstalk attended the graduation of daughter Otis from the BSN program at Iowa State University. Farm smells were enjoyed by all.’</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>‘Mrs Jackie Beanstalk attended the PharmD graduation of daughter Bertha from the uber prestigious and private school program at St Louis U. Silver medallions were enjoyed by all.’</p>
<p>Niece graduated from PharmD program two years ago. Was a two day event.Friday at five was the “Hooding” ceremony. Took about an hour and a half followed by reception.That pretty much when most pictures were taken with teachers and friends.Next day was actual grad. ceremony.Maybe her school does this and you may be able to attend one of them.</p>
<p>Agree with not panicking yet. Depending on the school, the date/time of graduation doesn’t coincide with the department ceremony (which IMHO, usually means more because the faculty & fellow students were your daily companions vs. the big college ceremony where you might not hear their name called & there’s thousands of people.) </p>
<p>Does your youngest plan on grad school? Or is her BSN her intended (for now) terminal degree?</p>
<p>When oldest received her masters this year, there was a hooding ceremony the day before, and the graduation the next day. No one went to the graduation because D was getting a cold but we all went to the hooding ceremony.</p>
<p>Haystack—ah, small town newspapers…“The Tom Jones’ visited The Larry Smith’s for tea on Sunday afternoon. A good time was had by all :D.” Our newspaper does a weekly flashback for 10, 20, 50, 75, 100 years–its actually very interesting to read and a wonderful history for our area but the 75 and 100 year spots are all like the above.</p>
and congrats.</p>