Any Emily Post or Miss Manners types who can give me some help?

[Halftime Hope]

Situation:

 

Ds is graduating in a couple of weeks. He is simply "finishing", without any fanfare, no graduation ceremony or event to attend, per his desire. He may have a small, celebratory laser tag outing with his close buds, but that is all.

 

However, there are family, old family friends, etc. whom we *should* inform, rite of passage and all that. I think??

 

How do we let them know, without inviting them to anything, without--especially--it coming across awkwardly. We certainly do not want to solicit anything. A note of congratulations would be nice, *if* the person desired to send them.

 

Thanks for your input!

[K&Rs Mom]

Could you get some announcements made, and maybe include a picture? We just received one for dh's cousin, who lives halfway across the country and I've never met, so it wasn't really an invitation, they don't expect us to do anything about it, just "announcing [her full name] is graduating with the class of 2008 from [whatever highschool in her state on this date]." They put her senior picture in with it, and the announcement has her school crest on the front, so if you have a homeschool logo of some kind maybe you could use that?

[j.griff]

That's what I'm thinking, just an announcement that DC is done with his schooling, maybe include his immediate plans for the future (is he working? going to college?). Just a "we are so proud of our son" announcement, LOL.

Like a birth announcement. Since there is no ceremony, then you just leave that out.

[In The Great White North]

This is a good question.

 

I will be in a similar situation in a couple of years, so I'm just throwing out ideas at this point...

 

I think that no matter what you say, recipients of this "announcement" will feel it is a request for a gift. The best you can do is put "No gifts" at the bottom but it will feel odd and will still result in gifts.

 

Maybe a change of address card, with his college address?

 

I'm thinking we'll have to have the "obligatory" family over for dinner whether ds wants to or not.

 

Come to think of it, I have had several relatives graduate from high school and college without sending me an announcement or invitation. How far up the family tree is it expected?

[TwinMominTX]

require a present. It is simply a way for people to let friends and family know of the accomplishment of the child. I would not feel obligated to do anything (other than to think "hmmmm...good for them"). If you want to send something else...a card, money, a gift that is up to you, but I just don't see that an announcement in itself is a request for a gift.

[Carol in Cal.]

It would say that he graduated on thus and such a date, and will be matriculating at ****** University, and after date _________ may be reached at *New Mailing Address and Phone Number*.

 

That way you have a plausible reason to be sending out the information that doesn't necessarily seem like you are trolling for presents.

[K-FL]

When our dd graduated, I got some cool card stock paper, made announcements & sent them our w/her picture. She did get gifts (mainly $), but we've done the same for the other graduates in the family. I just sent them to mine & dh's aunts/uncles & siblings. The grandparents got a framed picture (I think:001_unsure:)

[Philothea]

If you did not get a "senior" picture done, maybe consider ordering some copies of a favorite snapshot, and including it in a little homemade announcement. Like other people said, it would be sort of like a birth announcement.

 

I don't think "no gifts" would be necessary, as most people like to give graduation presents. There is no shame or problem with others willingly helping young people with gifts to get a little start in their adult life. It is likely that the same was done for them at their graduation.

[Gamom3]

at a very reasonable price.

We had 4 pictures put on the card...3--4months old, 8yrs old, and 18yrs old on the front and his prom picture put on the inside.