Daughter's graduation will take 3 hours tonight. WWYD?

[Granny_Weatherwax]

When it finally was over, my son and nephew both immediately leaped to their feet, spontaneously grabbed each other and hugged while jumping up and down and yelling, "It's over! We made it!". :lol::lol: I don't think I will ever remember the sheer joy of that moment for them without laughing.

 

 

Lisa

:lol::lol:

[RanchGirl]

I've read a few more of the posts and so I'll add this to what I said in the beginning. It's not that the kids can't sit through this, but I just don't see anything wrong with letting kids bring something quiet to do. I don't think it's rude at all if the child is being quiet and not disturbing others. A 3 hour graduation at night is a long time to sit and listen quietly. And if you're okay with letting kids bring a book or paper and pencil, then why is an electronic game on mute any different?

Just do what will work for your family. If it's really important that the kids sit and listen the entire time, then make them to do. If you don't mind them having a quiet distraction, let them do that instead.

 

:iagree: It's not a moral issue by any means, it's not good/bad parenting, and it's just not rude for a child to be using an electronic game on mute during a 3 hour event. I've never heard keys tapping when my kids play games on my phone or with their friends' ds games, so I don't really consider that an issue. I assume the audience is going to be about 3500 people (~10 per graduate). No one is going to be paying attention to a child sitting quietly with an activity, nor could it possibly be a distraction for the speaker with an audience that size!

 

OP you're probably there right now, I hope it's going well!!

[RobinF]

I don't know your kids, but my 11 year old can (and has) sat through 3 hours of boredom with a book and an electronic (on mute) game in hand.

 

If they expect their sister to attend their big moments they should go.

 

We have sat through a long graduation with even younger children given some electronics, snacks (if appropriate) and some books.

[LibraryLover]

I went to 4 hour graduation last week for a relative. It rained, it stopped raining, it poured, it stopped, there was a lightening storn on it's way.... yadda yadda yadda. It was a freaking eternity.

 

It meant the world to him that we were there. (BA)

 

I can't imagine not taking the whole gang, dressed to the nines (you don't even know how much I hate people wearing jeans and baseball caps to graduations), to support their loved one.

 

I would say get seats, claim them, and then move as you need to, and bring a picnic lunch.

 

But to not attend? No. Way.

[praisefor3]

So maybe the kids ARE old enough to sit quietly without something to do and maybe they COULD survive without a game or book but...WHY? This is a graduation with a whole lot of people that will all be stirring. What's the purpose in making them just sit there? I don't get it. Electronic games, books, notebook, etc. even snacks are all perfectly acceptable in this environment.

 

I would definitely take the kids...family memories are made at these events of just being together. But let them have a good (or at least tolerable) time. And thanks for the heads up. DD20 will be graduating next week from community college. She is required to attend the graduation so I will be calling to find out how long we have to sit and be tortured...uh...I mean...blessed with the ceremony.

[ZooRho]

We took a 2 yo and 7 yo to a college graduation. And they were just dear friends. AND then to top it off it was an outside graduation and the bottom dropped out about 40 min before the start so a group of us wandered around getting soaking wet looking for the building to watch the graduation on tv. They both survived and we didn't have any electronic gadgets, can't remember what we did for them. They also attended a wedding for the same family around that time and went to the reception.

[hsmom27]

Well, I only read about the 1st page of replies, but I'd definitely plan on walking some and bringing stuff to do. I'm going to my oldest graduation tom'w morning for 3 hrs. We're taking (2) 8yo's (one has severe autism), a 5yo, 3yo, and (2) 12 mo. I'm taking everything but the kitchen sink. Fortunately it's outside so noise won't carry as far.

 

We spent 2 hrs at an awards ceremony tonight and I didn't take anything but light snacks for the babies. We held up fine, but the 3yo had some "I'm thinking about having a meltdown" moments. Tom'w I'll be fully provisioned with stuff to do and snacks and drinks. 3 hrs is a LOOOOOOOng time.

 

Good Luck!

[abbeyej]

You, and others, are right. I didn't think to bring up Katya's history, but that definitely plays into how we handle it. Not to mention that she had a positive strep test a couple of days ago and is on antibiotics. Perhaps the most loving thing would have been to give her the "sick card" and get a sitter for her and take the others, but I just didn't think about it until I discovered today that it will be three hours long. And, we are a family that sits in church together, goes to each others' events, etc. So ... we'll make the best of it and emphasize how significant this is and how special it is that we can all be there for Grace.

 

It's 9:28 now... I hope at this moment you're breathing a sigh of relief because it all went more smoothly than you ever would have expected. ... I hope. (And so sorry she's got strep. My 9yo girl does too. Yuck!)

[kalanamak]

 

What do you think?

 

:svengo:No wonder I've never participated in a graduation, as guest or graduate. :grouphug:

 

(Congrats to your daughter BTW!)

[LibraryLover]

We brought the 5 year old in my sig to another nephew's endless (due to bad weather) graduation ceremony. We walked the little guy around, sang songs, recited little nursey rhymes together, played tic tac toe, tossed a little ball, blew bubbles, went to several bathooms on campus ;) , bought crap from a vending machine etc. He was thrilled to be there and to be a part of it. The pictures of him with the graduate are precious. It was an awesome afternoon. Going doesn't mean sitting and twiddling one's thumbs. ;) We all had a wonderful time together! We had to think outside the box and it was all GOOD.

 

Support your people. You will never regret it.

Edited May 15, 2011 by LibraryLover

[LibraryLover]

:grouphug: No!!! You're being realistic. People seem to be missing that she's been with you for only 1.5 years. It sounds like you're doing awesome!!! Kids are individuals and a good mom knows her kids and does what she needs to do to help them. I hope it's a wonderful graduation. :)

 

But she doesn't have to sit for 3 hours. Nobody does. People pee, get water, stretch their legs etc. Sit in an area where moving is ok, maybe to the side, or at the end of an isle. Lots of good and decent people move during programming which lasts 3 hours.

 

However, if she cannot, she cannot, but the others can go. Let your little hang out with a friend. Pick her up later to celebrate.

Edited May 14, 2011 by LibraryLover

[Cindy in C-ville]

 

A funny:

Last year, my daughter's ballet recital was 2 hours long. My sister came with my niece and nephews and my son was there as well. My son was 10 and my oldest nephew was 8. All the kids were very good throughout the entire performance. Surprisingly well behaved considering both my niece and nephew have ADHD and my son hates to sit through performance of any kind (but especially ballet) AND this was on a Sunday night.

 

When it finally was over, my son and nephew both immediately leaped to their feet, spontaneously grabbed each other and hugged while jumping up and down and yelling, "It's over! We made it!". :lol::lol: I don't think I will ever remember the sheer joy of that moment for them without laughing.

 

And that was only a 2 hour performance.

 

Lisa

 

LOVE this! :) :) :)