AnneBlessedx4 Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 We love parties, get togethers, etc. We had a good size party (with a ceremony before) for our oldest, and now our next is graduating. We are going to have another big one. We have only been to one home school graduation that has been close to ours. Most seem to have a small family celebration or none. Please tell me we are not the only ones! I am starting to feel kind of weird about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retiredHSmom Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 We celebrated my daughter's high school graduation and 18th birthday at the same party and had over 100 guests for hamburgers and hot dogs at a picnic pavilion at a local park. It was a lot of fun. Next year my middle graduates from college, she never graduated from high school so hers will be an especially big and happy party. The year after her older sister graduates from college and the the next year our youngest graduates from high school. We are having parties all three times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolatechip Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 When I graduated from homeschooled high school my parents threw me a party. It was an open house. We provided food. There were over 75 people over the course of the thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 We will have The Biggest Party when dd, our youngest, graduates in three years :party: (We're having a Pretty Darn Big Party in early June to celebrate oldest's college graduation :D) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momto10blessings Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 We'll definitely have huge parties to celebrate such a huge accomplishment! I'm tearing up just thinking about it. Just 2 more years~ it goes so fast! I can remember exactly the way I felt the second I laid eyes on my oldest son and now he's almost graduating. How?!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lynn Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 We let the graduate choose party or money plus graduation gift. So far both boys chose the money but we did bring graduate to a nice family lunch at outback. I was more than happy to give them the money. Party planning is not my thing. If you love big parties go for it and enjoy the memories. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 My daughter wants to have a Phantom of the Opera themed graduation party. ;) She is big on parties. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WagsWife Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 We had an open house/party for our oldest DD last year. We had it the day after her graduation ceremony (our HS group has one each year). We made it a big deal--mashed potato bar, candy bar, decorations. I would say over a 100 people stopped by over the course of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 I think we will likely throw a big shebang for my twins when they graduate. They like that sort of thing. My oldest simply wanted a nice dinner with family, so that is what she's getting. I gave her the option of a party and she declined. ETA: The twins' party may be as much for ME celebrating that this is finally finished!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 ETA: The twins' party may be as much for ME celebrating that this is finally finished!! Absolutely :D I am even <gasp> considering catering for The Big Party! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted April 22, 2015 Share Posted April 22, 2015 My oldest wanted a party in the youth center of his church and that is exactly what we are doing. We have almost no family, and not tons of friends either, but we told him he can invite anyone he wants. I expect there will be a good showing from his medium sized church. He has been a member there since before he turned 2 and many people feel like he is family. We're just planning cake and drinks, no real food (although anything he wants) and the place is free, so we aren't spending much money, just celebrating. On the flip side dd has already told us no party when she graduates. She didn't even let me give her a sweet 16 party. I'm kinda used to it. Oddly, she is my social child, but on her terms, not mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 We had parties for both of our kids. In both cases, we ended up having their graduation parties later in the summer, which turned them into combination graduation/going away events. My daughter chose to have a "formal" event in the social hall of the church in which she grew up. We encouraged everyone to wear dressy outfits. My husband made a balloon arch, and we took photos of our daughter with every guest. She invited friends from all of her theatre and music activities, as well as adults who had been special to her. We decorated in her favorite colors, served her favorite food, put up displays of photos and memorabilia from her homeschooling journey, etc. We played songs from her favorite Broadway soundtracks, and she and her friends danced and sang. We had a brief, highly informal "ceremony" during which we awarded her diploma. Instead of a speech, she sang a song from her then-favorite musical. When he graduated last summer, my son opted for a much more casual affair. We had his party at his dance studio (his second home) and set up tables with an assortment of board games. We put out lots of food and played music and generally let a bunch of teens hang out for a day. They did some line dancing, showed off their tap moves, spent some time in the music room taking turns playing the piano while the others invented harmonies, played games, talked and ate. My son flatly refused to wear a cap and/or gown and had no interest in even the briefest of official "graduation ceremonies." So, I made him wear a t-shirt with a mortar board on it, and we set up a little display with his diploma and a yearbook-style photo book of his high school years for people to sign. His guests were mostly teens, plus some of the parents who chose to hang out with us, and the children of the owners of the dance studio, who consider my son their big brother. We don't know a lot of other kids close to his age who are graduating as homeschoolers. Pretty much all of his close friends have homeschooled for at least a few years, but most of them went to brick and mortar high schools. He did attend a really nice dance last year held by a group of homeschooling families who all had kids in his choir. They rented the hall at the cathedral that hosts the choir and put on a lovely formal evening of English country dancing. Everyone dressed up, and the adults taught the dances, They took beautiful photos of all of the kids. (I will admit to a little bit of envy, since neither of mine would let me put on a similar event.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 ETA: The twins' party may be as much for ME celebrating that this is finally finished!! I tried to convince my son that I deserved a "retirement" party, since he's my last graduate, but he wasn't interested in sharing his celebration. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 We love parties, get togethers, etc. We had a good size party (with a ceremony before) for our oldest, and now our next is graduating. We are going to have another big one. We have only been to one home school graduation that has been close to ours. Most seem to have a small family celebration or none. Please tell me we are not the only ones! I am starting to feel kind of weird about it! Lots of people have a party for any graduation. I attended one for an eighth-grade homeschool graduation. So I am certain you are not alone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 I tried to convince my son that I deserved a "retirement" party, since he's my last graduate, but he wasn't interested in sharing his celebration. Have your own celebration! Invite other homeschool parents over to celebrate you being done! Make it an adult event and don't invite the kids. My youngest just turned 12 so I have some time yet, but I fully intend on hosting my own "To Hell with the Bell" event when my kids are done. It will consist of brunch at a restaurant, pedi-mani at the local boutique, then either a play or movie that night. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Florida Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Have your own celebration! Invite other homeschool parents over to celebrate you being done! Make it an adult event and don't invite the kids. My youngest just turned 12 so I have some time yet, but I fully intend on hosting my own "To Hell with the Bell" event when my kids are done. It will consist of brunch at a restaurant, pedi-mani at the local boutique, then either a play or movie that night. Well, the ship has kind of sailed for me at this point. My youngest graduated last summer and is finishing up his first year of college now. And I'm already moving into the next phase of my "career." I don't really have any homeschooled parent friends, either. We homeschooled independently and in a pretty quirky way and never really fit into the homeschool community here. I have gotten into the habit of meeting a friend for coffee or lunch every couple of months, though. So, I guess that counts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J'swife Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 My daughter doesn't graduate for another year, but I am already starting to think about her party. We are working on helping with a prom this weekend and one of the things that we've done that I plan to copy is make a banner like this:http://www.craftdayisthebestday.com/2013/03/diy-book-page-banner-decorations.html?m=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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