Graduation parties

[saraha]

Did you throw your kids graduation parties? If you did not, did you mark the occasion in some other way?  If you did, did you do something really neat or attend one that had something fun, unique, interesting?  I have a dc graduating in May and am starting to think about ways to mark the occasion.

Thanks!

[bettyandbob]

High school? College?

 

Not big really. Just marked the occasion in a simple manner.

 

We had a back yard BBQ for my two older sister high school graduations. Local relatives came.

 

Oldest will graduate college this year. We may do the same thing. My niece's had similar gatherings for high school and college.

[saraha]

High School, she is graduating early and going on to college to study music.  Her older brother will graduate next year.

[gardenmom5]

high school - no

college - nice restaurant dinner. very nice.  (we actually took both the girls - they were at the same college, both doing well.)

grad school -- she got a wedding reception five weeks earlier.

[Tap]

Ds didn't want a high school graduation party.  It would have been odd anyways, because he was in public school, but as a dual enrolled student.  

He didn't have  home school friends (from  the group we homeschooled with) anymore.

He didn't attend high school at all, so he didn't know anyone there (He also didn't walk at graduation).

The people he spent his time with were a few years out of highschool, so it was odd to invite them to something marking his high school graduation.

 

We decided to wait and throw him a college grad party instead.  

 

When he got his BA he still didn't want a traditional party. 3 of his best friends were home schooled but graduated in different years than he, so they understood his wanting something different.  I told him he could spend a couple of hundred dollars on what ever he wanted, but to make sure it included friends and was fun for him.  He planned a Magic the Gathering game night with a newly released sealed box party.  He and his friends spent an evening having a blast, eating, drinking (not alcohol) and just hanging out.  He was very, very happy with his decision to spend his party doing something he really enjoyed instead of hosting a traditional party format.

Edited January 4, 2017 by Tap

[J-rap]

Assuming you mean high school...

 

We were going to take a little weekend trip somewhere to celebrate, as a family.

 

However, we slowly began realizing that our small town does open houses (we're not from here originally).  I mean, it is BIG on open houses.  Everyone has them, and everyone goes to each other's.  None of us wanted to do that! including our son.  But in the end we got talked into it.  It almost seemed like we'd be shunning the community if we didn't have one!  

 

We made it as simple as possible.  We used the local espresso shop where our ds worked.  We had little desserts (not homemade) and offered espresso drinks.  Our ds had a lot of classmates/friends who were musical, so we had an open mic.  On the invite, we asked people to come prepared to sing or play an instrument if they were interested.

 

In the end it was fun.  It's still not something we would have chosen to do, but it was a little different and that made it more enjoyable I think.  We ended up doing the same thing for all our kids.

 

(When our kids were in high school, they did half homeschool/half public school.)

[Pawz4me]

No. We aren't party people (other than first birthdays we didn't do birthday parties either).

 

For DS21's high school graduation we took everybody out to lunch afterwards. He was only allowed a handful of guests (public school), so it wasn't a huge expense over a normal lunch out for the four of us. And we paid for him to go to the beach for a week with his friends. I don't know what we'll do for DS18. He'll graduate high school and earn a two year AS degree at the same time. DH is playing around with the idea of a boys trip to some sporting event. That would be fine with me, or we may just give him a monetary gift. He does like to see his bank account balance grow.

[mom31257]

Yes, we had a graduation reception and invited friends and family.

 

We had it in a local events building which had a very old church chapel that was really neat with wooden pews and stained glass. They provided tables with decor and chairs. I hired a church friend to help with food prep and putting it out and got a nice cake. I had a lot of pictures on display boards and in frames in the table/seating area. It was such a nice time, and I'm really glad we did it. 

 

I did a diploma and announcements/invitations through:   http://www.homeschooldiploma.com/

 

 

  

 

Edited January 4, 2017 by mom31257

[MysteryJen]

For ds1 we hosted a brunch at our house when he got back from his solo Europe trip. He graduated in March from hs and left for two months.

We hosted a graduation/goodbye party for dd1 at a local park. She left for school mid-June, so it fit in with all the other grad parties of her friends.

 

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[kewb]

We hosted a luncheon for ds when he graduated from high school. It was immediate family, a couple of close family friends, and the friends of his choosing.

We presented him with his diploma. The crayon one I had made with stickers on construction paper because his school friends used to joke that his diploma would be made of crayon and then the real one that dh made for him. TBH, I think he's still a little miffed that ds seems to like the crayon one the most. He put a lot of time into creating the nice one.

 

We will do the same for dd next year. Only I will add glitter to her diploma.

[Guest]

Ds1 did not want a party for graduation, so we did not, knowing the same set would be celebrating his Eagle Scout rank with us in the same time frame.

 

Ds2 did not want a party as he was leaving the day after grad for college, but family wanted to celebrate/sendoff, so we had a quick backyard bbq. The economy was very down,and most of his friends didn't have one nor did they attend his.

[The Girls' Mom]

No party here for my oldest.  Just a nice dinner out.  She didn't want to do anything at all.

 

My younger two may have some sort of friends gathering at some point.  They have a tight knit group of friends, and most of them are also graduating...so if it isn't at my house, I'm sure there will be one somewhere.  Their birthday is also around the same time, as is my oldest's (and mine!) graduation from CC.  We may just have a bonfire and celebrate it all at once.

Edited January 4, 2017 by The Girls' Mom

[HS Mom in NC]

For high school we did an open house for a late afternoon/evening for friends and relatives. There were decorations (streamers) and we had their senior photos in a nice photobook and their homeschool diplomas on display on the gift table.  There was a finger food buffet and a cake. They both graduated the same year because middle daughter graduated early.

[regentrude]

No party. We had a nice dinner in a  special restaurant and gave her a little gift. If we had not been traveling, we would have given her her diploma on that occasion.

[FaithManor]

Dd wanted a ceremony and a party so we did that. The middle ds's wanted a dinner, mini party with friends and family - about 35 people - so we did that for them. Youngest does not want much of anything, but family members and close personal friends have a strong expectation so I am securing the small banquet/event room at a restaurant known for good pizza, about 25 people for pizza, breadsticks, and salad bar. It will not cost more than the BBQ pulled pork event I did for 40 last summer for middle ds because I paid for the use of a church hall, table coverings, table service, etc. As long as I pay for the pizza and salad bar buffet for 20 or more at $10.95 each plus 18% gratuity, I do not pay a fee for the room. The room is really nice and there is a spot to display his diploma, enior photo, and some of his rocketry photos.