Two years ago, I dropped my little girl off at nursery school. There were no tears shed. She waved goodbye and walked off with a friend she made in line before the doors opened. This morning, I sat in the preschool's auditorium as my daughter took the stage, sang and danced with her classmates, and hugged her teachers goodbye. It was the kind of performance only a mother (OK, grandparents and relatives) could love, but then a slideshow of pictures set to music played and all of the sudden it hit home — my firstborn is well on her way in life. She has her own interests, opinions, and friends.
In the Fall, she'll start kindergarten, our son will begin preschool, and their sibling-to-be will enter the world. I never went to nursery school, so I didn't really understand the graduation hoopla until today. Who cares how small a child milestone may seem? They are all certainly worth celebrating. What's your opinion?
Skechers
Blumarine
Mothercare
to me this is like giving every kid on the team a trophy. the only graduation in my life was high school (and then college), and that made it kind of exciting. i find too much 'hurray' in the kids around me lives and i just dont get it. congratulate the kid for making it through another year, but a ceremony for making it through the 5th grade, kindergarten? nah.
btw i went back to dance after some years off and got my 15th year trophy and was so excited by the accomplishment that i have been waiting for for so many years. its nice to anticipate!
1I think it's important to celebrate education during all phases of life. Sure, nursery school isn't quite college- but it's critical to show your children that you are proud of their educational milestones each step of the way.
2I agree with Anonymous - celebrating nursery school graduation seems like a great way to show how much you respect the educational process. It shows your kids that education is important and (hopefully) encourages them to reach the next one. I'm all for it!
3I'm all for it...especially since my daughter is graduating tomorrow! yay for her!
I agree with PRSugar..
It really makes the kids excited that they finished their school year and did such a great job!
4I didn't have any preschool graduations when I was in preschool, and I haven't really suffered for it. Heck, I don't even remember anything before Kindergarten. So, while it might be important for some kids, it certainly wasn't for me.
5i'm all for them for many reasons. first of all, why not have a happy, carefree moment to acknowledge a milestone in your child's life? and second; how cute are those cap and gown pix! none of my 3 girls had a ceremony like this, but i wish they had.
6I think they are absolutely ridiculous.
Reward kids for REAL accomplishments -- high school and college. I mean come on, do kids ever NOT graduate preschool?
Not everyone is special all the time....
7"I mean come on, do kids ever NOT graduate preschool?"
Yep, kids get kicked out of preschool sometimes (or "asked to leave") and many kids never go in the first place. Either way, I don't think that preschools having graduations devalues high school or college graduations.
8I never had a graduation until high school. Honestly I don't think kids should be rewarded for every little thing they do. That's why a lot of kids have a sense of entitlement nowadays.
9yeah, sadly my oldest will never graduate from anywhere (severe autism). so i really would have liked a little ceremony for one of the other 2 girls. and my daughter, she's "special" all the time". sometimes a mom need a moment to enjoy.
10"Honestly I don't think kids should be rewarded for every little thing they do."
I see graduations as more of a celebration than a reward. There is a big difference in my mind.
11I'm all for a little performance but I'm not at all a fan of the big ceremonies with diplomas and gowns and a gym full of balloons and flowers. It's become a competition to see who can celebrate it bigger rather than a recognition of the accomplishment.
12i didn thav a preskool graduation and my first 1 was a 5th grade graduation. it was awful and embarrassing bcuz we had 2 say wat we wantd 2 b when we grw up in front of all da kidz and parentz of 5th graders and teachrs (like 350 ppl) and i said i watnd 2 b a spy and evry1 laughed at me
13Celebrating education in all phases is important, and that can be done without all the pomp and circumstance of a Graduation ceremony for preschoolers and kindergarteners, 5th graders, etc.
14i'm definitely for the pre-school graduation thing,it sounds fun for the kids and the parents and family...
15I'm all for celebrating milestones in kids lives. I had a graduation for every school I finished, elementary, middle, high school and college and I loved it.
16I think preschool graduations are great! I don't think big parties or anything are necessary (at least not on the level most people do for high school graduation). But, I think a ceremony and maybe dinner at the kid's favorite restaurant with the family are great ways to celebrate. And I agree with whomever said there's a difference between a celebration and a reward.
17Really, it's just a fun time for the kids - assuming it isn't overdone, kids can be entertained by very little things, keep it about the kids not the parents other than the parents showing up to show support. High school graduation - was it really that big a deal either? I thought it was a no-brainer that I'd finish it too, but of course there was a ceremony. It's a way to have a last little celebration with that group of kids/fellow students, to show things are going to be different next year, be it preschool, grade 5 (or 8 in my case), or high school.
18I agree with celebrating every milestone, and that's completley different then a reward. If we go nutty over their first steps, why wouldn't we be ecstatic over their first educational triumph? The first year of school, kindergarten or preschool, is extremely important. It marks the first really big step in independence, emotions and interactions in social situations, education, and the beggining of a really important stage in their lives. I cant imagine not finding that exciting and important. When I was growing up, we celebrated all of our graduations with simple fun things, a night out at the movies of that childs choice or dinner, or renting movies and candy.. simple, but fun and rewarding.
19Children need to grow up knowing that not everything they do deserves celebration, a reward or a party. Too many children are beginning to expect a party or a reward when the accomplishment itself should suffice.
If your child is asked to leave or gets kicked out of pre-school, I think you have bigger issues in the future.
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