6 Ways to Make Celebrating Graduation Special
It’s a big milestone for a child to get to the end of secondary / high school and graduate, but it feels even bigger for a parent to watch it happen. When you’re in a position to watch your children graduate, it’s more than just a final exam, the end of second level education, or a school ceremony. It means that you have successfully raised your child through their primary and secondary years, to the bit that will now matter the very most to them: the start of their adult life, and the rest of their life!
By celebrating graduation, you have the opportunity to:
- show your child how proud you are.
- make them feel even more special during such an important transition.
- celebrate their decision on whether they plan on taking an academic or vocational route for their next step in life.
When your child graduates from second level education, your family and friends and your child’s friends will want to make it a big celebration, from personalised champagne bottles (if your child is over 18 years old), to the gift of a car, if you’re feeling flush. Your teenager is going to be nervous about finishing secondary/high school but they’re going to be even more nervous if they feel alone in it. Graduation is a core memory, and you have the chance to make it so your child is happy to reminisce about it for the rest of their adult years.
Side note: Even if your child’s school doesn’t have a traditional graduation ceremony, you can still emphasis the importance of graduating by celebrating graduation – making it a special occasion and a milestone
Here are some of the things that you can do when your child is graduating.
Celebrating Graduation – 6 Ways to Make it Special
Celebrating Graduation by …
Planning a Family Dinner
Getting the family together for a meal is an exciting thing to do when your teenager is graduating. You can keep with tradition by visiting a favourite restaurant. Or host it at home with a pot luck, or a family style buffet. What matters most is making sure that you invite family members and close friends your TEENAGER will want to spend time with rather than just who you’d like to see there.
Remember: You want to make sure that you are gathering the right people around the table who will raise your graduate up and express how proud of them they are.
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Hosting a Grad Breakfast
Surprising your seniors with a ‘Grad Breakfast‘, a breakfast of all of their favourite things, is a wonderful way to help celebrate the end of secondary school. Dress up the kitchen with signage and decor. This is their day and they should be the focus. It’s a huge achievement to get to graduation and a breakfast is a wonderful way to begin it. You can even invite close family and friends to help celebrate.
Celebrating Graduation by …
Buying a Bouquet of Balloons
Balloon displays are a great way to show off your graduate! It’s simple, but it’s a gesture that’s appreciated by your graduate, just make sure that you order ahead. Ordering ahead of time will ensure that you can get everything set up without them knowing until they come down for a graduation day breakfast!
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Jazzing up their Car
Does your graduate drive themselves to school? If so, jazz up their car with balloons, streamers, and even cans out the back – so that driving to their graduation becomes an event with their friends and not just with you in the back! You can let the entire neighbourhood see that they are in an exciting transition in their life and show off a little.
Celebrating Graduation by …
Ordering a Memory T-shirt or Quilt
Ordering a t-shirt or quilt packed with memories of their years in school will give them something to cherish and it shows you have been paying attention over the years. If you aren’t someone who quilts, you can easily order personalised quilts and cushions online. Or consider having a t-shirt printed with some standout photos that have been taken over the years – the funnier the better!
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Take a Break with Them
Booking a little vacation is a great way to show your graduate that you are all about them on this day. Marking the occasion of their graduation with a weekend away is a great way to unwind after all of their hard work, especially after sitting exams. Can’t afford a vacation? Why not spend a weekend at the beach and book a hotel room for just one night? Whatever your teenager likes to do to blow off steam, gift it for their graduation.
Graduation is going to be an emotional celebration for both them and you. You’re going to feel like they’ve completed a race well run but they’ll feel like they’re just beginning – and they are (next step – college, university or an apprenticeship).
Graduation from secondary/ high school is something that should be celebrated properly and that starts with you. When the big day arrives, make sure that your graduate feels like they are the centre of your attention. Show them that you are proud of their accomplishments and let them know that everything they have done is making you proud. This is a huge deal – make sure that they know you know it!
Photo by Logan Moreno Gutierrez
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