How To Survive High School Graduation

Last week my 18-year-old twins returned from their first year of college. Amazing that only a year ago we were going crazy planning for the prom, high school graduation, and end-of-school parties. In between, we had to fit in college orientation and the kids had to cram for finals. I’d wake up in the middle of the night thinking “…and when is the second college deposit payment due?”

How did we do it all? For parents and students, here are a few tips for Surviving High School Graduation. (Many of these hints apply to fifth grade and eighth grade graduations as well.)

1. Create A Family Calendar:  This is an absolute requirement for noting and merging all the essential dates: photo schedules, shopping plans, dress/tuxedo and cap’n’gown fittings, floral choices, haircuts and arrangements for visiting family members.
2. Work Up A Budget:  Yes, write down whatever you think it will cost. And you might as well double it to cover all the above activities, which include buying the yearbook, purchasing gifts for teachers and the graduate.
3. Send Out High School Graduation Announcements: Your child’s graduation is a special historic occasion: an announcement memorializes this special event and creates a physical memento or souvenir that lets friends and family share in the joy. Announcements are cheap using easy-to-use design templates and printing at Costco, Target or other photo print services on the Internet.
4. Host A Family And Friends Party For Your Graduate: In our family, the student and parent ideas varied tremendously! We hosted a party just for our kids’ friends and a separate dinner for relatives at a favorite inexpensive restaurant.

Remember, graduation is a precious life cycle event for everyone. For our kids, graduation means—among many things—“freedom” and marks the end of  “required schooling.” For parents, completing high school is a rite of passage filled with emotion, new plans and more transitions. 

Most importantly, enjoy the graduation season. Time passes quickly. The end of summer brings the start of college, moving away from home, or seeking a job or traveling. As my grandma always said, “take your time and remember to smell the roses.”

Congratulations to all of our Culver City graduates!

Please send The Patch your comments and hints for “Surviving Graduation.”