And while I scoffed at all the jubilee and fan fair planned around kindergarten and 6th grade graduation,
looking back--- yes it is a bit over the top..... okay very over the top.... but why not celebrate the small accomplishments in life?
Big accomplishments are a reward in themselves.. but aren't they really a compilation of smaller steps and accomplishments?
Shouldn't we pat ourselves on the back for the small mile stones we reach and reflect on where we were... where we are... and gather strength and encouragement to continue to our ultimate goals? 
We prepared our children not to expect a neck full of leis and lavish gifts from us.
I'm still headed in the same direction but instead of arriving at my destination haggard and out of breath... I'll have a flower in my hair and friends, family and memories I've collected along the way.
7 comments:
my youngest reminded me yesterday that nobody got her a single graduation gift... from preschool. I think she's trying to guilt me into that Rapunzel Barbie she wants...
but yes, we should celebrate the small things - pomp and circumstance all around... but no more gifts!
I agree with celebrating the small steps. But, I sometimes think that having a graduation ceremony for second grade sometimes diminishes the really, really hard things, like making it through high school.
I don't think a lot of kids have a hard time finishing second and third grade, but 11th? 12th? Then talk to me.
Ya know- you wouldn't think.. but I've got two friends.. whose kids repeated third grade last year...so for some... it is an accomplishment..
Before I felt the very same way Kristina... but I am having a change of heart... and I agree.. no more GIFTS .. .but maybe a special dinner in their honor or something... to recognize their advancement... I dunno..
Well written Laura....I just loooove a girl with a changed heart...ahah. I agree with you though, we don't need to give our kids gifts for every accomplishments they made but we do need to recognize it somehow..a special dinner and of course, I love the idea about giving them a lei. It's a mark of some form of recognition.
I can see you're totally swamped this summer but I'm glad that you're finding ways to make that hectic life memorable and enjoyable.
Oh yeah, thanks for stopping by my blog today and the comment. As for your request...yes, I would love to help with the school blog. I will try to dazzle anyone who reads that blog as best I know how..lol..but yeah, I'll do it.
Since I didn't go to my own HS graduation because my parents informed me they wouldn't be there, I had no idea what to expect at my own son's.
What I saw at his were leis that sometimes went up to the ears! At first I thought this was over the top. But after my second son graduated I am now loving the leis! I love the dinner afterward to celebrate. It gives them a sense of accomplishment and puts the spotlight on them for a day. Like you said, we are so busy running around that we need to enjoy the little things!
You are getting very nostalgia in your old age. Yeah, Adam didn't even want to go to his HS graduation, but I insisted he go. He kept saying to me that HS grad is not a big deal, but I told him to most of those kids it is and that's all they are going to have. He ended up having a ton of fun and he also got a ton of leis from all his friends and their parents. Even though he didn't have any real aunties or grandparents here, he had lots of friends.
When are we going to the beach. How about this afternoon?
We don't really have anything like that over here, but it looks like fun! I think the idea of showering a kid with material goods is a bit OTT but there's certainly no harm in letting them know you're proud of them.
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