Congratulations!

My DS is graduating from high school in a week. I definitely feel sad even as I feel proud. End of childhood, end of him being home in his bed every night, end of knowing who his friends are and seeing them as a group, all that stuff. And he is an extremely good kid, very pleasant to have around, so I will miss him terribly when he leaves for college. But when I think ahead to college graduation (was just talking to a friend about this because her DD just graduated from college) I expect that I, like you, will feel proud of his accomplishments and not sad -- of course I am also assuming that after college he's going to come home, LOL, which may not be true at all!

I think the next time we will be emotional will be at their weddings:)

I agree - when our 3 graduated from college we felt elated. They were on their way at last.

Although when DS graduated we were wearing winter coats, holding an umbrella to ward off the snow and rain, and were sitting in trash bags to stay dry. DH had brought a thermos of hot chocolate and some donuts to help ward off the chill.

Ah - memories of the University of Vermont in May!!

Never had a high school graduation ceremony, and my college graduation was a singularly depressing experience because I didn't know anyone in the audience and therefore nobody cheered for me.

Graduation ceremonies are a double-edged sword - a good way to make some people feel really, really crappy when they should be feeling proud of their achievements.

Slimy_Okra, it's always easy to forget, in the midst of joyous celebrations, that there are people not feeling so joyous... I think this is true at the holidays particularly. I'm sorry you had that experience. I hope you have more people regularly cheering for you these days....

Slimy-yes you should feel proud of what you achieved. To be able to share this achievement with loved ones is certainly a blessing.

I don't think graduations are ever meant to make people feel crappy.

I do see where you are coming from though. Not the same, but a similar scenario. At my kid's HS that have a special awards ceremony. Kids are nominated but there are also things that they can apply for. My daughter did not want to go because a friend told her that if she was getting an award she would know. The school encouraged all the kids to go by sending out a letter to that effect. So we sat there and watched while some kids even got multiple awards and my daughter nothing. I think if I had a do- over, I would have let her stay home.
One does wonder what they were thinking? Maybe they needed more of an audience?

I have recently experienced my oldest's college graduation and have my youngest's HS graduation in a week. It is very difficult for me to understand the hoopla around HS graduations. It is so not an accomplishment!! It is barely a minimum expectation. The fact that we have graduation rates less than 99% in most Cities is a travesty. I would imagine college graduation, when your child is going off to a great job, feels much differently than when they will struggle to find a job, pay off loans. Both events are full of unknowns, hopes and dreams. As parents all we get to do is cheer from the sidelines. Feel blessed you have this opportunity.

I felt the same way you did with my son's high school and college graduations. High school graduation was more of a milestone event than an achievement, and the bittersweet end of my PTA and team mom days. College graduation was more of an achievement and a more exciting, joyful time.

I, too, was a GED teacher, and the GED graduations were wonderful times for me. I cried at each one and my heart swelled with pride so much I felt like I would burst. I love my own kids so much and I am so proud of them, but they haven't struggled nearly as much in high school or in college as some of my GED kids struggled to pass their GED exams. I love GED graduations.

Congratulations, bestyears, on your son's college graduation! Best of luck to him as he starts on this new stage of life.

Slimy_Okra, I'm so sorry you had that experience. I hope things are going better for you now.

daisy -we just had our first student pass the new GED2014 test, which is much, much more difficult than the previous test. And he passed each section with honors no less! The class brought in a mortar board for him and made him a poster. I don't know when I've EVER felt more proud, including my own kids' achievements. There are so many complicated reasons that kids don't graduate from hs, and many people know nothing about them. In his case, he had such severe anxiety in hs that he finally just dropped out in his junior year, as he was often unable to even make it to school or through the day. He did nothing for a year, and of course his mom was just desperate. He came to us in January, with so little confidence he could barely be heard when he spoke, and wouldn't look anyone in the eye. We treated him with respect and gentleness, and nudged him along, and he blossomed. Not only did he pass all sections the first time with honors (which will allow him to attend college), but as his mom says, "He is a completely different person." He looks people in the eye, is funny and charming, and the entire class loves him. He came back to the class just to host a Q&A session about the test since he was our first 2014 student. I'll remember him forever. Ironically, he actually got his GED 2 weeks before his high school class graduated!

bestyears, I haven't checked in to the forum for a while, but I just thought I'd see what was happening round these parts...completely lucked into reading this thread and so deeply enjoyed your story about your first 2014 GED graduate...I used to teach ABE/literacy and I know exactly what kind of transformation you're talking about. Makes me tear up every time, too.

(more specifically: good onya for helping someone pass this new test...it is a qualitative leap in difficulty, IMO)

So once again, I'm fortuitously reminded why I love(d) this forum.

Graduation from high school or college doesn't define you, it is a stepping stone.Unfortunately, "not" graduating can define you As a parent of a soon to be college graduate (Sunday), I have the feeling of accomplishment--emotionally and most certainly, financially. Please feel free to pat yourselves on the back parents. I get to do this all again next year when child # 2 graduates!

OT-Welcome back flyleft!

Thanks, ellendi! : )

Our kids wanted no part of hs graduation recognition (i.e. parties, gifts. We did, of course, attend their ceremonies). They both said it was an expectation rather than an achievement; "It's what we're SUPPOSED to do". We did not gift either child at h.s. graduation. Sending them to the colleges of their choice was gift enough.

College was not a lot different. It was expected and they came out debt-free unlike many others. We, as a family, were in complete agreement on this subject, and they still express their gratitude for the opportunity to this day.