Graduation announcements - rant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Man you are harsh OP. I love getting them. If they have a Venmo I send cash. Why not celebrate them? I mean you received two.

We have received 4. Two were Shutterfly types and two were the old school clearly the school invite. Of course we aren't going and no Venmo on those. They are just celebrating their kids. Who doesn't love that?

I do, too, especially if they have a photo. We sent them to make our kids proud of themselves. That is all

[Anonymous]

We got them when we graduated from high school decades ago and my mom sent them to everyone. My mom was only able to finish the 8th grade, so us graduating from high school was a HUGE deal for her and she saw it as a major accomplishment as a mom. It would never have occurred to her that someone would think it was a request for a gift.

[Anonymous]

I used to see them as requests for gifts, but I will be so happy if my special needs son graduates that I am going to send an announcement to everyone I know, no gifts expected.

[Anonymous]

This makes me sad. I so want to send out a card celebrating my kid with an update on where she is going to everyone on my holiday card list. We do not want gifts at all - honestly hadn’t thought of that at all. But it sounds like people may look at it as a gift grab? I don’t like using social media to share about my kid so there are people who she knows that would be glad to know where she ended up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We got them when we graduated from high school decades ago and my mom sent them to everyone. My mom was only able to finish the 8th grade, so us graduating from high school was a HUGE deal for her and she saw it as a major accomplishment as a mom. It would never have occurred to her that someone would think it was a request for a gift.

Decades ago, there were no cell phones, texting or email access.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This makes me sad. I so want to send out a card celebrating my kid with an update on where she is going to everyone on my holiday card list. We do not want gifts at all - honestly hadn’t thought of that at all. But it sounds like people may look at it as a gift grab? I don’t like using social media to share about my kid so there are people who she knows that would be glad to know where she ended up.

Doesn’t everyone on the list know she’s graduating already? And those who don’t know where she’s going can find out with your annual Xmas card. Anyone you feel wants to know where she’s going asap…should be someone you’re close enough that you have already shared or can send a quick message.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Man you are harsh OP. I love getting them. If they have a Venmo I send cash. Why not celebrate them? I mean you received two.

We have received 4. Two were Shutterfly types and two were the old school clearly the school invite. Of course we aren't going and no Venmo on those. They are just celebrating their kids. Who doesn't love that?

I do, too, especially if they have a photo. We sent them to make our kids proud of themselves. That is all

Your kids are made to feel proud bc of the announcement or bc of the achievement?

[Anonymous]

Twist yourself into more knots, my goodness, OP! If you do not wish to send a gift, don’t. If you wish to just send a card expressing congratulations, do that. You are choosing to be mad about someone else’s happy occasion. Who does that, honestly? Recycle the offending announcement and move on with your day. Maybe try a hobby or some yoga to fill your day, as you are clearly miserable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This makes me sad. I so want to send out a card celebrating my kid with an update on where she is going to everyone on my holiday card list. We do not want gifts at all - honestly hadn’t thought of that at all. But it sounds like people may look at it as a gift grab? I don’t like using social media to share about my kid so there are people who she knows that would be glad to know where she ended up.

Doesn’t everyone on the list know she’s graduating already? And those who don’t know where she’s going can find out with your annual Xmas card. Anyone you feel wants to know where she’s going asap…should be someone you’re close enough that you have already shared or can send a quick message.

Not all of us use the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child as an opportunity to brag. Some of us send warm greetings of the season and well-wishes for a Happy New Year with no insertion of our “big news.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This makes me sad. I so want to send out a card celebrating my kid with an update on where she is going to everyone on my holiday card list. We do not want gifts at all - honestly hadn’t thought of that at all. But it sounds like people may look at it as a gift grab? I don’t like using social media to share about my kid so there are people who she knows that would be glad to know where she ended up.

Doesn’t everyone on the list know she’s graduating already? And those who don’t know where she’s going can find out with your annual Xmas card. Anyone you feel wants to know where she’s going asap…should be someone you’re close enough that you have already shared or can send a quick message.

Not all of us use the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child as an opportunity to brag. Some of us send warm greetings of the season and well-wishes for a Happy New Year with no insertion of our “big news.”

Who in your life who is important to you- doesn’t know you have a graduating senior?

Why are you bragging to others?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This makes me sad. I so want to send out a card celebrating my kid with an update on where she is going to everyone on my holiday card list. We do not want gifts at all - honestly hadn’t thought of that at all. But it sounds like people may look at it as a gift grab? I don’t like using social media to share about my kid so there are people who she knows that would be glad to know where she ended up.

Doesn’t everyone on the list know she’s graduating already? And those who don’t know where she’s going can find out with your annual Xmas card. Anyone you feel wants to know where she’s going asap…should be someone you’re close enough that you have already shared or can send a quick message.

Not all of us use the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child as an opportunity to brag. Some of us send warm greetings of the season and well-wishes for a Happy New Year with no insertion of our “big news.”

That's the only place I write anything about our family. No social media, no special announcements, just a couple sentence update on each kid on the back of our holiday card, which in this "look at me" phase of human history seems quite benign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I had no idea people announced high school graduations like this. Whatever do they do for college and PhD/MD/JD diplomas?

I fully expect my kid will get a PhD someday. That’s just how she’s wired.

But I still want to shout from the rooftops about her accomplishments. She has worked so hard and done so well. Why isn’t it ok to brag and cheer her on?

And I want to celebrate all her friends and cousins too. It’s a rite of passage and I think society in general should make a fuss of the kids. And it doesn’t matter even a little bit to me what the kid’s next step is. That is for them to figure out. But I sure want to be the proud aunt/community member whatever they choose to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I had no idea people announced high school graduations like this. Whatever do they do for college and PhD/MD/JD diplomas?

I fully expect my kid will get a PhD someday. That’s just how she’s wired.

But I still want to shout from the rooftops about her accomplishments. She has worked so hard and done so well. Why isn’t it ok to brag and cheer her on?

And I want to celebrate all her friends and cousins too. It’s a rite of passage and I think society in general should make a fuss of the kids. And it doesn’t matter even a little bit to me what the kid’s next step is. That is for them to figure out. But I sure want to be the proud aunt/community member whatever they choose to do.

You can’t celebrate your kid and be proud without a paper announcement telling everyone who already knows that she’s graduating and going to college - that she’s graduating and going to college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As I said, I'm just ranting, but I hate graduation announcements. So far this year we've received one from an extended family member whose kid I haven't seen she was 3ish and one from a former collegue of DH whose family we haven't seen in at least 15 years and were never close with. And both announcements were framed as invites to a party, multiple states away from where we live. I have a kid graduating this year and we're not sending them. They feel like such tacky money grabs.

The extended family one was one thing, at least we're related, but the old co-worker's kid....? We don't even exchange holiday cards with them.

So ignore. This is not hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
I had no idea people announced high school graduations like this. Whatever do they do for college and PhD/MD/JD diplomas?

I fully expect my kid will get a PhD someday. That’s just how she’s wired.

But I still want to shout from the rooftops about her accomplishments. She has worked so hard and done so well. Why isn’t it ok to brag and cheer her on?

And I want to celebrate all her friends and cousins too. It’s a rite of passage and I think society in general should make a fuss of the kids. And it doesn’t matter even a little bit to me what the kid’s next step is. That is for them to figure out. But I sure want to be the proud aunt/community member whatever they choose to do.

You can’t celebrate your kid and be proud without a paper announcement telling everyone who already knows that she’s graduating and going to college - that she’s graduating and going to college?

Is it that hard to understand that people have different ways of doing things? And yours is, a) not only not correct just b/c it is your opinion, but b) in the minority.
And, yes, it is typical to send a little something to the graduate. If you don't want to, then don't.