Do you decorate the car for the last day of school pickup?

[Anonymous]

please don't make this a thing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me guess, small private school?

Title 1 public school, west coast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why people feel the need to be so public with things. Why not hang some balloons up at home or coordinate with the families of your kids' friends to do something special that afternoon or evening? I usually have a few summer themed gifts for kids at home and then we go out to dinner, sometimes just our family and sometimes with one or two other families. So we definitely mark the occasion.

But decorating your car or doing something super public just seems like you are making it about you. Like it's less about your kids seeing the car and thinking it's fun and more about everyone else seeing it and thinking you're fun or that your family is fun. It's what my sister would call being "extra", akin to wearing a tiara and a sash that says "Birthday Girl" for your birthday dinner even though you are 35.

+1

Plus it creates this arms race, because then more and more parents do it and soon you’re the outlier if you don’t and you don’t want your kid to feel left out so you do it but it’s not out of joy it’s out of obligation and it’s just extra year-end stress.

Don’t do “special” things that put blatant pressure on other parents. Decorate your front door if you want to do something fun. And if that doesn’t sound like as much fun as the car, as yourself if maybe this isn’t for your kid as much as it is for how the other parents see you.

+100

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Absolutely. We do something like this ever year. It feels like a big parade on the way home, it's so much fun!!!!!!

Schools near me do "clap outs" and little parades like this for kids finishing elementary school at publics (or 8th grade at private K-8ths). It's fun and the kids like it, don't see the harm.

[Anonymous]

Just when I thought I’ve seen and heard it all!

[Anonymous]

I’d sing this ditty I picked up from my grandfather when I was little:

“School’s out, school’s out!
Teacher let the mules out”

We didn’t have a set routine, but might choose from a number of small celebrations like:
going out for ice cream
go to a playground
go to a library and sign up for the summer reading program
get a donut
order pizza or make tacos for supper
go out for ice cream after dinner
go out for dinner.

I wouldn’t have ever decorated the car. Not only does it seem like pointless hassle, the pictures above seem like a significant driving hazard that would impact visibility. I think for the same amount of time I could do something my kids would enjoy more (play a game, make a treat, go someplace fun, watch a show together, read together, etc.)

[Anonymous]

Social media causes this crap. Here's what I think happens.

People who are obsessed with the validation they get from social media notice that certain posts tend to get more traction. Specifically, big milestones tend to get the most likes and comments -- engagements/weddings, new babies, graduations, etc.

People notice this and get addicted to the positive reinforcement they get when they post these things. They want more. So the invent more "milestones". The new parents don't just post about the new baby, they do monthly posts with updates. The newlyweds do anniversary posts every single year, an excuse to post those high quality wedding photos ago and get the likes. Suddenly "graduation" isn't just for HS and college, it's MS graduation and elementary school graduation and daycare graduation. But that's not enough either, because what about between graduation ceremonies? Well that's when you create traditions like this, so you have more to post about.

Elf on the shelf is a way to produce more social media posts around Christmas. Vacations are an excuse to post. Throw party, post a pic. Keep those likes coming.

Anyway, if you are wondering why some of us don't like or excitedly praise your "End of School Year Car Decor and Celebration" post, this is why. You need to detox.

[Anonymous]

No. It’s tacky.

[Anonymous]

I remember drawing on my car when I was a senior in HS. It had the year I graduated and a pic of our school mascot.

For my kids I made a small poster saying happy last day of school which is taped to our front door and like what one poster take them out for ice cream or a new book or comic book!

[Anonymous]

People bring bubbles and music to our last day pick up usually. Might be cute. Don’t worry what other people think worry about if it would be fun and a nice memory for your kid.

[Anonymous]

It’s attention seeking Karen’s. Always white women

[Anonymous]

Op here, my kids got a kick out of it. We ended up going to a community pool afterward so they could go down a new waterslide. Was a good start to a fun afternoon!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why people feel the need to be so public with things. Why not hang some balloons up at home or coordinate with the families of your kids' friends to do something special that afternoon or evening? I usually have a few summer themed gifts for kids at home and then we go out to dinner, sometimes just our family and sometimes with one or two other families. So we definitely mark the occasion.

But decorating your car or doing something super public just seems like you are making it about you. Like it's less about your kids seeing the car and thinking it's fun and more about everyone else seeing it and thinking you're fun or that your family is fun. It's what my sister would call being "extra", akin to wearing a tiara and a sash that says "Birthday Girl" for your birthday dinner even though you are 35.

+1

Plus it creates this arms race, because then more and more parents do it and soon you’re the outlier if you don’t and you don’t want your kid to feel left out so you do it but it’s not out of joy it’s out of obligation and it’s just extra year-end stress.

Don’t do “special” things that put blatant pressure on other parents. Decorate your front door if you want to do something fun. And if that doesn’t sound like as much fun as the car, as yourself if maybe this isn’t for your kid as much as it is for how the other parents see you.

It's like "Boo Bags" at Halloween. I'm so glad we moved to a new neighborhood that does not Boo Bag.

[Anonymous]

As the middle schoolers would say “Mom, you’re DOING too much.”