My DC goes to a private HS in VA. Yes there were promposals, but none publicly at school. They were shared privately between couples who were already dating. I agree plenty of kids have dates, but there are very few couples dating, so most go in friend groups. Some get party busses/limos, fancy dinners, tux rentals and gowns, while others do the low key suit/dress and casual dinner as PP mentioned. A good friend's son at W/L did this with his crew of guys and girls, and had dinner at Chipotle. They had a blast and took funny photos. And of course, some kids opt out of prom. We didn't do promposals, but this is no different than previous years & what kids did when I was in HS. I honestly don't understand all the vitrol. If your kid isn't into it, don't go.

Anonymous wrote:The only people who did not go at my son's small high school were the extreme social misfits. All the bookish nerds were there along with the non-popular kids and the beautiful people.

Small HS with extreme social misfits. Bookish Nerds. Non-popular kids. Beautiful people. You sound like a nightmare.

Anonymous wrote:The only people who did not go at my son's small high school were the extreme social misfits. All the bookish nerds were there along with the non-popular kids and the beautiful people.

A small school will be much more close-knit.

Anonymous wrote:Kids aren’t going because folks realize that prom isn’t really that big of a deal. It’s just an excuse to dress up and go to a dance. I think kids enjoy after prom more because what they really want is a chance to blow off some steam and just enjoy thee last big gathering with their class before graduation.

Get drunk and get laid. The "big gathering" isn't the important part.

Kids aren’t going because folks realize that prom isn’t really that big of a deal. It’s just an excuse to dress up and go to a dance. I think kids enjoy after prom more because what they really want is a chance to blow off some steam and just enjoy thee last big gathering with their class before graduation.

Anonymous wrote:The only people who did not go at my son's small high school were the extreme social misfits. All the bookish nerds were there along with the non-popular kids and the beautiful people.

Ugh. Nice how you labeled all these kids. Maybe you are a teenager yourself? You sound like one.

I don’t know about the kids but I have lost interest in big events and even just going out to a restaurant after covid. I now only go with good friends or for super special occasions.
The pandemic has killed something in me (no it’s not the fear of covid) and I don’t think I am the only one.

The only people who did not go at my son's small high school were the extreme social misfits. All the bookish nerds were there along with the non-popular kids and the beautiful people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A lot of them don’t want to deal with the absurdity that is “promposal” these days.

It's so over the top. Why does everything have to be over the top these days?

They don't do this anymore.

What? Yes they do. Just finished promposal season at our DC’s large HS.

Anonymous wrote:Prom is fine. Insists they go and stay to close to the end. No leaving after an hour. They really will have fun. All of my kids were saying they wanted to leave right away but all had to stay for different reasons, and all would say they really liked staying for the whole event.

No. Absolutely not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I posted earlier on this thread that my HS senior DS wasn't going to the prom. Well, now he is. He acted like he didn't care, but I can tell now that he's excited. He's not a kid who cares about appearances or going along with the crowd, but even for him, senior prom was something he didn't want to miss out on.

Prom really tells us who socialized their kids to be ready for college and the real world. Kids who played HS sports have a huge advantage because they have a group of built-in popular friends, they know how to fit in and playing the sport gets them in shape and makes them hot and attractive. They aren't so individualistic and me me me my truth. They're like, let me get a hot date and make people jealous. Win!

Wow, you are legitimately pathetic. Truly. I’m embarrassed for you.

Anonymous wrote:Okay. So you're anti anything at a collective community level that marks leaving their childhood behind and entering adulthood. I specifically said "not prom" yet you return to lobbing little bombs against dancing like it's 1975. You could have suggested something that isn't expensive if the money is what you find problematic about a prom.

Whether you want to acknowledge it or not, the end of K-12 is a huge milestone in an American's life. It's the kind of milestone that pretty much any society would mark with some sort of ceremony and celebration that would usually involve eating and dancing together as a community. We're not some sort of weird oddballs for doing the same.

Your perseverating. You’re one of Those Moms. Get a life.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:whew, it's almost as if all the endless hand wringing and complaining about all the things kids were "robbed" of etc due to Covid were really mostly important to the parents anyway.

+1,000,000

+1

The only ones who go overboard are the ones who have the moms living vicariously through the kids, the "sorority mom types".

Anonymous wrote:"Imagine thinking any of this has anything to do with choosing to skip a lame, dated school dance. "

What should the school community replace prom with? How would you have the students mark this important moment if you were in charge? If a big party is "lame" (really not a cool term, btw) what would you suggest instead?

Oh, FFS. They don’t have to “replace” it with anything. Ridiculous adults like the PP just need to stop whining about the (many) kids who think it’s boring and overpriced and don’t want to go.

Anonymous wrote:"My DS does not like dancing and didn't want to spend his hard earned $$$ on some "weird looking clothes". So on prom night he and his buddies went to Paintball."

I can just picture this. And we wonder why so many adult men are losers who have zero appeal to women. Can't manage to dress themselves. Can't manage to talk to a woman. And the parents do zero to nudge them into adulthood or help them out with the expense?

I’m sorry you’re so insecure. You really should have outgrown that when you were no longer a teenager. Hope you feel better soon.