I wouldn't even consider making DD go out of town the weekend of her high school graduation. There will be a ton of events for her and if Frontier is really the only flight they are not a dependable airline for something like this. It's unfortunate for sure that both are the same weekend but missing HS graduation should not be an option.

Am I reading it right that he isn't technically graduating from the program in 2027, because he will still have to do his final internship year? Does that mean he could choose to walk a year later in 2028?

If his highest priority is having everyone at the ceremony, maybe he would consider pushing back his graduation. I know you said he won't be local that year but there's no reason he couldn't travel for it.

I was also wondering if he has a different grad-related event coming up that you could be there for. When my husband finished grad school, he invited one parent to his thesis defense and one to the graduation... they were something like 6-8 weeks apart so totally separate events. His parents don't get along (which they had recently demonstrated at our wedding) so it was nice to be able to celebrate separately. Not everyone would see it this way I'm sure but I personally think the thesis defense was more meaningful.

I think you DEFINITELY should attend your daughter’s graduation 👩🏼‍🎓 ceremony.
No exceptions.

For your stepson, I think either a.) his Father should fly up to attend or b.) your entire family can fly up either the wknd before or after to celebrate.

But I firmly believe that your daughter’s graduation should take full precedence.

Hope you guys can find a mutually beneficial plan for everyone!

Your step son needs to understand that he is not your son (regardless of what society wants us to believe) and only expect his father at his graduation.
Just tell him it’s only his father who will be coming. What’s he gonna do, cut you off? You are not his mother so honesty it’s not the end of the world.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re just favoring DD over stepson. I would try and do both. Grad school is a big deal, much more important than finishing high school.

Agreed. High school graduation is not an accomplishment unless there are extremely extenuating circumstances. Tell your daughter she may need to sacrifice some of her graduation festivities. Warn her now so she has time to process this. It's part of being there for family. She'll get her turn in the spotlight when she finishes college.

This is a wild take. High school graduation is more about being the end of of chapter and entering adulthood. It's closing the door on 4 years of seeing your best friends every day and being a kid. In some cases these are kids who have been friends since grade school. It's a big deal. As an adult he should understand this. I didn't even attend my grad school ceremony. In fact, if I had to choose between my younger sister's graduation and my grad school one, I'd choose my sister's.

OP here, I personally agree, down to skipping my own. But I don't think it's a fruitful line of discussion. Because, logistically, it doesn't seem reasonable to me, and if it were, of course we'd do both. So I guess it comes down to your risk tolerance for stadium logistics, ultra budget airline leaving on time, and getting home 1am. Which clearly different people feel differently about!

I think it's incredibly rude of your son to ask his sister to miss her entire graduation weekend and get home at 1 am before an 8 am graduation for a third graduation. He's being a selfish prick. Stick up for your daughter and let him and your husband pout about it. And I would absolutely say the same thing even if the roles were reversed and the daughter was the step daughter.

This.

It is also a great opportunity to teach your daughter how to graciously stand up for herself and not let herself be guilted and bullied into putting some man's unreasonable whims over her needs and what her logic tells her is the correct thing to do.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A high school graduation is a very big deal for kids. You absolutely should not miss that. His dad should attend his graduation and you should stay home with your daughter. I appreciate that your son would like you all to attend, but that's simply not reasonable.

It IS reasonable if you love both kids equally.

Yeah, the selfish man child wants his teenage sister to risk missing her high school graduation, her last childhood milestone, because he dotes on her soooo much that she absolutely has to prioritize his 3rd graduation over her first.

If he loved sister as much as he claims he does, then he would never make this request and would find a way to delay his party so he could fly out after his cereminy to make it to her ceremony.

Anonymous wrote:A high school graduation is a very big deal for kids. You absolutely should not miss that. His dad should attend his graduation and you should stay home with your daughter. I appreciate that your son would like you all to attend, but that's simply not reasonable.

Dad should attend his daughter's graduation too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re just favoring DD over stepson. I would try and do both. Grad school is a big deal, much more important than finishing high school.

Of course she should favor her daughter, over her stepson. What?

No, there is nothing of course about it. You're just not a nice person.

OP, I would absolutely try to do both. Yes, it will be a late night but this is one of those moments in life that you just don't skip.

The son is not a kid.

He is an adult man, closer to middle aged than high school. He is closer to middle aged than his sister is to kindergarten.

Of course they should prioritize the daughter's high school graduation over the adult man's 3rd graduation.

In fact, if he dotes on his sister as much as OP says he claims to do, then he should cut his own graduation festivities, scheduling them another day, and fly out right after his ceremony so he can attend her graduation, making that the priority since high school graduation is a much larger milestone than a phd graduation, and he is a fully grown adult man, not a teenage child.

There is zero chance you'd be saying any of this if both kids were OP's bio kids. Pretty disgusting, actually.

OP herself wouldn't be asking the question either. She would make it work.

I would absolutely say this if both kids were OPs bio kids.

The adult is being a selfish middle aged man baby.

I have a few degrees. Can say that high school graduation is a 100 x bigger deal than graduate school grad.

Anonymous wrote:You all are killjoys. I loved all my graduations (high school, college, masters and law school) and attended all of them. They were all special in their own way. They each represented a different milestone. They’re all important.

No one is saying the son's graduation isn't important. They're saying it's not so important that his sister should have to risk missing hers.

You all are killjoys. I loved all my graduations (high school, college, masters and law school) and attended all of them. They were all special in their own way. They each represented a different milestone. They’re all important.

Anonymous wrote:You and your daughter absolutely stay home and go to your her graduation. The stepson is 26-28, he’s had 2 graduations already. This is your kid’s first milestone moment. Your *husband* has to be the one to decide what he does about trying to attend both or just one but your decision is clear and simple.

+1
There is not even a question on what you and your daughter do here. Also don’t forget this is thunderstorm season in dc. Late flights are often a mess even if dc weather is ok bc incoming ones are delayed elsewhere

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’re just favoring DD over stepson. I would try and do both. Grad school is a big deal, much more important than finishing high school.

Agreed. High school graduation is not an accomplishment unless there are extremely extenuating circumstances. Tell your daughter she may need to sacrifice some of her graduation festivities. Warn her now so she has time to process this. It's part of being there for family. She'll get her turn in the spotlight when she finishes college.

This is a wild take. High school graduation is more about being the end of of chapter and entering adulthood. It's closing the door on 4 years of seeing your best friends every day and being a kid. In some cases these are kids who have been friends since grade school. It's a big deal. As an adult he should understand this. I didn't even attend my grad school ceremony. In fact, if I had to choose between my younger sister's graduation and my grad school one, I'd choose my sister's.

OP here, I personally agree, down to skipping my own. But I don't think it's a fruitful line of discussion. Because, logistically, it doesn't seem reasonable to me, and if it were, of course we'd do both. So I guess it comes down to your risk tolerance for stadium logistics, ultra budget airline leaving on time, and getting home 1am. Which clearly different people feel differently about!

I think it's incredibly rude of your son to ask his sister to miss her entire graduation weekend and get home at 1 am before an 8 am graduation for a third graduation. He's being a selfish prick. Stick up for your daughter and let him and your husband pout about it. And I would absolutely say the same thing even if the roles were reversed and the daughter was the step daughter.