So glad my narcissistic in-laws are dead.

No

This is so school specific. My son gets 6 tickets: 2 will go to me and DH, one to his younger sibling, one to his longtime girlfriend. That leaves 2 more for 2 aunts, my brother, and both sets of grandparents. So if DS cannot get 4 more tickets, from friends who don’t need all of theirs, the grandparents are not included.

The 2 aunts and my brother won’t be upset because it is a ticketed event and you get what you get ticket wise. The grandparents (and many of you here) only seem to remember graduations from 30+ years ago.

Younger sibling graduates high school 5 days later and it is not ticketed, so everyone is welcome to attend.

Yes. Most families include the grandparents.

Did they pay for your kid’s college tuition?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We didn't invite any of the grandparents to our kid's college graduation, and I'm glad they didn't ask. All would have required more attention than we would have wanted to give them at that busy time!

What kind of attention are you talking about exactly?

You really can’t imagine it for yourself? “Where do we park?” “Where do we meet up with you?” (In front of the basketball arena or wherever the event is, look for Gate 5 with all the people in front of it) “I don’t know where that is, someone needs to come to my car and walk me over there. I’m parked in xyz lot that’s all the way across campus because that’s where the GPS took me.” Or on an urban campus, “we flew in last night and we’re in a hotel downtown, but we don’t know how to use the public transit here, someone needs to come to the hotel tomorrow morning and take us to the campus.”

DP. LOL! I think you know my in laws. That said, if they want to attend my DC’s college graduations, I will suck it up and deal.

All four of my grandparents attended my college graduation which was about a 2.5 hour drive from my hometown where they also lived. That day, I felt very fortunate to have all of them there. But, looking back on it 28 years later and with none of them still alive, I feel that so much more.

I think you’re being difficult, OP. And I think it’s great that they’re willing to travel to support their grandson. If there are enough tickets to the ceremony, you should have them attend. If there are certain events that are only for graduates and parents, they can find something else to do during that time.

My grandparents attended my graduation because they lived only an hour away. I’d never expect them travel a long distance.

Anonymous wrote:No. Why anyone would want to sit through a graduation ceremony is beyond me.

Agree.

Large College ones are so formal, formulaic and canned. Most people skip the undergrad one.

Grad school ones were fun (for students!).

Anonymous wrote:dont still expect the gift if theyre not invited

It’s equally tacky to for all invite someone to an expensive far way place, in order for them not to really consider it but send money or a gift.

Just grab a meal next time you’re in town.

Places like Boston and Palo Alto hotels sell out 12-24 mos ahead of time with block rooms and parents flying in. Good luck.