Yes, your child is amazing

[Luv Bunnies]

At my son's HS graduation in June, one family set up three confetti canons at the top of the bleachers. When their DD's name was announced, about 30 people stood up, blasted air horns and shot the canons. The confetti rained down on the entire section of spectators. Everyone else in the crowd turned and looked, pointed and made comments. It was a huge disruption to the ceremony. The next few names to be read were kind of obliterated by all the commotion. I felt really badly for the parents whose kids' names were read immediately after this debacle. No one around me said, "Oh that's awesome. Wow they really love their DD." All I heard was, "How freakin' obnoxious! How rude those people are!" I'm sure they didn't care. They got their moment.

 

[mjkacmom]

Generally, the coach will know this, and will invite someone else to speak for the student.

We do something similar, but different for students being Confirmed at our church. The parents are asked to write a letter to the student. Other family members and close friends can also write. I have an only child. And I have written numerous letters. Many times it has been for former students of mine. Sometimes it is for someone that I know a little more casually, but they don't have many relatives that are willing to write the letter.

Ah, the confirmation letters! I'm always scrambling last minute with those! Thank goodness I have five kids, I make everyone write one! The grandparents are usually emailing me one to put in the envelope. I have two confirmation candidates this year.

 

[mjkacmom]

And no one had sense enough to put a stop to the long winded bragging speech?

I've never attended a graduation here that was air horn free. Heck, parents give their kids shout outs during choir concerts!

 

[smiths02]

So they get sympathy praise? That's almost worse..

Have you ever been the kid at a ceremony without a parent?

I grew up without my father. My teachers praised me often. Guess I didn't deserve it and it was "sympathy praise." No chance it could have been real praise offered by an important adult in the child's life.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

ITA. I understand that it's now a tradition that both parents and kids look forward to, but personally I think it's awkward, at best. I think it's odd that you are TOLD what to say to your kid, and odd that it goes on and on, every kid. I know my kid would have been crawling under the table or just plain refused to go (as she did for similar things at her high school).

That's what I thought when he first brought home the note! But it wasn't as awkward once we were there doing it. Until the last kid...

 

[lorimay]

That's what I thought when he first brought home the note! But it wasn't as awkward once we were there doing it. Until the last kid...

I wonder, did they ask to be last???

 

[cabanafrau]

Am I the only one who finds the funniest bit of the entire thing is the fact that the decal or sticker to be worn on the helmet to commemorate this year is family? I can totally see his teammates busting this kid's chops about his "family".

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Am I the only one who finds the funniest bit of the entire thing is the fact that the decal or sticker to be worn on the helmet to commemorate this year is family? I can totally see his teammates busting this kid's chops about his "family".

Right!

I asked DS17 if anyone gave the kid a hard time at practice yesterday and he said they were all asking where they could buy the tshirt lol

But the kids pretty much know it wasn't the kids fault - he seriously looked as shocked as the rest of us. He even said "I'm sorry everyone, I did NOT know they were going to do this!" when they first started dancing down the aisle

 

[cabanafrau]

Right!

I asked DS17 if anyone gave the kid a hard time at practice yesterday and he said they were all asking where they could buy the tshirt lol

But the kids pretty much know it wasn't the kids fault - he seriously looked as shocked as the rest of us. He even said "I'm sorry everyone, I did NOT know they were going to do this!" when they first started dancing down the aisle

Oh I can imagine.

Before anyone gets carried away, I'm not suggesting it's okay to hold the kid responsible for what others did. I just couldn't help busting out laughing at the irony when OP revealed the theme or message of the sticker presented.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

I wonder, did they ask to be last???

I am pretty sure it was preplanned because yes, they went last, AND there were two mothers who ran to the front of room and started to videotape.

Which means the coach was in on it, too, which irritates me in a way - but in his defense, I'm pretty sure they could have just asked if their kid could be called last and the coach didn't know to what extent they were going to put on the show that they did.

Of course, we do live in a town full of Good Old Boys Who Never Really Left High School, so I wouldn't really put it past any of them to have known what was going to happen and be OK with it,but that's another thread topic altogether.

 

[kimblebee]

Have you ever been the kid at a ceremony without a parent?

I grew up without my father. My teachers praised me often. Guess I didn't deserve it and it was "sympathy praise." No chance it could have been real praise offered by an important adult in the child's life.

I apologize that my post bothered you. Of course everyone deserves praise. I pictured the situation in my head incorrectly. I did clarify that one of the ops later posts cleared things up for me.

 

[cabanafrau]

Ay yi yi, if the coach was in on it, ugh.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Oh I can imagine.

Before anyone gets carried away, I'm not suggesting it's okay to hold the kid responsible for what others did. I just couldn't help busting out laughing at the irony when OP revealed the theme or message of the sticker presented.

Yeah, he was a good sport about it all in all, but of course being 17, he had to have known the other kids would give him a hard time lol The kids are for the most part decent kids, so I can't imagine anyone on the team being a jerk about it to him, so that's good. Just goodnatured busting his chops a little, esp since you could tell he was as surprised as he could be. And, DS said he started off Freshman year on like the 3rd string of the B team, and worked his way up to an occassional starting spot (depending on the scheme) this year, so at least he IS a hard worker!

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Ay yi yi, if the coach was in on it, ugh.

I don't think so much in on it in that he knew exactly what they were going to do, but honestly to me, it is irritating enough just to be given the "special treatment" of being able to request to be last. Everyone else was picked randomly. Or so he said. But again, there is a serious Good Old Boys Club in our town - we live in a town where generations have known each other and nobody needs to *make* friends - they are born having them. I could go on and on about that part, but it would seriously take this thread in another direction lol

 

[cabanafrau]

Yeah, he was a good sport about it all in all, but of course being 17, he had to have known the other kids would give him a hard time lol The kids are for the most part decent kids, so I can't imagine anyone on the team being a jerk about it to him, so that's good. Just goodnatured busting his chops a little, esp since you could tell he was as surprised as he could be. And, DS said he started off Freshman year on like the 3rd string of the B team, and worked his way up to an occassional starting spot (depending on the scheme) this year, so at least he IS a hard worker!

Good for him. I hope that work ethic serves him well in life, so that he doesn't look back at HS as his peak someday like the good ole boys in town.

 

[verleniahall]

poor kid - how will he function in the outside world

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Good for him. I hope that work ethic serves him well in life, so that he doesn't look back at HS as his peak someday like the good ole boys in town.

MTE

 

[paisleys]

This also reminded me of my daughters' recent elementary school 'graduation' (when I 'graduated' from elementary school it was just a typical last day of school, no idea why all the fanfare now but I digress..). During any lull in speakers, one of the dads would shriek his daughter's full name out. It was completely bizarre and made me jump a few times, people would turn around to see who was yelling. The same thing happened with a different parent at the spring concert. If they are trying to make their child feel special it has more of a **** effect on others. It's like some people think they are the only ones with children and every one else is just a bit player in their lives. Narcissistic idiots!

 

[sam_gordon]

Wanna bet some family tries to top it next year?

 

[Magpie]

poor kid - how will he function in the outside world

By learning hard work and discipline through his experiences playing on the team, and by realizing that his parents are idiots and he almost always do the opposite of whatever they'd do.

Based on what the OP has written about him, he's well on his way...

Yeah, he was a good sport about it all in all, but of course being 17, he had to have known the other kids would give him a hard time lol The kids are for the most part decent kids, so I can't imagine anyone on the team being a jerk about it to him, so that's good. Just goodnatured busting his chops a little, esp since you could tell he was as surprised as he could be. And, DS said he started off Freshman year on like the 3rd string of the B team, and worked his way up to an occassional starting spot (depending on the scheme) this year, so at least he IS a hard worker!

He won't be the first or last kid whose parents are more like "cautionary tales" than "role models". Many such kids turn out quite functional, in the long run.