8th Grade Graduation

[ajwolfe]

Curious what others have done for their kids for a gift for 8th grade graduation. I had the idea of buying my DS his own laptop/notebook to use for high school and when I hinted at in the other day he pretty much shot be down. So I'm starting from scratch.

 

[Eureka]

Um...nothing. In my day, we didn't have such a to-do over "graduations" except for high school and college. Don't get me wrong, we give our kids plenty, but did not get them gifts for these occasions. We got them laptops when they were in 7th and 9th grades for the winter holidays because we knew they'd need them for high school.

 

[Jaime4004]

Mine is in 8th grade this year and her brother will be next year. I'm not getting them anything. I honestly don't see it as any accomplishment... However, they are both spoiled, got laptops from the grandparents for christmas.

 

[Marionnette]

Curious what others have done for their kids for a gift for 8th grade graduation. I had the idea of buying my DS his own laptop/notebook to use for high school and when I hinted at in the other day he pretty much shot be down. So I'm starting from scratch.

Nothing here either. And we gave (and continue to give) a lot to our kids. Graduating the 8th grade is at best, a minimum expectation. The only exception in my mind would be if the child has had severe challenges that made it a tremendous struggle to reach this milestone.

 

[kymom99]

I'll answer your question. My son went to catholic schools and 8th grade graduation was celebrated by a special mass and awards. My son earned a scholarship towards high school tuition. So in my eyes it was cause for celebration. We went to dinner after. No party. But he did get a few cash gifts and other items from grandparents and close relatives. I gave him some things to wear to his new high school I believe. I didn't get him a netbook until the next year because they weren't required yet.

I think something geared towards his future school to get him excited would be great. A new nice backpack, a school hoodie, a couple gift cards.

 

[ajwolfe]

This must be a regional thing or something because in our area folks will have a small get together or dinner for their kids for 8th grade grad. There is a ceremony at school and such.

 

[ajwolfe]

I'll answer your question.
I think something geared towards his future school to get him excited would be great. A new nice backpack, a school hoodie, a couple gift cards.

Thank you!! Our kids work hard in school to maintain good grades, do well in sports and etc. So, yes, we will celebrate their accomplishments!

 

[TwoMisfits]

Since we have Confirmation at the same time as finishing 8th grade, we hold a family party celebrating the Confirmation - last year, we had a nice 4 course Italian lunch at a restaurant followed by a pool party for 25 folks (worked out really economically thanks to my pool's guest policy and the lunch time rates at the restaurant). We did not gift my daughter more than the celebration, although my daughter did receive plenty from that for her college fund and herself (since her best friends decided on video game gift cards vs money, b/c they wanted her to have some summer fun...

It would have been overkill to have 2 parties in 2 weeks for mostly out of town fam...and we value the religious ceremony more than the 8th grade mark, so that's why it was the chosen "celebration"...

 

[CalDisneyMomof2]

I think maybe a small celebration with friends is a nice gift. A pool party or the sort. I'm on the fence about whether a gift is necessary. I don't think it's a bad thing but I also think that completing high school is the accomplishment. I think having a party with friends would be a nice way of saying, "Great job. The easy part is done. Get ready for a difficult, busy four years. Now, go have some fun before it begins!"

 

[mi*vida*loca]

DD graduates 6th grade this year. We will probably go out to dinner after. No gifts. But she already has a lap top and a chromebook and iphone. I think she's good.

When I graduated 8th grade my grandma gave me some cash but that was it. My parents didn't give me gifts. I didn't expect them.

High school graduation is our big to do. We're throwing DS a huge graduation party this year.

 

[tink89]

DD is in elementary but for my me and my siblings my mom did not do anything. Our middle school had a dance after graduation and that is what we did. I do not think we got any gifts either.

 

[ajwolfe]

Since we have Confirmation at the same time as finishing 8th grade, we hold a family party celebrating the Confirmation - last year, we had a nice 4 course Italian lunch at a restaurant followed by a pool party for 25 folks (worked out really economically thanks to my pool's guest policy and the lunch time rates at the restaurant). We did not gift my daughter more than the celebration, although my daughter did receive plenty from that for her college fund and herself (since her best friends decided on video game gift cards vs money, b/c they wanted her to have some summer fun...

It would have been overkill to have 2 parties in 2 weeks for mostly out of town fam...and we value the religious ceremony more than the 8th grade mark, so that's why it was the chosen "celebration"...

Totally just curious....Are you Catholic? Confirmation for us in the Midwest is during sophomore year and I didn't realize it was done earlier anywhere.

 

[kymom99]

Totally just curious....Are you Catholic? Confirmation for us in the Midwest is during sophomore year and I didn't realize it was done earlier anywhere.

We are Catholic and our kids are confirmed in 8th grade. In nky

 

[TwoMisfits]

Totally just curious....Are you Catholic? Confirmation for us in the Midwest is during sophomore year and I didn't realize it was done earlier anywhere.

Yup - it's normally 8th grade spring or 9th grade fall - each Church in the diocese gets a different date for the bishop to perform the ceremony, so we get 8th grade late spring here, and hers was May 31 last year...

 

[Kae]

Ice Cream. My DD went to a middle school that split between 2 high schools so we had a few sleepovers & pool parties thru out the summer. No gifts between girls or anything like that.

 

[ICF]

Nothing....other than a summer off of school before heading into 9th grade.

Never looked at an 8th grade graduation as a very big deal.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Our kids change schools at the end of 5th grade and at the end of 8th grade.

Dh and I attend the promotion ceremony (it isn't called graduation) where they receive a certificate and some awards and then we usually go out for dinner. No gifts.

 

[luvsJack]

All three of mine had 8th grade ceremonies. Its a fairly big thing here as they are leaving one school district and headed to another and not all of them will go to the same school.

We got all three of them gifts. Something not related to school ODS got a stereo (he is 35 so awhile back), YDS a guitar and DD got a beautiful diamond necklace. All three had a party.

 

[Eureka]

This must be a regional thing or something because in our area folks will have a small get together or dinner for their kids for 8th grade grad. There is a ceremony at school and such.

The school has a ceremony and we went to brunch after, but nobody we know had parties for the kids.

 

[Eureka]

Thank you!! Our kids work hard in school to maintain good grades, do well in sports and etc. So, yes, we will celebrate their accomplishments!

We celebrate their accomplishments. We just don't do it necessarily when the school department tells us it's time for promotion. For example, DS17 got a great ACT score one day and the next day got his driver's license. We celebrated by going out to dinner.