Graduation Gifts/Money from High School Student

[donnajz]

DD17 who is a junior is invited to several high school graduation parties. All the graduates are friends but not "best friends". I told her she better start scraping together some money since she has about 20 parties to go to...one day she has 5 parties!. My question is when high school students go to a friend's graduation party, what's the proper amount to give?

 

[powellrj]

When my DS graduated last year, the kids didn't give gifts to each other. We had a huge open house with lots of kids and none of them brought gifts of any kind. Heck, many of the adults didn't give gifts either. We had blanket invitations in our church bulletin and on face book, so most people just spent the day going to parties!

I know DS has plans to go to parties again this year and he won't be taking gifts to them. The only people that brought gifts were family and close friends. Kids and their parents and acquaintances didn't bring anything. I was just as glad, the purpose of the open house was to celebrate, not to get gifts.

 

[ekmom]

In our area kids mostly don't give gifts if they go to graduation parties. My daughter gave gifts only to her 2 closest friends and I don't think my son gave any gifts.

 

[tinkermom23]

Same here. I just asked DNiece who is a Sr. and she said kids only give gifts to their "very best friends." But she said it's important to go to the parties because the ones celebrating want a good turn out and really want to celebrate with friends. So among kids, no gifts, (except your bff)

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

I only gave a graduation gift to my best friend, not to regular friends or acquaintences.

If you really want to do something for the friends, there's nothing wrong with like a $5 gift card to Starbucks or a drink place, anyplace similar. It's inexpensive and you can get them a drink. Around here, sweet tea and flavored sodas are super popular, so I would consider picking up a drink card to 1 of the 3 main soda "shops" in town.

 

[scrapquitler]

Just a card and a yearbook photo is fine

 

[Lucky4me]

Not even closest friends exchange graduation gifts here, but if the families are friends and are invited too, the parents do.

I can't imagine dd having to come up with cash for every grad party she goes to when she's a senior. Yikes!

 

[cats mom]

I agree, I don't think gifts are really expected from classmates.
If they were, maybe someone could start a $20 circulating at the first party of the season, then everyone could sign it, and see how many hands it ended up passing through by the last grad party.

 

[dthogue]

Have to agree, no monetary gifts are given here either. When my DD graduated in 2008, several of the girls brought her a framed picture of them together as a gift. It was a nice touch, not overly expensive and a great memento for my DD. These were close friends though.

Middle DD graduates this year and has invited about 50 kids to her party and is invited to many as well - she will take cards and pictures for those closest to her, but no gifts to the others and I don't expect them to bring her gifts either! Its all about getting together to celebrate!

Tammy

 

[lastminutemom]

My child isn't very social so he isn't going to a ton of parties, so I got token I tunes gift cards for the ones he is going to (they are for good friends.)

I too have heard repeatedly that kids don't take gifts to other kids' parties.