High school graduation "shower"

[eliza61]

My niece (on the dh side of the family ) graduated from H.S. this year.
Today we got a invitation for a "shower". I mean a professional grade wedding type invitation w/ a rsvp card. It said
"Please join us as we shower XXXX with gifts and well wishes as she begins the second phase of her life..... COLLEGE" On saturday August 17

XXX is registered at Target & Bed, bath & Beyond.

Is this a new trend? Boy, I am so out of the loop. Whatever happen to a barbeque in the backyard?

 

[nunzia]

Holy cow..what next? I think that is pretty tacky. I mean, graduation gifts were given. Those can be used to get college junk.

 

[msmayor]

That's what the graduation gifts should have been. Stuff for college.

I'd politely decline.

 

[Princess April]

Ummmmm????? Huh, I haven't heard of this..... . Did they have a graduation party for XXXX?

 

[Princess April]

.... pencils, the #2 kinds!!!! Everyone loves a good pencil!......

 

[jagafen]

It seems to be a newish trend. I'm probably going to get flamed at some point, but I don't think that registering for gifts for every milestone is appropriate. Weddings, yes.....babies, yes. Graduating from High School...not so much! But I also don't agree with celebrating preschool or kindergarten "graduations". I wonder how much longer it will be before kiddos are registering for those!! LOL. ( I plan on taking my son to Great Adventure for the day if they try and have a graduation ceremony!)

As an aside, when I graduated, I got a few checks from relatives, and someone bought me a new backpack (my uncle, who had just graduated from college, who knew the value of a high quality backpack!). Guess what got the most use and I kept the longest??? Yep, that backpack!!! And we had a BBQ in the backyard, but that was all the way back in 1991 !!!

 

[ceecee]

I'm assuming that is her graduation party????

 

[pearlieq]

No way. No how.

 

[Vijoge]

If this "shower" is being given in place of a "graduatuon party" I don't see the harm in it. I like gift registries as I would much rather give someone a gift they want as opposed to something they don't want or need or even like. Of course, nowadays money seems to be the preferred gift.

OTOH, if XXXX had a graduation party in June then I'd have to say having this "shower" is greedy and somewhat presumptive.

 

[disneybridetobe]

You've got to be kidding! or-- LOL, you're on Candid Camera!

Looks like it's for real. Isn't that sort of kind of in a roundabout way what a graduation party is for?

::sigh::

 

[dvcgirl]

Wow....that's out of control.

I can understand throwing a little HS graduation party where people give gifts if they feel like giving them. But a "shower" for going off to college? What's next? Kindergarten showers?

 

[MrsPete]

It seems to be a newish trend. I'm probably going to get flamed at some point, but I don't think that registering for gifts for every milestone is appropriate. Weddings, yes.....babies, yes. Graduating from High School...not so much!

I agree that the registering for gifts thing has gone too far. It makes me think that the girl in question doesn't believe that her friends and family have enough sense to choose things that she'll like. Tacky.

 

[RitaE]

apparently it is because somebody mentioned to me the other day that we should do a party and request gifts to help outfit his dorm room, and yes we had a party in June.

I don't know about you guys, but around here Graduation parties do not usually equal big gifts unless you are a close family member. Usually a card with a $10 or a $20 bill.

And registering with a wish list. blech.

 

[Piecey]

I think that tackiest part to me is it directly states "...showering the graduate with gifts.."

The only who should be showering the graduate with gifts is the parents. Oh wait, no-- not really. Except they'll probably buy all the college stuff anyway so why not call it a graduation present

My parents didn't get me anything for graduation. Not a thing and no money. They don't pay for my college, they didn't furnish where I live, either. I graduated 3 years ago.. so this is clearly a BRAND new trend...

 

[Kate and Pete]

Sounds like mom and dad are trying to get out of paying for "college stuff" without having to tell the kiddo "Get a job and pay for it yourself!" I teach seniors in high school and have NEVER heard of this. If it is a trend, it's certainly regional and I hope it never reaches the island I live and work on!

 

[Alesia]

Oh, good lord...

This is getting ridiculous! What is it going to take to make people stop constantly begging for gifts?

 

[eliza61]

What's so hysterically funny to me (it's my dh's side of the family so I get to laugh) is that the invitation itself is top grade. I mean professionally printed on vellum paper with rsvp cards and the registry cards. I keep thinking if they had skipped the invitations they could have saved $500 bucks right there.

 

[DSNY4ever]

Agreed. That is ridiculous. When I was in high school all my friends had a party/BBQ and most family members brought a gift card or a small gift...or just a nice card or flowers (which was nice), but a shower states that it is more about the gifts that the "let's celebrate her accomplishment" side of it. I hope this is not a new trend.

 

[rie'smom]

We didn't even have graduation parties and neither did my kids. Heck we only sent out announcements to our closest family members.
People say "What's wrong with kids today?" Umm look at the parents.
Just when I think that I've heard the tackiest thing, here comes another to top it.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Well, if they didn't have a graduation party in June I don't think it's so bad. I think it's kind of nice to know that my gift has a specific purpose like outfitting their dorm room than giving money that might be blown through for who knows what. And I suck at buying graduation gifts so I usually just send money in a card. JMO.