Presents/flowers after concerts etc

[aaarcher86]

I got my girls a little bouquet of flowers after each of their Christmas productions. They are in kindergarten and 1st grade.

Was it necessary? No. Did any of the other kids get flowers? A few. Not many. Does that mean they'll be getting anything bigger and better next year? No.

It's a $5 bouquet and it makes them feel special after dressing up in their Christmas dresses, curling their hair, and performing 2x that day. Who cares? You want to be the parent giving me a sideways and judgemental stare? Go for it. The look on their face and the joy they get out of a cheap couple of flowers overrides any judgement I get from it.

Limos? Vacations? Certainly won't be happening here.

 

[okeydokey]

My kids are on stage for one reason another several times a year. I do not give gifts for their performances. Sometimes we go out for smoothies after, which they love. We always praise the performance or award, and that appreciate that too.

 

[pixiewings71]

I plan to bring flowers, next year, to DD16's last band performances, because she's going to be a Senior in high school and I feel it will be a special ending for her. But, I haven't given her anything else, not even for 8th grade graduation.....

 

[Schmeck]

I'll never understand the argument that because a parent does X means that they will have to top it the next year and so on and so on. I honestly don't know a single person who started with flowers in pre-school and ended up giving a trip to Europe by the time their kid was in HS. Sure some people do, but that has nothing to do with that first act of giving flowers, it has everything to do with the type of person they are. They were going to be that way regardless.
Giving flowers to someone after a "show" has been a tradition for a long time. If you choose not to participate because you don't think the "show" is worth it, fine, but why knock people who do. Don't you have anything better to do at a concert or recital than keep track of who does what. MYOB and don't give flowers

Having been a gymnastics mom, a figure skating mom, and a dance mom, I'd have to say that the giving of flowers is a really stupid tradition! Of course, for skating, they have to be wrapped so as not to leave bits on the ice, and the ones given after gymnastics and dance are given to very tired athletes who just want to go home and shower and go to bed.

When a 4 year old gets flowers because she stood with the masses and shouted out a song or two, it singles her out as having done something spectacular, even though everyone else did exactly the same thing. Some parents just feel the need to get the diva training started, and they have to live with the little creature they have created, not me!

I have given my girls flowers, after the last dance recital, and the first solo in a skating show. But I didn't give them at competitions, even when it was a national level comp. I don't think I gave them flowers for graduation either , and one was valedictorian, the other salutatorian (not the same year though!)

I wasn't even planning on getting DD#1 flowers when she graduates from MIT in the spring...

 

[KennesawNemo]

For a regular school assembly, no. But for the annual dance recital, piano recital or high school musical, yes.

Second this. Although I am not a flower person, for DS's year end piano recital, I got him the Angry Bird Star War App. He did work very hard throughout the whole year.

 

[disykat]

I plan to bring flowers, next year, to DD16's last band performances, because she's going to be a Senior in high school and I feel it will be a special ending for her. But, I haven't given her anything else, not even for 8th grade graduation.....

This would be the ONLY reason I would do it as well - and it would probably be more about MY need to celebrate the end of an era, not my child's. I never understand the constant need to make something that IS special, more special. If we want to celebrate something a little extra as a family, we do it privately - like going out to eat or something.

 

[IheartMickey]

When I sang in a talent show our school handed out single roses to all the contestants. I thought that was sweet.

 

[karensi]

I just went to my DGS Christmas performance last week, he is in kindergarten. I did see a few Moms with flowers but figured that was for their daughters. I would never think to bring a bouquet of flowers to a boy...do people do that? I cant imagine that a boy would even like to get a bouquet

FWTW, DGS is 5 years old and he didnt seem to notice that a handful of the girls got flowers and he, and most others, didnt get anything. He was more focused on going to Perkins for pancakes afterwards..lol.

Karen

 

[Becky2005]

I have boys who are involved in chorus, theatre, band, orchestra, jazz band, a capella, etc. If I got them a "gift" every time they performed, I'd be broke!

For the theatre shows, they always have "candy grams" set up in the lobby as a fundraiser, so I do that- I write them each a note and they get it along with some candy, at the end of the show. Otherwise- No- I don't bring them flowers or anything like that. I know a lot of parents do- but I just give mine a hug and tell them "great job"!

I agree, plus I was pretty much told early on from my DD to "don't do that!"...although she is in theatre and up on stage, she doesn't really like the attention type of things. Sometimes I would get her something but it would be done at home. Others do them but it would feel weird to me in general. I know her very last choir concert of HS she got a flower but ALL Seniors get flowers on stage as they are recognized, even if it is their very first time in choir. Senior for spring choir concert = flower on stage.

On the other hand, my youngest son also likes performing and found out one of his friends was going to be in a show -- he insisting on buying her a little gift (we ended up getting her a small Disney princess), since he had been in a bigger production & knew people did that. I just thought it would be odd if he gave her flowers since they were either in 1st or 2nd grade at the time & we aren't a big flower family ourselves. We weren't specifically going to see her either -- my daughter had been the intern director, that was how we found out his friend was in the show.

 

[Katy Belle]

I have sons. All 3 are involved in band and theater. At our last school they sold candy grams, a note and candy delivered backstage. We did send those. We have never done anything else. Some girls have brought flowers to our boys following plays/musicals. I would have never thought about doing anything in pre-school.

 

[sissy_ib]

I was in choir in middle school and high school. I never got flowers and I never saw other receive them either. I also participated in drama for a few years (I was always back stage) and I vaguely remember some of the actors receiving flowers. I was lucky if my parents showed up to anything.

 

[aaarcher86]

Having been a gymnastics mom, a figure skating mom, and a dance mom, I'd have to say that the giving of flowers is a really stupid tradition! Of course, for skating, they have to be wrapped so as not to leave bits on the ice, and the ones given after gymnastics and dance are given to very tired athletes who just want to go home and shower and go to bed.

When a 4 year old gets flowers because she stood with the masses and shouted out a song or two, it singles her out as having done something spectacular, even though everyone else did exactly the same thing. Some parents just feel the need to get the diva training started, and they have to live with the little creature they have created, not me!

I have given my girls flowers, after the last dance recital, and the first solo in a skating show. But I didn't give them at competitions, even when it was a national level comp. I don't think I gave them flowers for graduation either , and one was valedictorian, the other salutatorian (not the same year though!)

I wasn't even planning on getting DD#1 flowers when she graduates from MIT in the spring...

Hardly. It's flowers. I really don't think they have that deep of a meaning for most people.

My kids are very well behaved, get good grades, and work hard in their activities... if I want to bring my kindergartner a cheap bouquet of flowers after singing a few Christmas songs, who cares? She's not going to start demanding spa treatments and Coach purses.

It's nice to be able to do something that small when she's still young enough to enjoy it.