give gifts for grade milestones? i.e. 8th going into highschool, or 5th going into middle? 

I haven't gotten that far yet, but we gave L a little gift for graduating Pre-K.

I like to make a big deal about everything. Good for the self esteem. 

I voted yes because I'm sure I will. I like to celebrate anything and everything. I made my daughter a cupcake with "laces" when she learned to tie her shoe. 

anyone ever see the publix commercial? "we have a cake for every thing" 

I'm the same lol. 

Son, you were the second to last to finish yhe race. Let's partyyyyyyy! 

Well my oldest has done really well this year but he missed his 8th grade field trip yesterday and I feel so horrible :(

And I think he should get something special for doing a good job....but I also feel that it's his JOB to get good grades. kwim?> 

Just for the "big" ones not each year. Kindergarten, 6th grade, high school, college... They'll each get a car at 16 too. My foster mom always had us decorate a big brown bag the week before school started. She'd fill each one with our school supplies, extra clothes(other than the ones we'd shopped for), and trinkets... Like locker shelves and wall paper. Then she'd make a fancy-ish dinner complete with layered pudding in wine glasses and we'd celebrate a successful upcoming year. I looked forward to it and will probably do the same. LC starts Kindergarten this year :) 

My gift is new clothes for next years school year. My child doesn't get gifts for doing what she is supposed to do. Passing grades. Grandma gives a cash bonus at the end of the year if she is on the A honor roll. Not A/B honor roll...she gets nothing then. 

Not for passing grades, he's expected to do that. But something to congratulate them for "graduating" middle school 

lol There should be a no option. I won't. Theyll get something when they graduate high school. 

I wouldn't. Never heard of anyone doing that either 

Middle school to high school is a tough transition. Celebrating getting through middle school and moving on us important to me. As is high school.

5th grade. Eh. Elemtary School was a piece of cake. Especially here. 

lol There should be a no option. I won't. Theyll get something when they graduate high school.


^^^This^^^

Senior year is EXPENSIVE - even with boys.

Renting his tux/shoes cost just as much as buying a nice dress. Okay, we didn't have to do hair & nails, but prom tickets, dinner & corsage makes up the difference girls pay for those items. 

I was wondering where the no option is. I don't think I'd do a gift. 

No is not an option for me and that's why it's not there :p

The real issue is that because we are celebrating the 8h grade milestone, my 5th grader wants to celebrate, too. And also, I'm unsure of what is an appropriate gift for the transitioning 8th grader. 

Renting his tux/shoes cost just as much as buying a nice dress. Okay, we didn't have to do hair & nails, but prom tickets, dinner & corsage makes up the difference girls pay for those items.

You payed for all that for him?? 

See and in my opinion, a lot of those things I would consider separate from a reward. Those are things parents and kids should pay for. My son will have to pay for half of prom tickets, all of dinner and his corsage. I would be comfortable providing the tux and shoes and then half of the tickets. 

If I'm not mistaken (and I know Deb will correct me if I'm not lol!) Deb prefers for her son to concentrate on school and sports/activities than working while in highschool.


If it's not Deb, someone on here said that before 

You payed for all that for him??

Yes, I did. He has maintained an unweighted GPA of 3.9, plays sports, inducted into the National Honor Society and has never been in trouble.

If I'm not mistaken (and I know Deb will correct me if I'm not lol!) Deb prefers for her son to concentrate on school and sports/activities than working while in highschool.


It was me.

However, he has since landed a job, makes a little more than minimum wage, works 20-25 hrs a week, that he is putting away for spending money when he goes off to college.

His HS graduation gift, in addition to a party, will be a laptop that he needs for college. 

No. why would I reward them for something that they are supposed to do anyway? 

Moving from 8th grade into highschool is a HUGE milestone. I'm so surprised other people don't celebrate it. Yes, they are SUPPOSED to do it but you're supposed to get another year older, too, and you still gets gifts on your birthday!

I think we're going to go ahead and do a family dinner and dessert, and I am going to get him a pair of Beats. I don't think I'll do the 5th to 6th though. Elementary takes very little effort but middle school is a lot harder. He's done REALLY well and has the best frades he's ever gotten. He's really shaped up as far as trouble goes. I'm so very proud of him! 

Did your family celebrate it with you? 

Of course they are supposed to get good grades and do their chores and whatever else you expect of them, but I think graduating is something that should be a big deal. 

The only graduating I know of is from high school or college. Not grade school. That's called passing not graduating. 

I'm with Boom 

I grew up with special days for graduating kindergarden, 5th, 8th, and 12th and will do it with my girls. I am not going to go buckwild and get some crazy gift (well high school graduation is different) but a nice day out to eat and a little something is perfectly fine. Sure they are expected to get good grades and move on to the next grade, but to me a little positive reinforcement and esteem building never hurt anyone. My mom did it with me and I dont think I turned out bad. So I am going to take her lead and continue it with my girls. 

We had a graduation ceremony at my schools for kindergarden going into 1st, 8th going into 9th and high school. 

Sure they are expected to get good grades and move on to the next grade, but to me a little positive reinforcement and esteem building never hurt anyone.

Yep. 

Thanks, Woo. I appreciate you telling me!!

Boom, no my parents didn't celebrate with us. But milestones were rarely acknowledged. That doesn't mean I'm following in their footsteps. I may end up getting my 5th grader something small. I want him to know that I appreciate his hard work. As an adult, I get a quarterly bonus, and a yearly raise. As a kid, even if his "job" is to get good grades and pass, I still want him to know that I KNOW what it takes to do those things, and that I am proud of him.

and yes, 5th graders have a "graduation" and so do the 8th graders. They have a ceremony. So they are effectively graduating into the next chapter.