High School Graduation: Getting Ready

High school graduation is a time when your student is becoming an adult. While you have helped them to do well during the first 12 years of their education, you also realize the importance of helping them through college and beyond. No matter how much you want to help them at this point, though, you also need to realize that it is their time to go out into the world and to set a course of success. Preparing yourself and your student for this can be overwhelming at times.

What Does Graduation Mean?

Prior to high school graduation, sit down with your high school senior and talk. Talk about school and their goals and what experiences they have had in the last few months. Find out what their friends are doing and what decisions they may have made about the future. Since most students have already decided on the college they will attend at this point you already know that, but do you know what they plan to do at this time?

Find out what is important to your student, too. What role do they want you, as their parent, to play during the next few years. Some students are happy with a credit card and a free ride while others want to be more accountable for their futures right out the door. Some may still need encouragement and talks each night to their parents even after they are at school. Others will not think to call mom or dad until they need something. Talk with your high schooler to find out what they want from you during this transition.

To Party Or Not?

Most high school seniors do plan a high school graduation party. The party may be a simple family event during the day but a fun party for them and their friends afterward. Having family and friends celebrate this day is one of the best ways to help your graduate know how proud you are of them. Realize that the many high school students do not graduate but do drop out. The fact that your child has made it this far is one of the proudest moments for a mother and father, as it should be. Let them know that you are proud of this accomplishment.

A party is also a good way for students to get to know what their family and friends are doing in the coming months. Many will go away to school, which may mean a loss of regular communication between the two. It may also mean that there will be changes in their life that you may not realize. A party is a good way for them to sit back and relax from all of this.

If your high schooler would like a high school graduation party, help them plan it. You may want to do it for them, but it can be a good learning experience to allow them to be part of the planning themselves. From to decorations to invitations and thank you notes, they should plan to do much of the work themselves. They will need to greet those that come to see them and they will need to be respectful to older adults when asked questions about their plans. When it does come time for their friends to come by, you may want to give them some privacy and time to bond. This is not to say that anything goes as most parents should remain at least watchful during their teen’s party.

Take the time to consider the benefits of high school graduation and the effects it will have on not only you, but your child. Graduation is also a good time to work with them on their plans for the future. From college to working and even their living arrangements, these are all changes that could happen with your high schooler in the coming months or years. By planning and working with them, you could build a successful, strong relationship with them while making sure they have everything they need to do well in the coming months. Many parents see graduation as an end to their days of raising their child, but it could be just the start of an adult relationship.