Senior Week

Knitkneelionmom · 03-05-2008, 04:08 PM

What is your opinion on "senior week" after graduation from high school? So far the husband and I have put our foot down and said no. It was not an issue with child number one. Child number 2 continues to badger, cajole and whine. "All of my friends are allowed to go to the beach, why can't I"

HisGraceFillsMe · 03-05-2008, 04:12 PM

"Because your friends' parents are idiots."

Seriously, that's what I'd tell him. And I'm a HS Senior.

I honestly don't get it...these are the same people you've complained about being stuck with for four years, and now you want to shack up with them on the beach for a week?

I might take my friends and do something fun, but most of them are a year under me and we probably would just go see a movie and dinner or something fun like that.

momsworried · 03-05-2008, 04:28 PM

I agree with HisGraceFillsMe, "Because your friends' Parents are idiots." What are they thinking? Do they think it is going to be an innocent week at the beach? These parents are afraid to say "no" to their kids. Good job Knitkneelionmon!! I applaud you! Your child will still love you.

MidwestMom2Kids_ · 03-05-2008, 04:31 PM

At our inner ring public high school, the kids start their summer jobs the week after they graduate.

HisGraceFillsMe · 03-05-2008, 04:41 PM

"Your child will still love you."

Seriously...it's not like this is the event of their lifetime or anything.

...and if it is, they need to reprioritize.

RacinReaver · 03-05-2008, 05:26 PM

My brother went on a week-long trip with a few of his friends to the beach for senior week. He still says it was one of his favorite memories of high school since it was the last hurrah for him and his friends before they went their separate ways to college. My dad and I stayed elsewhere in the town (I'm a few years younger) in case anything bad happened and they needed help. The only problem that happened during their week was when my brother fell asleep under the sun for eight hours and got sunburnt pretty badly, so we dropped by to help with first aid a little.

If you can't trust your kid to make good decisions for a week at the beginning of the summer, why do you think they'll be any more responsible two months later when they leave for college? Wouldn't senior week be a great way to help teach them about responsibility? Make them pay for their own vacation. They'll learn quickly how to budget money if they want to do fun things every night, they'll learn about saving, and they'll learn quite a bit about living with a roommate before they actually have to live with one for a whole year.

jsmom · 03-05-2008, 05:45 PM

Senior week is popular at our HS and varies from a week at the beach (1.5 hours away) but also to further drives in NC (8 - 10 Hours), FL, Caribbean and even England. I can see getting together to hang out with HS friends and relax and enjoy being together before you all go your separate ways. Maybe a weekend camping trip or concert or possibly a few days at the beach. I am letting my D do that but the trip is on her dime not mine. I went to the beach for a week with my HS friends and we had a great time. Perhaps you could arrange to be close by when they go as RacinReaver did. I do still try to have some rules but also realize she's off and can do what she wants more or less in a few months time - so I may as well let her enjoy being with her HS friends as long as I am comfortable with where she is going and what the arrangements are and that it isn't too costly and she pays for it.

lindz0722 · 03-05-2008, 05:57 PM

I agree 100% with RacinReaver. Your kid will be going to college a couple short months after the beach week-- and will be doing anything that would have happened at the beach week, plus more. Make your kid pay for the trip, gas/transportation, food, and all. He or she will get to have a fun last hurrah with high school friends, and you can start giving up a bit of parental control for a week. (My mom said that my beach week was good practice for her as far as worrying about me goes.)

Karen Colleges · 03-05-2008, 06:24 PM

Haven't had this topic pop up at our house, but I like the idea of a parent being in the same town in case of a problem. Reminds me of when the kids were in middle school and wanted to do the mall. I'd set them free, but would hang at the mall starbucks or the bookstore in case they needed me.

mountains · 03-05-2008, 06:36 PM

Karen Colleges - I, too, liked the idea of having a parent in the same town. My son recently mentioned that they were planning a camping weekend about 3 hours from home. I immediately said that his Dad will be in his own tent in the same campground (and I was dead serious)! Obviously, I got the "look" and not much else - for now, anyway. There's a great shopping outlet near this campground and I think we'll offer to be in a hotel in the same town in case of a problem.

oldfort · 03-05-2008, 06:53 PM

We were very lucky that a friend's parents decided to host the senior week at their ski lodge. There were 10+ co-ed kids. The parents hired people full time to supervise and cook for the kids. They also stayed at the house, but was not around all the time to give kids some space. We were very grateful. It was a great week for the kids.

But no, we would not let our kids go to unsupervised senior week. Our college age daughter is going away with us for spring break in a week.

Lafalum84 · 03-05-2008, 07:01 PM

Senior week around here means the week BEFORE graduation, and it's when the class does things together (a trip to an amusement park, a dinner cruise, a baseball game, etc).

Trips after graduation are not common here. A couple of weeks after graduation, my son & 4 friends did a "road trip." They drove 15 hours to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio, stayed in a cheap hotel, and rode Cedar Point's 17 roller coasters for 3 days. An all-male trip, good kids, well-planned out, so we let him go. All the kids were 18, so I don't think they could get any alcohol, and they weren't drinkers anyway - they got their thrills on the roller coasters. He paid for it himself, with earnings and some graduation gift $$.

Had he wanted to go to a known "party" area (Daytona Beach, Cancun, etc) I don't know that I would have let him go.

citygirlsmom · 03-05-2008, 07:43 PM

my ds have'/had no interest in that...didn't wnat to be around a bunch of stupid drunks....

when my oldest graduated, I sent her to the east coast to visit friends she met at various camps- she had a blast

for my younger, it will be the same thing

toledo · 03-05-2008, 08:28 PM

We do it the week before graduation, too, like Lafalum84. Everything is school sponsored and parents are in charge (gee, they must really trust us.) During the week there is a barbeque, a talent show starring the seniors, a service project, and a day trip. We make signs and put them up in the yard of each student.

M's Mom · 03-05-2008, 08:29 PM

Our neighbor's daughter and her friends were offered an alternative by their wise parents: 5 days in NY City to sightsee, attend the theater, etc...The girls decided this sounded much better than a week watching class-mates behave foolishly. Another parent offered an outright bribe-cash for a trip abroad during a summer in college if they would forgo the booze-fueled week at the beach.