Graduation Planning Checklist and Party Planning

So your son’s or daughter’s graduation is coming and there is so much to think about.   With a graduation checklist you and your soon-to-be graduate will have a smooth and easy time of it.

Graduation time is a great time of celebration, and most families are planning a party of some kind.  Family and friends want to celebrate, and young graduates are involved with their friends, school and prom plans.  There is so much for parents (and teens) to remember and plan that a graduation checklist is an absolute must!

Graduation is a huge accomplishment and your teen is assessing where he or she is going with their lives (both happily anticipating and dreading their upcoming freedom).  Involving them in the preparations and activities that go into this exciting event is very important.  It helps them to have the kind of experience at graduation time that they really want – to make it a memory to cherish.

If you are planning to invite extended family members, and budget is not a problem, you may be inviting Aunt Sarah to the graduation itself, but if the party at home is made up of your teen’s friends, Aunt Sarah would stick out like a sore thumb.  In this case you and your teen will need to discuss just how to include extended family members who want to celebrate with him or her.

You may need different invitations for the graduation ceremony than you do the party.  Things like this may seem small, but to your teen they are BIG!  Remind your teen that they will want to acknowledge, and spend quality time with both extended family and friends, whether at different times, or all together at one big party that includes both.

Tight Budgets

Budgets for family parties may be tight, and your teen needs to understand this.  Having a combined party of both family and just a few key school friends helps keep costs down too.  Remind your teen that the purpose of a graduation prom is so that teens can be solely with their friends on a special night.  If they want the graduation gift from Aunt Sarah, and other family members, making her feel a part of the joy of the occasion, and spending some time with her is important.

From the announcements/invitations down to the “thank you” cards, there is a lot to be done. Then there’s the party checklist itself, separate from the graduation checklist.  It compiles an entirely other set of things to take care of.  The graduation checklist is a handy tool and will save lots of headache in planning, and the graduation party checklist will also help parents get a handle on the party planning to keep everything within budget.

Here’s a resource for creative graduation party planning on a budget.  Whatever your celebration plans, it’s going to be a wonderful memory for you and your teen!