Fourth Grade Graduation-Not as Think as You Dumb It Is

Yes, I did it. After celebrating the glory of my fourth grader walking across the stage and receiving his diploma, bidding elementary school a fond farewell, I took him out to lunch. And I taught him a bar game. Couth? Probably not. But it impressed the hell out of every other fourth grader in the room (and most of the adults) so I figure I can write it off as a valuable life skill.

Right?

Fourth Grade Graduation-Not as Think as You Dumb It Is
You know, once upon a time I thought that elementary school graduation was dumb. The same can be said about middle school graduation. They were just brief stopovers on the way to the main event, right?

This morning, sniffling back tears while the kids sang some random song about saving the planet (something having kids who are actually going to need it one day has given me a WHOLE new perspective on), it all suddenly made sense. This isn’t a celebration for them.

This is for you.

This is your reward for every time you thought about strangling them because you got another note home from the teacher that they didn’t turn in their homework.

Gratitude for every sleepless night you spent sitting up with them putting together the science fair project they forgot was due. At 9 am. The next morning.

Public recognition of the fact that you have gotten up every morning, Monday through Friday, rain or shine or three feet of snow, rolled that small, unwilling, protesting body out of bed, slipped its limp arms and legs into pants and a shirt, slapped together some random something for breakfast and walked out the door and down to the bus stop before your first cup of coffee.

This is a moment of triumph you can look back on when you’re reading notes from their middle school teachers that they didn’t turn in their homework, paying through the nose for lost/broken locker locks and wading through page after page of text for answers you could have in five minutes if the school would let you use Wikipedia.

Congrats, Mom and Dad, You Did It

Fourth grade graduation is tangible proof that your little guy or gal is on their way to becoming a responsible adult, and since they managed to walk away with a diploma in their hand instead of an invitation to come back for another round, you’re both doing something right. So congrats. You made through another milestone.

Kick back, relax and enjoy the summer. The easy years are over. This might be the last break you ever get.