DS is graduating 8th grade. His class is small-under 100 and all the kids know each other and for the most part get along. He has to date been invited to 9 graduation parties! They are all at home pool parties except one which is a formal dinner. When the first few came home together I figured I'd put $10 in a card. Now that there are 9 and possibly more coming, I know I can't shell out that kind of money. Do folks expect the kids to bring gifts to these kind of parties? I am at a loss as to what to do because he is friends with all these kids and does not want to pick and choose which to go to. TIA for your advice.
PS- one is being given in honor of a number of kids and it says no gifts please.

my daughter has been to about a dozen graduation parties in the past few weeks and is having her graduation party next weekend. No gifts are exchanged or expected from fellow classmates. She has given a small gift to a close friend though. All the kids said that if they had to give gifts to all their classmates they would never be able to afford all the parties.
These parties were for high school graduation not 8th grade.

My son just graduated 8th grade too. No presents are expected. The kids just want to get together to celebrate and maybe an acknowledgment of the work that they put in.

My son was thrilled that I had bought a sign (Dollar Tree - $1.00) that said Congratulations Graduate and stuck it in the yard. Neighbors told him congratulations. We also gave him a card ith $50.00. It would have been more but DH got noticed he will be getting laid off, and DS could have done better with some of his grades. One of his grandma sent him a check for $25.00.

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Donna

My daughter graduated from 8th grade last year from a Catholic school. There were 58 in the class, and maybe 15 of them had a party in June or July, so parties were going on almost all summer. I was a little surprised that some of the kids brought a gift or a card with money to the party for the graduate. I guess that my thought process was they are all graduates, why bring a gift. I think it was just a nice gesture to the host of the party. I really do not think a gift is expected.

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and to think almost all the rest of us got along without grad parties for makeing through Kindergarten and into middle school and into high school. now theres a party for everything. I dont mind going too much though i hate crowds of people. it's the people that must scream and shreik everytime their kids names called and continue on so they drowned out the peoples names that come next :-/

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Wow...I've never heard of so many graduations parties for the 8th grade. That's really something with 50-100 kids that age.....I would never be that brave.

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Personally I think just a nice card is enough. Save your money for when your son graduates from high school. You will probably get several announcements & party invitations and will want to give something then.

Here they don't even call it graduation for 8th grade. It is called promotion And it's the same thing from 5th or 6th grade into middle school depending on the school district.

Personally I think it's stupid to have a graduation party for 8th grade. What are they graduating from? Just like having a graduation ceremony for preschool, kindergarden, etc. This stuff has gone way too far. Why not wait until senior graduation and then they'll really be excited and looking forward to it??

My niece just had graduation from primary school. WHY???

I had an 8th grade graduation ceremony, completely with mass and a party after.

It was a big big deal. High school was such a different level! You were expected to be more "grown up" to an extent, in way of studies, responsibilities, etc. You were getting to choose some classes. You got to choose which school you went to - public, in your district, or parochial, one of a few. That's very different than elementary! It was THE topic of conversation the last couple months of the 8th grade year.

I don't know how to explain it effectively I guess. It WAS something that was understood, that "graduation" and hence lead-in to a new way and year. 13 and 14 yr olds are capable of understanding what it means. Most of us had family type parties with a handful of friends. None of us bought gifts for each other, just went and enjoyed a light meal and company.

Now pre-school or Kindergarten? I don't get that. They're not capable of understand what a "graduation" is at that point.

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Mom2twins2- I agree! I graduated from high school, and college, that was it. That's one reason I wasn't sure what to do. It seems they give kids awards, graduations and too many pats on the back for doing what they are supposed to do. It kinda takes away from the "real thing" IMHO

At our local middle school they do not have an 8th grade graduation. They do not consider that they are *graduating*, instead they do what they call a celebration. I think the term celebration is a much better fit, as they ease into high school. I have an older daughter who has been out of school for five years now, and I have another who will be in eight grade next year. It is a very small class (about 34 students). My niece had her celebration last week. We went out to dinner as a family, but there was no real party. I don't think anyone in the class had a party. As far as I know, no gifts were exchanged. Graduations are for High School and College. JMHO