Congratulations, Class of 2024! You did it!
Graduation day is an extremely exciting moment in all students’ lives. After working hard for years and looking forward to holding a diploma in your hand, you finally get the chance to walk across that stage and say goodbye to the institution that provided you with a great education.
Because this day is so special, most graduates expect to leave the ceremony and find their closest friends and family members waiting for them. So when one teen realized that his parents left the ceremony prematurely, he decided that he was no longer in the mood for photos. Below, you’ll find the full story that the teen recently shared on Reddit, as well as some of the replies readers left him.
Graduation is an extremely important day for students
Image credits: Charles DeLoye (not the actual image)
So when this teen realized that his parents left the ceremony without telling him, he decided he was no longer in the mood for photos
Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual image)
Image credits: FunnyAffectionate795
Later, the teen responded to several readers and shared more information about the situation
Graduation is an important accomplishment that deserves to be celebrated
Graduation is a huge accomplishment. Whether you’ve graduated from high school, university, or just earned your PhD, it’s always worth celebrating. In fact, not everyone earns even a high school diploma, as only 87% of people in the United States have one. And in some states, graduation rates are as low as 77%. Students deserve to be proud of their hard work in high school and celebrate completing this milestone, and it’s only natural for them to want to have their loved ones around cheering them on.
According to GraduationsNow, part of what makes graduation so special is that you’ll only get to experience a few of them in your lifetime. Or perhaps only one! It’s not an everyday event, so it’s worth it to go above and beyond and make the day feel special. Throw a party with your family, or go out for a nice dinner. Host a nice brunch, or go bowling with your friends. Anything that will make the day memorable will be worth it.
Graduation day will likely also be the last time you and all of your closest friends are in the same place. You might be moving away to a different city, or even a different country, and it may become difficult to keep in touch. Cherish this last time that you get to see all of your classmates together, and don’t hesitate to take photos so you’ll be able to look back on the day forever.
It can be painful when parents don’t provide the support their children need
Another special aspect of graduating is that your friends and family members get to celebrate you. Graduates have worked hard for the past four years or so, and their loved ones should make it clear how proud of them they are.
Parents might bring bouquets of flowers, and friends might gift a bottle of champagne to show how excited they are. This is one of the rare times in life where you get to pause and bask in your hard work before getting back to the grind, so all graduates should take full advantage of it.
Unfortunately, in this situation, the teen’s parents abandoned him during a moment when they should have been extremely proud of him. It’s understandable to want to be by their daughter’s side as well, but it’s heartbreaking to realize that your parents aren’t there when you’ve been looking forward to a hug and support.
This might not have seemed like a big deal to this mother and father, but parents failing to meet their children’s emotional needs can have a huge impact on their kids and their relationships. Michelle P. Maidenberg PhD, MPH, LCSW-R, CGP, explains on Psychology Today that having a lack of emotional support from parents can lead to kids feeling lonely, different, misunderstood and overlooked.
Kids are likely to push their parents away when they don’t receive ample love and attention
Children who have been made to feel this way by their parents might also have tumultuous relationships with their parents or decide to distance themselves from their family members. They might feel crazy when parents deny that they’ve ever treated them poorly, and they can fall into an unhealthy cycle of constantly trying to earn their parents’ love and approval.
As for the role parents play in this, it’s wise for moms and dads to prioritize creating strong and healthy bonds with their children and ensuring that they’re actually there for them when they need it. Parenting NI notes on their site that having a secure attachment to parents “leads to healthy social, emotional, cognitive, and motivational development.”
Plus, kids who have a great relationship with their parents usually know how to better regulate their emotions, have better problem-solving skills, tend to be more optimistic and confident in social situations, and usually have better social and academic skills.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this teen was right to refuse to put on his cap and gown to allow his parents to take photos? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing family drama at graduation, look no further than right here!
Many readers assured the teen that he had every right to feel frustrated
However, some thought that his sister’s labor should have taken priority in this situation
The post Parents Abandon Teen At His Graduation, He Refuses To Put His Cap And Gown On Again For Photos first appeared on Bored Panda.