Do you remember your prom? Whether your memories of that event were good or bad, there’s one thing that’s for sure: Prom signified finishing high school and starting the transition into adulthood.
Now, some preschools are holding proms for the youngsters at the end of the school year to celebrate finishing preschool – complete with ball gowns and limos.
What?
This event has been on the rise, and parents are going nuts for it.
Parents are taking to Twitter and Instagram with pictures of their little ones dressed to the nines. Dates, limos, corsages – the whole shebang.
Some people think that this is just going overboard.
“It’s sad that there are no longer “rites of passage” or things to look forward to when raising children. They are doing things bigger and bigger, younger and younger. The sense of materialism and entitlement that comes along with that is depressing,” says one commenter.
And some people think this is more for the parents than it is for the children.
“A pre-K prom takes away the uniqueness of an actual prom in high school, which is supposed to be a milestone. Getting out of pre-K is not. However, a pre-K prom gives helicopter parents the opportunity to do everything they might have wanted for themselves as teenagers. That’s living vicariously through their children. And that’s WRONG!” says commenter Enedelia Obregon.
Others think that a prom is a great idea for toddlers.
“I love the idea of prom at all milestones. It gives children/students something to look forward to. It is no different than a school dance, which is something I had at their level as well. My 8th grade prom was more memorable than my senior one. I’m not a fan of the make-up or anything that removes the innocence from these children, but to each its own. Let the babies have fun. We mustn’t be so critical,” says commenter Je M’adore.
Let me just say that I did not have a prom when I was a mere toddler and you know what? I’m OK with that. I think that a celebration at the end of the year, like a pizza party or a movie day, is perfectly fine. They should be proud of themselves.
But a prom? Prom is generally a milestone in a teenager’s life, and symbolizes the transition from teen to adulthood and celebrating their completion of 13 years of school.
That’s a big accomplishment!
This seems over the top to me to have a big formal prom for preschoolers. They shouldn’t be adults yet; they should enjoy being children first.
Are we being too harsh – or do you think this is ridiculous? Let us know in the comments!
