Teenagers who are graduating in 2022 have had a heck of the last few years. That’s why I’ve put together some fun tips on How To Celebrate Your Teen’s High School Graduation In 2022.

 

How To Celebrate Your Teen’s High School Graduation In 2022

It’s no secret that the class of 2022 has had a tough few years. Not only have they had to process the events of the pandemic, but they’ve also faced challenges related to online learning, rescheduled examinations and have often been isolated from their peers for long periods of time. 

As a result, with their graduation quickly approaching, it’s important that you find as many ways to celebrate as possible – after all, they deserve it! 

With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to celebrate your teen’s graduation in 2022! 

Send out Graduation Announcements

Graduation announcements are a great way to show your family, friends, and other loved ones just how proud you are of your teen. You can also use graduation announcements from MagnetStreet as a way to invite people to any graduation celebrations you are planning, be they virtual or in-person. If your teen has had any senior photographs taken, be sure to include them in the announcement. Alternatively, you could dust off your favorite (and mildly embarrassing) photos of them when they were younger to show how far they have come. When planning a party, it’s important that you send out these invitations sooner rather than later so that your guests can mark off the date in their calendars – reducing the chances of no-shows or last-minute cancellations. 

 

Plan some kind of celebration. 

The next step towards celebrating your teen’s graduation is to plan a killer party. More recently, many families have chosen to host a virtual graduation party in order to help keep people safe during the pandemic. If this is your plan, then ensure you lay out some kind of plan ahead of time. For example, you might want to find fun, interactive games that guests can play even when they are not in the same room to ensure that everyone is entertained throughout. Furthermore, just because the party is online doesn’t mean you can’t decorate your home in order to get into the party spirit. For example, you could set up garlands, posters, and signs in your home – creating the perfect backdrop for your zoom call. 

 

While virtual parties can still be a lot of fun, by summer 2022, you should also be able to host in-person parties. If this makes you feel a little anxious, you could always host them outdoors instead of inside, especially as you’ll likely have the warm weather and sunshine on your side. 

 

Party planning can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. You simply have to give yourself plenty of time to prepare. To begin with, you should set aside some kind of budget, so you know exactly how much to spend. You should be able to cover the costs of: 

 

• Venue hire 
• Food/Drink
• Decorations 
• Entertainment 

 

However, there are plenty of ways in which you can keep the cost of this celebration low. For example, you could make your own DIY graduation party decor as opposed to buying them from the store. For instance, you could use paper, cards, and string to create simple garlands in the shape of graduation caps, which will look great when strung from the ceiling. You could also print out your favorite photographs and use them to create an exciting wall collage. 

Additionally, instead of hiring a local venue, you could host the party within your home (though be prepared for some clean-up afterward). Finally, you could also get together with some of their friends and host joint celebrations, which means you’ll be able to split the costs. This is also a great way to ensure that your kid has fun with their friends as they can all come together after the graduation ceremony, as opposed to going to separate events. This could be particularly meaningful for your teenager if they are heading to a different college to their friends and will no longer be able to spend as much time with each other. 

 

When it comes to food, drink, and refreshments, this is the area of the party where you will likely spend the most money – though this also depends on how many graduation notifications and invites you send out. However, you can save money in this area by preparing the food yourself as opposed to hiring a caterer. For example, if you’re hosting an outdoor party, you could set up a grill and BBQ. Alternatively, you could put on some kind of buffet. You could also host a potluck party, where guests all bring different food and snacks along with them. 

 

Furthermore, you can cut down on entertainment costs by putting together a really good playlist. While this may be a job you want to hand over to your teen, you could also ask each guest to suggest two or three songs they’d like to hear and put them all together in one big playlist. This way, everyone will listen to at least a handful of songs they like throughout the night – meaning that you’ll always have people up on the dancefloor. 

 

Have a chat with them about their future.

While you may not remember the exact details of your own high school graduation, you probably do remember how it felt. To be on the cusp of adulthood, surrounded by friends but knowing that everything was about to change. It’s a time that’s both exciting and terrifying – and that means your teens will need your support more than ever, even if they don’t want to show it. As a result, the best thing you can be during this time is supportive. While you may be keen to help your teen decide where to go to college and to talk about the future as much as possible, let them speak about their plans on their own terms. It’s also vital that you don’t make decisions on their behalf or try to push them down a particular direction. While you may have their best intentions at heart, the future is in their hands now, and it’s time to let them take the reign. It’s no secret that raising teens is tough work, and why they will always rely on you, you have to let them make their own decision and, additionally, their own mistakes. 

 

Host a graduation photo shoot. 

Most high schools will hire out professional photographers for the big day – but these photographs are often expensive to purchase after the fact. Therefore, you can help keep down the costs of your celebrations by hosting your own photoshoot at home. In many cases, these photos often turn out better as your teen will feel more comfortable when it’s someone they know behind the camera as opposed to a stranger. While you should ensure you take a few ‘posed’ photographs, you should also aim for pictures that look a little more candid and natural. For example, getting your teen to laugh is a great way to take photographs that show off their joy and excitement. 

 

It also means you can get the whole family involved in the photo shoot, from siblings to pets. If the photos don’t turn out perfect, don’t worry, you can always edit them later. If you have little experience when it comes to editing photographs, there are plenty of photo editing apps that can do the hard work for you. 

 

Keep the gifts simple. 

Plenty of parents like to celebrate their children’s graduation with gifts – however, it’s important to remember that they don’t have to be expensive in order to have an impact. In fact, sentimental or homemade gifts often go a long way, especially when you are commemorating a special event. For example, if your teen will be heading off to college in the fall, you could help them prepare for freshman year of college by putting together a college survival pack for them. For example, this could include items such as toiletries, notebooks, kitchen utensils, and more. You could also give them vouchers for stores so that they’re able to stock their cupboards with something other than instant ramen when they are there.

 

If you’re looking for gifts that are a little more sentimental, you could print out your favorite photographs and put together a collage or photo album. You could take this one step further by having different friends or family members contribute, with each person including some pictures and a small, handwritten message of luck. 

 

Let them know how proud you are.

When it comes to celebrating our kid’s achievements, we’re often quick to tell others how proud we are of them – whether you are chatting with friends or uploading a long-winded Facebook post. However, in doing this, we sometimes forget to pass this praise on to the person we’re actually talking about. Therefore, the best (and most simple) way to celebrate your teen’s graduation is to simply let them know how happy and proud you are. While they may roll their eyes and act embarrassed, having that conversation is essential. It’s a great way to boost their confidence, self-esteem, and their own sense of pride.