You did it! Blood, sweat, tears, and fears – you conquered them all and you are now on the other side. You made it to the day you have worked for so long. As homeschool parents, we play a huge part in our High School Senior making it to the big day. In the end though, it is a day they have to own for themselves. After the first child graduates, you can let out a sigh of relief. You didn’t ruin your child!
So now that the courses have been completed, the credits have been given, and the transcript has been completed here are a few tips on making your senior’s day special.
1. Talk with your senior and ask them what they would like to do. You may have grand plans but they may want simple or vice versa. This is their big day so get their input first. There are so many options now for homeschoolers and I highly recommend HomeschoolDiploma.com as a fantastic resource for diplomas, cap and gowns, invitations and more. Be sure to check out the crew’s latest reviews too.
2. If you have a local homeschool group (as we did), I am sure you will have a few veterans to help you along the way – use them! I have found that they are more than willing to help. I know I am ready to bless another family the way I was blessed. Having someone to help plan the ceremony and walk through the process with is such a blessing.
A couple of things to keep in mind while planning are:
- venue
- date and time
- decorations needed
- tables/chairs needed
- food
- how many graduates/guests
- speakers
- photographer/videographer
3. An at-home ceremony can be just as special as a formal one. We actually did both and I wouldn’t change either one! It was great to have the formal ceremony with fellow graduating peers but it was just as great to have a special party for our graduate. We used some of the same decorations for both parties and tried to keep both as low-key and simple as we could.
4. A few special touches make the day even more special. Most of the items I picked up from the Target Dollar Spot or Dollar Tree.
Display Table with memories – we included lots of pictures, trophies, awards, 1st t-ball pants, a memory book for guests to leave the graduate a special note, and a bucket for cards given by guests.
Balloons and confetti are two of the most economical decorations you can have and really add a special touch to your displays.
5. Take the time to write your Senior a little note to reflect on them individually. It’s great if the whole family could pitch in and say a little something for the graduate. We recorded ours and played it at the ceremony which really helped ease the nerves and tears! You can see what we wrote here.
Have you graduated a homeschool child? What are some of your favorite tips to make the big day special?
