Creative Ways to Celebrate Graduation during the Corona Virus
Virtual Graduation Ideas to celebrate your child
With the coronavirus pandemic taking its toll on the world, nothing seems certain anymore. And everyone – old, young and the unborn – is affected. What this means for children is that they might be missing out on major school milestones like graduation ceremonies and senior prom.
So, if your child is missing out on some special events, how can you help them feel better? What alternatives can you consider to substitute the graduation ceremonies?
In this post, you’ll learn what you can do to help your child go through the pain, let it out, and embrace alternatives to transition well.
How to Process the Loss of Events Due to Coronavirus
Focus on the Positive
This may sound a little off but it’s true. Instead of dwelling on the negative, think of all the positive qualities around you. For example, your child may be missing a celebration in their life, but you are all gaining a huge amount of time to share together before they move onto the next stage in their life. Even when you get cabin fever, remember that these moments you have with your child during quarantine may give you family moments you missed out on due to your face paced life.
Accept the Hurt
It’s OK to be sad about missing senior prom or 5th grade graduation walks or baseball season. It’s okay if you’re worried about your kids losing some experiences.
Nonetheless, start by helping them accept the hurt of this loss. These times are unsettling, and there isn’t so much that you can do to change things. Recognize how you feel. Admit the anger, sadness, disappointment – whatever it is. That’s the starting point.
As parents, it’s possible that you also feel disappointed and unhappy about the new turn of events. So as you help your child come to terms with their feelings, do the same for yourself.
Graduation for one can be a really special moment for parents, especially parents of kids who struggled at school. Your child worked hard to get to this moment and now it’s gone. On the flip side, make sure that you are not imposing your own grief on your child. Let them express their feelings separate from your disappointment.
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Creative ways to Celebrate Graduation for your Child
Look for Alternatives
Besides looking at the positives and acknowledging your feelings, find other ways to make things celebrate your high school senior , 8th grade student or 5th grade child.
Many parents who belong to graduation committees that planned events all year round.Whether it’s elementary, middle or high school, graduation ceremonies are usually priceless moments. Now, instead of merely feeling bad about the present situation, think outside the box. What ideas can you put in place for your kids who are missing out on major milestones? For instance, if your child is missing out on the walking ceremony,reach out to the planning committees to talk about alternative solutions or come up with some on your own. One big idea I came up with is the creation of a video montage. Although this would require some effort from many, it’s a really great way to create something personal. Depending on the size of the class, have each graduating senior or elementary student record a 30 seconds, 1 minute or 2-minute video. Parents could give speeches or a teacher could give a farewell message. Create something cool and beautiful. Look for super, meaningful, creative ways to celebrate your child. Other ideas include:
1. Create a timeline of your child’s accomplishments
2. Make a memory box for unique achievements throughout your child’s high school, middle school and elementary years.
3. Plan a summer activity to replace prom or an end of the year party. Don’t make concrete plans. Keep them loose enough that they can be altered.
Reach out to the Community
Another way to help your child who might be missing out on some major school events is to reach out. Connecting with smaller groups or communities will enable you to figure out new ways to minimize the losses during these times. I know there are graduation ceremonies for middle school students – fifth grade to ninth grade. Rather than let those go, find out if there are planners for each grade or Facebook groups for instance. Who are the homeroom parents? Alternatively, if your kid has 4-5 friends, consider planning a joint event to celebrate them. Keep social distancing in mind, and plan these events for later in the summer when (hopefully) we will be back to a more normal way of life.
Find Virtual Tours of College Campuses
Another milestone that students are missing are college campus tours. Use this time at home to do your own research!
1. Go to the individual colleges and looking for their virtual tours. Most campuses have virtual tours for international students and those who can’t travel down to the campuses.
2. Inquire if there are student ambassadors that are available to meet with your child via Zoom or phone call.
3. Look for an alumni list or a family friend who went to the school who can provide answers to your questions and share their experiences on campus. This is a great way to practice interview skills and maybe earn a future letter of reccomendation!
In Closing
We can’t replace experiences and things that are lost. But we can find alternatives to reduce how much we miss out on. Remember to talk to other parents and kids who are missing out on these important milestones. Talk about how you feel. Acknowledge it. But think outside the box.
Talk to me on Teampasch.com if you have any questions or ideas I can help with. Finally, if you’re finding yourself in an online learning environment, I have recorded a bonus episode for parents and educators. Visit this page to listen.
You are not alone in this!
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Marni Pasch | Academic Coach | Host of the Podcast School Counselor Gone Rogue | Team Pasch Academic Coaching
As a trained school counselor turned academic coach, I work with students in grades 6th and higher, who struggle with academic confidence and motivation. Together we create concrete goals, tackle procrastination and learn creative study techniques. My mission is to empower teenagers to thrive in school on their terms. Want to work together? Contact me for individual or group coaching so teens can achieve success in life, school, career, and their social endeavors. I provided in person academic coaching in Orlando, FL, but work with students across the country through Zoom!