It’s the end of July and that means it is the end of term for schools, nursery and play groups etc. That also means that my Facebook feed has been bombarded with pictures of prom outfits. I was not expecting there to be photos of preschool proms!
When I finished secondary school (no, not high school as it’s called now) proms were not a thing. We didn’t get to do anything special for leaving school. Well, going out and getting drunk wasn’t an official leaving celebration but that’s what I did at 16.
I have no idea when it became a thing for children to ‘graduate’ from nursery or whatever preschool they attend. When did it become a thing that children ‘graduate’ from every year they finish at school. Isn’t school just a normal thing that children need to get through every year no matter what. No one even mentioned it when I was that age! Going up a year just happened.
I honestly cannot say I agree with preschoolers having a prom at the end of the year. A few of my friends have children this age at the moment and both of them got a prom at the end of the year. I just don’t get it. I see people going way over the top for 3 or 4 year olds, buying them expensive dresses and outfits but what for. Isn’t it just a school disco?! When did it become a prom?
Having a ‘prom’ at this age makes me wonder if children are learning too early about the pressure of fitting in. I wonder if girls feel upset if their dress wasn’t as big or pretty as their friend’s dresses. What if the boys don’t go in a proper suit. Will this carry on as they get older. I know they’re only supposed to be something fun but I think they’re made a bigger deal of than needed.
How do you feel about preschool proms?