Kids being picked up from school in limos.....

[Bouncy Ball]

Next week is the end of school here. Several of my daughter's friends have parents who have arranged to pick them up from school in a limo to celebrate their promotion to second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, whatever. They pick them up, balloons tied all over the limo, then drive all over the area with the kids hanging out the windows yelling and celebrating.

This has gone on for a few years. I don't live in an affluent area or anything, but obviously there's some disposable income to be doing this.

Thing is, I think it's kind of silly. I mean, they finished third grade (as an example). Ok, great! Way to go, kid! Let's have some cookies and milk! But a LIMO?

And my question is, what are they going to do when they finish middle school? A hot air ballooning expedition with their closest friends? Rent out an entire hotel and party in the ballroom? What about graduating from high school? A three day bash with a live concert? A trip around the world?

Also, birthday parties for nine year olds are now being held in hotels. They rent out four or five rooms, have the party in a small-ish ballroom, then the kids have a giant slumber party in the rooms.

Am I just an old fogey for thinking this is all rather crazy?

[RandomKoolzip]

1. Do they have bling bling at that age, too?

I can just see the kids sipping Alize and putting huge chrome rims on the tires of their Big Wheels.

[Bouncy Ball]

15. Heh.

They're a bit old for big wheels, but no, in most other ways, they are just normal kids.

I can just see a seven year old screaming "WHERE'S MY FUCKING LIMO, BITCH?"

[Reverend_Smitty]

2. if parents are doing that stuff

for elementary school...then what are they going to do when their kids graduate from high school? I'd say they are rasing the bar a bit too high

[tk2kewl]

3. Ridiculous

Birthday parties in some places around me have gotten nuts too.

Pony rides, carnival rides, entertainers, etc all in someones backyard

[yvr girl]

4. In my day being picked up from school was not cool

No matter what the mode of transportation was

[Gelliebeans]

21. I know what you mean

we were picked up across the street at a McDonalds parking lot.

[philosophie_en_rose]

5. It seems really embarassing.

The last thing I would have wanted my parents to do was to parade me around the school in a limo.

[SmokingJacket]

6. It's a bit much.

However, I like that school accomplishments are being celebrated with the kind of enthusiasm that used to be reserved for sports achievements.

About time!

Now, if only excellent students could be recruited with the vigor that athletes are...

[seemunkee]

7. Stupid

The kids will develop a sense of privelege and that they deserve lavish praise for every little accomplishment.

[Bouncy Ball]

11. Hmm.

"they deserve lavish praise for every little accomplishment."

Sounds like bush, doesn't it? LOL!

[LSparkle]

8. You are NOT an old fogey

Kids are SUPPOSED to finish second, third, fourth grade, etc. If you have to make a big deal out of finishing the early grades, what does that say about being able to make it through high school? I'm all for celebrating when you reach milestones (end of jr. high, high school, college), but geez ... These kids are going to expect a reward just for getting up in the morning!

[leftofthedial]

9. maybe for high school gradumitation

they could fly a Navy jet into the parking lot amid a zillion SUVs and "Mission Accomplished" signs.

[Pirate Smile]

10. That is crazy. What the hell are they trying to teach their kids?

Now if you do what you are supposed to, even when you are 9, the world should throw you a party? Setting up a bad precedent.

Everybody is a hero now just for doing what they are supposed to do.

Not good.

[SCDem]

12. Seems as ridiculous as

parents now having to buy cap and gown for graduation from Pre-K, Kindergarten, Fifth Grade and 8th Grade.

I think it's setting expectations a little low for educational success!

As far as the limo stuff. That's outrageous. One girl came to the 8th grade school dance in a limo but that was because her father owned the Ford car lot in town. But no one went wow I wish I could be her .... we just said eh look who is here.

But I know that parents of toddlers are no longer having little parties at the house. Now they are renting out bowling lanes or ice skating rinks or whatever.

Wish me luck as I will you in raising your youngens

[Bouncy Ball]

22. I was at Chuck E Cheese (better known as hell) once

and I saw these people having a HUGE birthday party for a little girl turning one.

Now, nothing necessarily wrong with that, but the one year old birthday girl screamed and cried throughout almost the entire party. It seemed to be just too much. Six foot tall rats, loud arcade sounds, loud music, lights, kids running all over the place, chaos. She just had a huge meltdown.

[jmowreader]

47. Six-foot-tall rats?

Are you SURE you weren't on acid?

[Bouncy Ball]

55. Chuck E Cheese. A guy in a big rat costume running around.

Quite scary to very young kids. Nope, never done acid in my life.

[Left Is Write]

60. I'm not a big fan of Chuck E. Cheese.

I have taken the children to two birthday parties there. I didn't want to turn down the invitations and disappoint the kids, but I am really very uncomfortable at CEC. It's hot, crowded, noisy, and pretty much miserable. The pizza there is very bland - it appeals to children - and there's nothing in particular there that I want to eat.

[Left Is Write]

61. I'm bucking that trend.

I have already told my children there is no earthly reason why they need to have a birthday party EVERY year, and that some years they will have to settle for cake and presents with the family and maybe supper out at the restaurant of their choice.

When they DO get a party, it will be at home, at least until they are old enough to supervise themselves at a bowling alley.

I'm one of five kids. When I was growing up, it simply would have been too expensive for each kid to have a birthday party every year. Most of the time, Dad took us to Shakey's or another restaurant for our birthdays, and we had homemade cake at home afterward. I did have a birthday party when I was seven.

I had a home party for my five-year-old this year and no one complained.

[proud patriot]

13. My favorite end on the school day celebration , sophomore year

we were in the back of a friends beat up old pick up .

Blasting Schools out from summer , throwing all of our
school papers out of the back of the truck . :smoke:

That's the only on purpose littering I ever did ,
it was super fun at the time .

[name not needed]

33. Thanks for the idea

Now I gotta convice Joe to let me borrow his Camaro, provided his dad doesn't get to it first :D

[JVS]

14. That is so fucking lame.

[MissB]

16. You are such an old fogey.

Just kidding, of course.

I was thinking of a cake for the end of the year. :woohoo:

[Bouncy Ball]

17. One year, the neighbor lady, who was about 80 at the time,

made chocolate cupcakes for all of us for the last day of school. I thought that was super cool.

If anyone had suggested that someday kids would be picked up in limos just for finishing the school year, I'd have thought you were crazy.

[MissB]

20. I realllly don't get the limo idea

It sounds like some of them are trying to live the high life, or at least their version of it.

[Blue-Jay]

18. More money than sense.

They'll wonder why their kids are total spoiled shitheads by the time they get to high school.

[Aiptasia]

19. I agree it's way over the top

I attribute it to parents wanting their whiney assed kids to like them "as friends" and not as parents.

Jeebus Christ on a cracker. In my day, I was just happy to be out for the summer and couldn't wait to run home. No party was necessary, although some teachers did toss a going away party the last day of school. That was cool enough.

Limos seem excessive unless it's their senior prom or something. Better check the crack supply in the local water as this seems like mass lunacy.

[Bouncy Ball]

24. I was always happy it was summer, too.

In fact, I remember the last day of eighth grade very clearly. My mother wasn't home and I was happy about that because it meant I could do whatever I wanted. And what I wanted was to have a snack, get into my bathing suit and go tan in the backyard, which I did.

Then my friend came over and we talked about our plans for the summer and laughed so hard we nearly wet ourselves.

THAT was heaven.

[Rabrrrrrr]

23. That's really fuckin' dumb

And I bet, if those parents' property taxes had been raised the $200-300 they spent on the limo, which increase went ENTIRELY to schools, they'd have a shitfit.

They're raising little monsters. Typical yuppie-scum parenting: "My little precious is just the most precious little thing in the world and the world revolves him/her, doesn't it, yes it does, and no expense is to great for my little precious, and I'll make sure to outspend every other parent because I love my child more, don't I, yes, I do, and no, I can't spend more time with my child because I'm working overtime to pay for the limo and the designer clothes and renting out the entire plantarium so my precious child can have her birthday there with her 30 closest friends because she's my precious..."

Fuck that. Elementary kids - last day of school - they can fuckin' walk home like everyone else.

[Bouncy Ball]

25. Mine is going to ride her bike home.

:D

Loves nothing more than riding that bike.

[LeftyMom]

26. That reminds me of a kid I used to work with

He reluctantly got one of those Hummer limos for prom, but only after confirming that there was no place at the prom location to land a helicopter. Oh, and that they wouldn't let him and his date rapell from the helicopter. :eyes:

It is crazy.

[SCDem]

27. Are you serious??

I'm only 28 years old and it seems like I am already out of touch.

[LeftyMom]

38. This was about five years ago

I was only a few years older than this kid but I thought that was nuts.

Nobody stood around outside at prom to see who pulled up in what. Nobody really gave a shit. All together my date and I spent about $400 on dress, photos, tux rental, flowers and dinner. I can't see spending that much or more just on the freakin' limo.

Lately they're pitching the limo as a safety thing, so kids won't drive drunk after prom. Personally, I think if you can't trust your kid not to get smashed, you should keep them home. :shrug:

[Bouncy Ball]

39. Yeah, we didn't stand around outside to see who pulled up in what.

How silly!

I went to prom in my date's Oldsmobile Cutlass. I think it was a '78. Light blue. He even vaccuumed the interior. We were stylin'!

LOL!

[Bouncy Ball]

28. Oh my God.

[name not needed]

29. Wow.

It'd be fun to rapell from a helicopter, but not to your fucking prom.

[Maddy McCall]

30. Crazy.

[Bouncy Ball]

31. ..

WHERE'S MY LIMO, BITCH?

[Maddy McCall]

35. LMAO!

HAHAHAHA!

[MindPilot]

32. Halloween too...

this has happened every Halloween for a few years. A limo stops, ten or twelve kids get out, work the block, pile back in the limo and move on.

Maybe it's good for the kid's safety, maybe somebody's parent is a limo driver, but isn't that the kind of thing you bought that SUV for in the first place?

[Bouncy Ball]

34. What???

I haven't seen that. YET.

Sheesh. Half the fun we had was in running all over the neighborhood.

[Ron Green]

36. Limousine nomenclature:

Lower class: "Limo"
Middle class: "Limousine"
Upper class: "Car"

[Bouncy Ball]

37. Well, I didn't want to look up the spelling, so I just said "limo."

:D

Never ridden in one in my life. And really don't have any desire to. I mean if it comes up, fine, but if not, that's fine, too.

For our tenth wedding anniversary, we stayed in this nice hotel suite, had a wonderful dinner and went dancing nearby and we were going to get a limo, but I checked out the prices, said forget it and we got a cab with a driver who nearly killed us.

But it was fun!

:D

[Radical Activist]

40. Some people have too much money to waste.

Raise their taxes.

[underpants]

41. That's strange I thought they were SUPPOSED to finish each grade

Wow what an accomplishment!! I hate to say this but school is/was just a joke that NOT finishing should be the oddity.

[GalleryGod]

52. Thank You!

:dunce: asswipe parents!

[Pithlet]

42. It is crazy

The trend seems to be over the top for just about every little milestone, particularly for the middle/upper middle class. Birthday parties are now catered. The days of a party in the back yard with balloons and cheap favors are apparently long gone. Your child's milestones become a way to show how you can keep up with the Joneses. It's ridiculous. I don't buy into that. I just hope I can make my kids understand why we don't do that stuff. I don't want to think about how bad it will get by the time they're in school.

[Bouncy Ball]

43. If you don't raise them with it, it's not so bad.

For our daughter's tenth birthday, she invited a few of her closest friends over and we had pizza and cake and a slumber party. They played games, listened to music and watched movies.

It was great. She loved it.

[Left Is Write]

44. You old fogey, you!

Join the club.

A limo for completing another grade in elementary school? For heaven's sake, when I was a child, I was EXPECTED to complete another grade. It was just something we did. Last day of school? We had a picnic with our class. We walked home, excited about the long stretch of summer days ahead. We got home, had a snack, changed clothes, and went out to play.

A limo?

The escalation potential in higher grades is staggering. As you know, my daughter just completed high school. We threw her a backyard barbecue party and got her a digital camera. When my younger daughter finished preschool, we celebrated with ice cream.

[Left Is Write]

46. And on the birthday parties -

I'm an old fogey there too. I do not believe I have to "one-up" everyone who has ever had a kid's birthday party. I don't want to deal with the hassles of having the party at some location for some event, getting a head count, getting tickets, that sort of thing.

When J turned five, we had some of her little friends over to make a craft, play games, and have cake and ice cream. They loved it. It was simple for me. No problem.

[Bouncy Ball]

56. I think home parties are awesome.

The only advantage to having it somewhere else is that it's not your home that gets messed up. But that's no biggie.

My brother and I had every birthday at home, except when I turned seven and got to have mine at Penny Whistle Park. Oh I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world!

[Pacifist Patriot]

45. Call me old fashioned, but...

:wtf:

[rainbow4321]

48. Here in Freeperland, TX

They send their kindergardeners to their first day of school in a limo..several parents rented one at our elementary school. Of course, this is the same city that if you go and look around the high school parking lots, the kids' cars are brand spanking new.

[LeftyMom]

50. Do people know how fucking dumb it is

to send thier five year old kids to school in a vehicle with no fucking seatbelts?

[Left Is Write]

62. I really just don't get it. What's the point?

To teach small children that conspicuous consumption is something to be proud of? That milestones and achievements don't mean anything without splashy and expensive displays to go along with it?

Cripes. I make cookies on the first day of school. That's what I do. We take a picture on the first day of school, and the kids get chocolate chip cookies when they get home. Limo? I just do NOT get it.

[LynneSin]

49. We celebrated by having water fights on the bus on the way home

:D

I think that's the most appropriate although I don't think schools today would allow waterguns on school buses.

Personally, this is why I never had kids because today the parents are bending over backwards to try and promote self-esteem even to the point that it's obnoxious.

If I were the school administrator I would ban this - it does make other children feel bad if their parents didn't do this. Let the parents spend that money at home with a big party

[Bouncy Ball]

57. It doesn't make sense, though, to say that's why YOU never had kids.

I mean plenty of parents DON'T go along with this bullshit. I don't. I'm raising my daughter in what would be considered now to be kind of an old-fashioned way. Except that I do encourage her to think for herself. And we don't beat her. But other than that, we're pretty old-school around here. Manners all the way, responsibility, being accountable for your own actions, pulling your own weight, being honest, helping others. All that great stuff.

[Left Is Write]

63. I'm raising my kids the way my parents raised my siblings and me.

And I think they did a pretty damn good job with us.

[GalleryGod]

51. Pardon My French: Pretty F#ckin' SICK-O !

I've observed some pretty friggin' sick "rewards" for achievements you're EXPECTED to reach...butbutbut...oh:puke: :puke: :puke:

[deadparrot]

53. My god.

I just graduated from high school, and I've been in a limo ONCE. At my cousin's wedding.

Our end of the year celebrations (as we got older) usually consisted of a lunch date with my friends.

[Strawman]

54. That is one of the most shallow, materialistic things I've ever heard

Ridiculous. What are you teaching your kids to value by doing something like that?

[Bouncy Ball]

58. LIMOS!

"WHERE'S MY LIMO, BITCH?"

Pretty sad, huh?

The bigger lesson, though, is you get rewarded for things that are supposed to be expected.

I mean, I can see if a kid REALLY had some academic difficulties and really struggled, worked very hard and overcame a LOT just to pass a grade and it was a big big deal. In that case, I'd think a special dinner out with mom and dad is DEFINITELY in order. A lot of hugs, a lot of "way to go, we're proud of you!" is in order.

But even in THAT case, a limo is not in order. I mean, hello? Ridiculous.

[fishnfla]

59. Well, around here alot of limo drivers have kids

Limo is big bidness in Fla. The owners let the drivers take their kids out for all kinds of stuff, especially in the off hours. Our kids get picked up and dropped off all the time in a limo, its their friend's dad job.

[Bouncy Ball]

64. That's different.

These parents are hiring the limos.

[Gormy Cuss]

65. My reward for finishing second grade:

Third grade.

[Coventina]

66. Happened every day at the affluent private school I attended for one year

The worst year of my pre-adult life, I might add.

[latebloomer]

67. For graduation from elementary school (5th grade)

one mother suggested we charter a boat that would take the kids for an evening cruise around New York Harbor, with "dinner and dancing."

I was like, "Hello? They're 10 and 11 years old, for Goddess' sake!!"

Later she ran for the Town Council and won. Scary.