£500 dresses for a junior prom?

Everything these days seems to "warrant" a celebration. They've been watching too much American TV in my opinion. Parents must be very weak these days if they give into this pressure. I think maybe they feel guilty for going out to work and therefore feel they have to give their children everything they ask for. It makes you wonder what will be next.

I have noticed for a while that things were changing regards young girls . The preoccupation with being a princess and wearing pink , we seem to be going backwards .

Princesses were always popular with little girls as they like the idea of wearing a pretty dress and marrying their prince, lol. These days they are bombarded with princesses and would be princesses in the media - not always behaving in the way you would imagine princesses would. Add to that, all the Disney stuff with fairies and princesses, the poor little things grow up thinking life is a pink meringue.

I do feel sorry for them in some ways. I still remember going to my first University Ball when I was at training college. I made my dress and the boys hired dinner jackets, we went on the bus because we had very little money. It went on all night, dancing to all sorts of music, supper and in the early hours breakfast. Then walking home as the sun came up. I was 20 and I appreciated it far more because I was older. I despair for these poor children who will have done everything by the time they are 20.

Yes grands, when I was at school, in the days when sixth formers still wore school uniform, the tradition on the last day of the summer term was for everyone to sign each other's shirts, or rather blouses as they would have been then. These could then be kept for as long or as short a time as desired - I've no idea what happened to mine. There was no expense involved, and no competition as to who had the most signatures.

Being at an all girls school, with a headmistress who wouldn't let boys within 100 yards of the school gate, not even to play the male characters in the annual school play, a disco or a prom would have been a pretty boring event!

I must admit DGD's prom dresses were from the Internet-v reasonably priced. Hait and make up done at home. They did have a spray on tan-we're all very fair in this family.
The whole class (virtually) hired a double decker bus between them which cost £15 each so it could have been a lot worse.
When their Mum (our DD1) got married 20 years ago, we bought her dress v reasonably from a local shop. Hair done by usual hairdresser so not expensive. A colleague of mine who was good at make up did their make up. Reception was at local boat club. I ordered all the food from local suppliers; did a buffet of cold meats, salads, different breads and gateaux for pud. We paid some of DD's friends to be waitresses which they loved. I made sure I paid them well before the event started and they did us proud. Oh and there was a bar so they could buy their own drinks although we did put a bottle of wine (red and white) on each table and one of soft drink with jugs of water too.
When her younger sister got married a few years ago the wedding market was in full swing. One sniff of the word wedding and everything rocketed in price.

When teaching in a local secondary school, up to 3 years ago, we had a prom for year 11 leavers. They went on the school coach and returned on the school coach. The school was in a very poor area of the country where most parents could not afford to spend a fortune. During year 11 the students could earn points towards the cost of the prom tickets for achievement, effort or community projects. We had a stock of prom dresses and suits that the pupils could borrow. We asked local fashion shops for donations and pupils from previous years donated their prom dresses and suits. This often meant a bit of sewing by pupils, parents and staff to make them all fit.
A good time was had by all and they all looked beautiful.
Not a fan of primary proms though. That's going a bit too far.

Oh Anne53 that warms my heart that something positive was done to help children from poorer families not to be left out-and cocks a snook at all those profiting from these events. If only more schools did the same.

Although I didn't do dressmaking at school, I used my mum's sewing machine at home and made some very reasonable outfits.When I was a student, Mum made me a couple of very presentable ball dresses and for my sister's first wedding, Mum and I made the bridesmaids' dresses for me and my other sister.Perhaps the answer is in home dressmaking. My DGD, aged 13, got a sewing machine last Christmas - I hope she will eventually make her own prom dress.

Primary Proms? So glad we Home Educate. Totally ridiculous..

I wish I had kept my shirt - oh what memories.

Gosh £500!! Don't think many would pay that amount Miep, was this something you read. Think 16 year old proms are a nice celebration as lots wend their way onto their own career pathways. Think a bit OTT for 11 year olds but up to the school and parents I suppose.

Know granddaughters bought their dresses over the Internet quite cheaply, as did a lot of their friends. They had great fun a group of them doing each others hair and makeup and the photos were lovely! They certainly made memories, and didn't blow their budgets. Oh yes things are so different to my days, but it's so good to see nice happy events like this and the youth enjoying but behaving themselves. These events are always chaperoned by teachers and adult volunteers.

I'm envious! Lol ??

I think the more people have, the more extravagant they have to get to have something special and this has fuelled the prom madness.

When I left school in the early 1960s, we did not have any celebration or commemoration at all. For me, just walking out of the school premises knowing I would never go there again as a pupil was celebration enough.

DGC have managed to get through nursery, preschool, reception and KS1 without anything special at all. However the school do have 'Wow' assemblies when a several children in each class get commended and applauded for anything from good work to good behaviour (I think every child gets a Wow assembly for something at some point)

Any way, last week it was DGS turn. He was commended for being a model pupil, well behaved, an example to all. At which point DDiL who was trying to match this model child, to the child she actually lived with, accidentally let out a huge snort. At which everyone turned and most of the adults, including teachers, had to bite back giggles.

M0nica - love your realistic DDiL!!

It's madness but all part of the great drive to get people to part with as much of their money as possible.

Now it's bloody baby showers. I agree that this Americanisation of everything is getting completely out of hand.

Well Anne53 I've sent an email to our local high school,suggesting they "recycle" prom outfits as you said-will let you know reply. Will find out who does PTA now too and contact them.
Sadly we have to move with the times and you can't put these wretched genies back in the bottles so we have to do us best IMHO!

Last year we went to a family wedding and I bought the granddaughters' dresses (aged 7 and 9) for around £20 and £25 each. M&S does prom dresses for around £30 and white bridesmaid style dresses for £40. Surely no-one needs to spend more than that?

These proms are not necessarily just a lovely (americanised) dressing up opportunity. My friend is a school nurse and has to patrol about the school and grounds on 'prom' night with condoms!

I hate it this blooming American stuff infiltrating As for nursery or even primary I think it's abominable luckily none of the grandkids schools have had these thank goodness .......however in Ireland first communion is awful, masses of money spent and given ...children arriving yes wait for it in helicopters people giving ' more' than their neighbour etc etc I HATE this materialistic and greedy society when half the world is starving

I am a lot older than the other moms in my DD class at primary school, and honestly I am shocked sometimes. For example, DD was invited to a manicure and pedicure party..... She's seven!!!! Fortunately, she was more interested in making a den with her big brother than going!

Hopefully Jane10 you are not talking about junior school?
I agree BlueBell . It's a sign that a lot of people have a serious amount of disposable income. The trouble is that all this conspicuous consumption encourages others to spend money they don't have, and to get into debt.

I can hardly read this - it makes me sick to my stomach. This is total insanity. How will these young people get some sense of proportion, both about the relative poverty in the world and about what truly constitutes an achievement born of hard work?