dancing queen

I loathe oneupmanship of any kind and if this doesn't teach kids this insidious way of life I don't know what does.
2 years ago it was the turn of my GGC ( twins ) and their time for leaving primary school at 11 so the palava began.
My GD sent for half a dozen different dresses coming from China ( ebay ) cheap but pretty, the equivalent of the cost of one dress here !

After choosing one dress my GD then handed in 5 to the school for those less fortunate. There was also a 3pc suit for the male twin from the same source as the dresses. I have some beautiful photo's of that day and my D who owns a black Chrysler fitted as many children in the car as was possible for their big day so as to look the part for the few underprivileged who were full of excitement.

The smiles from them all were worth more than any price paid to look better than the next child !

We had a 6th form dance and that was it. I dare say there was as much angst over what to wear. I had just split up with my boyfriend so my aunt arranged an escort for me. He was friendly with other girls in my year that I wasn't close to and we spent most of the evening with them. Not my most enjoyable experience, especially since the ex-boyfriend got stroppy about the revised arrangements!

To have something to mark leaving school at 16 or 18 is fair enough, but it does seem to be getting out of hand. A 'prom' for primary school children is just daft.

It's not as big an event here as in the US...yet...but it's an appalling waste of money anyway IMO.

I hate it I think it’s an awful thing and so got so far out of control everyone outdoing others in their style of arrival Cadillacs, helicopters, their clothes, £300 for a dress for one night the anguish, if you haven’t got a boyfriend it’s awful I wish it would go back to US where it popped up from
My kids had an end of school life disco nothing exotic great
I had goodbye hugs and a goodbye shake of hands with the teachers got outside, cried, threw our hats up laughed and got on with life

DGD1 went through it 11 years ago; this year, now the GCSEs are over, DGD2 is preparing for the big night. When I saw her three weeks ago, she said she was growing her hair for it. Big sister is going to 'do' it for her. Whether the problem of finding a dress is over, I don't know, but then it was ongoing. Boys don't have half the angst that girls have. A rented tuxedo is about as far as it goes. I remember GD1's half-brother had a white tux and looked rather sophisticated. I don't think a stretch limo is to be hired. Dad is probably under orders for the big night.

All my children had a 'Leaver's Ball'. In my view the name is much classier but the anguish was probably the same!

Dd3 couldn't find what she wanted so her friend's mum offered to make one for her. It was horrendous but she felt obliged to wear it so we spent a fortune getting it subtly altered.

PS
next DD had 3 dresses , she partnered 3 different boys at three different schools

The school leavers prom is an American import. When my children left school in the late eighties there was no prom but I first heard of it around 1990. The extravagance is nonsense. It must be a nightmare for many parents.

My 50+ DD went through the Prom anguish so it ain't that new