DD Is a Knucklehead!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
DD Is a Knucklehead!
9
Thu, 05-25-2006 - 8:37pm

A couple weeks ago, we got an invite from DD's school to some sort of an awards ceremony that was being held this past weekend. I wasn't quite sure what it was about and asked her if everyone got an invitation, or did it mean she was getting an award for something. I got the shoulder shrug and an 'I dunno' response.

Well! Turns out she DID get an award (for academic achievement), she wasn't there to receive it, she DID know she was getting it and decided that going to a horse show to watch a friend of hers in a jumping competition was a far more interesting way to spend the afternoon! Huh. Guess we know where her priorities are.

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-18-2005
Fri, 05-26-2006 - 6:15am

Love the "dunno" response! I could so see my DD saying dunno rather than explaining to me why she didn't want to go. LOL

Sue

Avatar for audreyoka
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 05-26-2006 - 8:21am

Was "dunno" in our vocabulary when we were teens? It's a word I don't recal using, however I'm certain we had some answer we gave our own parents when we didn't want them to know something LOL.

My daughter also tells me she doesn't know things. Sometimes she says she'll check for an answer. When she doesn't check, I usually let it go figuring it's really not important to her.

Audrey :)
http://www.scrapping-made-simple.com

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Fri, 05-26-2006 - 10:55am

Congratulations. Her priorities are where they should be. She went to support a friend.
What a caring young lady! You should be so proud of her!

My kids don't go to these "award" ceremomies. They hate them because they are "beside the point". The process is much more important than the "award". Both my kids are very smart.
They get very high marks as they should. They do their work and then it is onto the next challenge.

My DD is graduating next month and she refuses to participate in the annual "brag fest".
She is having nothing announced at the grad.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
Fri, 05-26-2006 - 11:10am

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Is that was these are? Brag fests? I really had no idea. DD is my oldest and in her 1st year of high school so it's all new to me. It's been many a year (!) since my own hs days and I honestly don't remember much about it now -- there didn't seem to be much more fuss than the ceremony and a diploma at graduation back then, and usually only for seniors.

I figured the ceremony was mostly for the graduating seniors and thought everyone got an invitation just in case they wanted to go to support friends and graduates.

Oh and yes ... I am very proud of my DD, and not just because she gets awards -- although I confess, I am rather tickled that she got this recognition as a freshman. She went from public ms to private hs and new exactly one person in the entire student body on the first day of school. She is a fine, lovely young lady in most every way. She gives me plenty to be proud of these days!




Edited 5/26/2006 11:22 am ET by hydrangea_blue

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-18-2005
Fri, 05-26-2006 - 8:45pm

I'm not sure why you had to turn a light-headed "D'Oh" post into a rant about awards ceremonies. Julie was neither "bragging" on her DD, nor saying that she was disappointed that her DD didn't go to the ceremony. She merely had a head shake at the "dunno".

If your kids don't like awards ceremonies, that's fine. I agree that they are "beside the point". So are grades IMHO. We should learn for the sake of learning. But since we do have grades, I think it's nice to recognize and honor kids who have gone above and beyond just doing the work.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-29-2004
Sun, 05-28-2006 - 1:54pm

I meant it as a compliment that her lovely daughter wished to support a friend. It was not a rant about award ceremonies, although I do believe they have gotten out of hand over the years. These ceremonies are no longer about celebrating a milestone all the students have reached.

I actually have less of a problem with "separate award" cereomonies. The kids can choose to go or not. But for grad, there don't separate it. Here, the kids announce their plans and what scholarship money they have been offered. My DD refuses to participate in this.
She is gifted,from a well-off family. Getting high marks is not much of an accomplishment for her and many of her classmates.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2005
Sun, 05-28-2006 - 9:49pm

Hey, her priorities were right when she was in classes and she earned the award. I know how much you wanted to see her get the award or to at least know she was getting it but try to focus on the important thing - she earned it!!

I must say I probably disappointed my parents recently. At the tender age of 40 something, I finished my MBA (first in my class). I'm sure they wanted to go to graduation but graduation was on the same day as Christmas caroling with the youth from church. I honestly felt that service to our shut-ins was more important (and more fun) than walking down an aisle to receive a piece of paper that said I earned something that I knew I had earned. Also, those kids in the youth group literally supported and encouraged me when I was nervous about a test or exhausted from working on a 120 page thesis. I wanted to celebrate with them. Maybe your DD wanted to spend a little time with her friends since she had worked hard to earn the award. I seriously doubt that a teen gave it that much thought but you never know.

Give her hug, tell her you're proud of her and do something special!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-06-2006
Mon, 05-29-2006 - 11:34am

First off, tobylady, gratulations on your MBA! I'm 40+ and never even got my BA.

I don't know if you remember how horrid her last year of middle school was -- I posted here a LOT about it. When the school year finally ended, her self-esteem and self-confidence were drowning in the toilet. So now, whenever anything good happens to her, I want to shout it from the rooftops! If I actually did that though, I'd be spending a lot of time on the roof because she's had such a great year, and I am positively thrilled.

The funny thing is, the friend she was watching jump in the horse show? She got an award too. The show was on the agenda well before the awards ceremony and show fees were already paid, so the horse show was where they both ended up.

 

 

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2005
Tue, 05-30-2006 - 12:35am

I do remember the problems with her and I certainly know how you feel about shouting from the rooftops. It's so wonderful when it clicks for them. DD finally had to tell me to quit being so excited about her accomplishments b/c it was embarrassing and it put alot of pressure on her to always be the best. She didn't need that stress. So I try to contain myself a little bit and brag here or other places she's not likely to here it. I do continue to reward her with small things. She rolls her eyes but is smiling the whole time.

My DD starts her first day of college classes tomorrow. We were talking one day and I made some comment about her dad and I finished in 3 years, while we were both working and I had her sister at home the last year. DD took that as a challenge to finish in 3 years so she's going this summer. I really wish she wouldn't try it - we didn't get to enjoy college a whole lot. But she won't be working so she should still be able to enjoy some of it. I also reminded her that it took me 3 years to complete my MBA (s/b 2 years) but I took it slow b/c of work and family requirements. I also wanted to get top grades this time around.

BTW, what was the award? I don't think you mentioned what is was or I forgot (I am getting on up there you know - another reason it took me so long to finish that Master's.)