Homeschool Graduation - How DO you do it?

Here's the long and short of graduating your homeschooler upon 12th grade completion:

The truth to graduating a homeschooler is that you can do ANYTHING. We have been attending and then hosting, and then coordinating high school graduations for more than two decades!

Our local group hosted graduations annually. It was YEARs ago when I was pregnant with our fourth child. I began taking  all my kids to the graduations, so they could enjoy and look forward to their own celebration and ceremony. It worked! My eldest was VERY excited. And then his graduation year came.... MAY 2020.

AUUUUUUUGH! NOOOOOoooooo fair!

All our plans vanished as every venue was closed and not able to fulfill their reservations. Happily, it turned out FANTASTIC. Here are the top 15 options to make your homeschool graduation perfect for you, your graduate, and your season. Pick as many or as few as you like!

Before starting the check list, especially if graduation is a bit away for you, decide on your graduation requirements. Some are hardcore and serious. Others are fun. For me, one of my high school graduation requirements is that the student would participate in some sort of ceremony.

This way, when the "blahs" hit and the current young adult was fatigued, and just really didn't want any fluff or pomp and circumstance (YEAH!!! .... PUN INTENDED!) I was able to say: So sorry, it's part of the requirements to graduate. 

This took the pressure off them, AND me - a ceremony was just a part of life. So when it feels like a lot of work, or "extra," or unnecessary, the The Official Regret Police (that's my husband and me, we're the ones working our best to keep our family and kids from making choices they may regret) could swoop in "stand on business," and say, too bad! You can choose HOW, WHEN, and WHERE the graduation is happening, but you don't get to choose IF it's happening.

Here are some of those options to make it special you can seriously just choose ONE, or ALL of them!

I recommend taking a screen shot, sending it to your teen and spouse and see which ones they choose, better yet, have them rate the options by importance with a star, a check or a dash:

⭐️ STAR = MUST HAVE
✅ CHECK = Would REALLY like this to happen
 ╍ DASH = Cool addition, but not necessary.

❌ They can even put a big X for "PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE THIS." With our five children, we've had all manner of these options since 2020, and there's really not a wrong way to do it.

Here's a list of about 35... I'll probably keep adding...

1. Order Graduation Announcements to send out
2. Create an event on Facebook or Evite for virtual well-wishers
3. Set up a small ceremony at your church
4. Create a "Senior Table" with framed pictures and momentos or scrap books, jerseys, favorite toys and/or books
5. Make a "Display" (Like a science project) of each grade or year or season
6. Join a larger ceremony already being coordinated
7. Coordinate a cremony with a few close friends to graduate together
8. Say the pledge before handing over the diploma
9. get the diploma professioanlly printed in a hard tube or folder
10. Host an open house for well wishers and gifts
11. Bake a special cake and refreshments
12. Make a slide show with a theme song and include pictures from birth to present day. 
13. Post the Slideshow on Youtube, unlisted, so you can send it to family
14. Put a yard sign out 
15. Schedule a photo shoot with favorite outfits and caps and gowns
16. Request video and audio messages with advice or praise for the graduate to read/hear
17. Plan a senior trip
18. Print a huge photo poster board of the graduate
19. Plan a parent and kid only trip
20. Send the senior away ON a trip with a trusted mentor
21. Get friends and family to sign a large poster board or card 
22. Set up a venmo or go fund me for a special gift like a computer for college, etc.
23. Host a senior/graduate dinner at home or at a restaurant
24. Host a Potluck "open mic" dinner at church or community center for toasts and well wishing
25. Create an internet page (FB, etc) for well wishers to leave messages
26. Choose a theme and color scheme for a simple ceremony at home or in the yard.
27. Print out a program for the ceremony for different family members to participate.
28. Play and sing the National Anthem, State Song, Etc.
29. Play videos from their child hood.
30. Dress up teddy bears in their baby clothes (if you have them) to sit in the rows/living room, etc where the ceremony occurs.
    
31. Create a "hay ride" for the graduate to ride up to the ceremony (if it's outside)
32. Hold a "HONK" parade on the day of with a graduation sign and balloons, so passersby can celebrate (include a venmo link!)
33. Deliver flowers to the graduate on the special day.
34. Have their favorite childhood snacks as refreshments at any of the events.
35. Make the favorite meal and have a special time for each attendee to mention favorite memories or future hopes.
36. Choose one of these things to do EACH day of the month they graduate.
37. Leave a special daily note the week (or longer) leading up to the graduation 
    
38. Order a stole with a custom name, favorite saying, or Bible Verse printed on it
39. Order matching socks for all the family to wear on graduation day (like Cheetos, or Doritos, or a favorite cartoon character)
    
40. Ask them to open or close the event in prayer
41. INCLUDE THEM in your plans!