When Giving Gifts to Your Graduate’s Peers, Please Don’t Forget to Get Them Monogrammed

These are stressful times for the parents — the mothers, in particular — of Highland Park High School seniors. Graduation is coming up on May 31, so that means there are only 16 shopping days left until the big day. And these moms are not stressing out about buying presents for their owns sons and daughters. Apparently, it’s become a custom in the Park Cities for seniors’ parents to give gifts to all of their graduate’s friends. I know of one student whose peers’ parents have already given him (deep breath):

  • 4 monogrammed key chains, including one made from the skin of an alligator that the gift-giving senior killed himself
  • 2 monogrammed beach towels
  • 2 monogrammed flasks (Hello, Coach Sutterfield!)
  • 2 monogrammed money clips
  • 1 monogrammed buck knife
  • 1 monogrammed Swiss Army knife
  • 1 monogrammed mini cooler
  • 1 bow tie bearing the logo of the recipient’s university
  • 1 basketball hoop for a dorm room door
  • 1 umbrella (not monogrammed — WTF?)

My source told me what she’s giving to her son’s friends — the girls are all getting one thing, the boys another — but I’m going to keep that information to myself to protect her identity. However, I can tell you that her gift ideas are classy for the girls and a bit naughty for the boys.

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9 thoughts on “When Giving Gifts to Your Graduate’s Peers, Please Don’t Forget to Get Them Monogrammed

  • May 15, 2013 at 9:48 am
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    Didn’t do that. Maybe that’s because I don’t have a gift wrapping room, as we’ve been told so many homes here do. My kid wrote thank you notes for gifts received. None were monogrammed so we probably weren’t running with the “right” crowd anyway. Didn’t seem to lose any friends because I didn’t participate.

    This is a nice idea if you enjoy it but not a requirement nor should it be a competition, as so many HPISD things become. I remember 2nd grade when kids were to share some item about or from the state on which they were reporting. You wouldn’t believe the exotic items parents ordered to make their kid (i.e., the parent) the coolest, and perhaps to complement a report also written by the parent.

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  • May 15, 2013 at 10:29 am
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    Naughty? I just dont get it. Tasteful and useful should be your guide.

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  • May 15, 2013 at 11:00 am
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    Plenty of high school seniors come up with/execute their gifts themselves. Yes, many are funded by their parents, but usually it’s the student who does all the dirty work. Or at least in my experience it was.

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  • May 15, 2013 at 11:08 am
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    Just like most things in this district, this is way over the top. (thanks to the parents) Look at that list, most of that stuff will never be used. We did not participate except for 2/3 very close friends when our son graduated.

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  • May 15, 2013 at 1:42 pm
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    I stopped at flask. How telling of the problem in our community.

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  • May 15, 2013 at 3:28 pm
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    My older child gave probably 60 gifts. My younger child will probably give 3 or 4. The gifts are modest. My kids are different. One way is not better than the other. Just different. I tire of “mom snobs”.

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  • May 15, 2013 at 4:22 pm
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    It’s a lot of work and money to get these gifts to the kids. I think it’s overblown but I’ve never gotten the feeling that anyone is trying to outdo anyone else. There are so many sweet, good kids in the senior class that my child has grown up with since first grade. That’s the motivation for giving the gifts.

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  • May 15, 2013 at 5:47 pm
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    Like so many other things here, I’m sure that not everyone does this.

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  • May 15, 2013 at 8:24 pm
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    I really like the gift giving tradition. It was fun when my son was a senior to come home every day and find the thoughtful gifts on the porch waiting for him. And we enjoyed giving gifts to his friends too. And we are a family that bought and received a ton of gifts for boys and girls. But, seriously, a monogrammed flask?? That’s incredibly irresponsible of any parent. No flasks given or received by my son’s group. Good grief.

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