Year 12 formal - HELP

Has anyone had experience going to a year 12 formal as a parent of a graduate? And I don't mean just turning up and getting the photos with the cool cars and red carpet and stuff, I mean paying big money to celebrate the formal with the kid. An invitation has been sent by the school and "all the parents are doing it"... 

You need to be a member of 1Eyed Eel to add comments!

Join 1Eyed Eel

Votes: 0
Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • Mate, it will come and go, don't feel pressured into doing anything you're not comfortable with.

    My daughter is having her formal this year, no big money spent here, I'm saving money to further her education, other parents can throw parties for teenagers with limit experience with alcohol. The only thing I want to pick up off my lawn is leaves, not drunken teenagers. 

    I've arranged for a bouquet of flowers, and for my daughter and her friends to be driven to their formal in a friends Ford XYGT Falcon.

    • You couldn't have picked a better car to organise for her. I don't think I was clear, the school have actually sent a note and it's 120 bucks per student and parent and I don't want to do it. Seems like an absolute toss and an invasion on the kids' celebrations. But apparently I'm wrong to think like that. 

      • Tough one, your opinion is not wrong but what do you do? I'm paying $130.00 for just her, for that, she gets a dinner and a dance. Mate, you don't have a choice, it will be the worst $120 you never spent, you don't want your child to miss their first real milestone. 

         

        • No problem paying 120 for the kid, just don't want to pay 240 more for two adults

          • Mate I know, we needed to pay $130.00 per extra person, kids don't want their parents there anyway, my daughter is going on her own and she's happy. She would have paid me $130.00 for me or my wife not to go lol.

             

  • This reply was deleted.
    • I'm glad I don't have a memory of my parents sitting and dining at my year 12 formal. It's not really about the money, it's my gf's kid and I don't understand the purpose, surely if you asked kids the vote would be "no parents". Unheard of when I was 18, parents took photos then farked right off. 

  • Yeah na fuck that , how embarrassing for the poor kids.   It’s like extreme helicopter parenting and the school are cashing in on it .  What kind of school thinks it’s acceptable to wallop parents in the sky rocket to accompany their children to a school dance ?  So if I’m understanding correctly it’s a fee for the privilege of being there , or is it a fee for services ( as in you get dinner and drinks ) ? 

    • The adults pay 120 each for the same dinner and drinks as the kids. 

      • $120 for dinner and drinks isn’t bad . What’s the problem / question ? I thought you had to pay just to go watch them . I wouldn’t go myself but in this day and age I guess certain cultures wouldn’t allow their daughters to go without the father keeping an eye on her virginity .

        • Hey Wiz, I guess the problem is that I find the whole fucken thing weird, I'd find it hard to find more than 10 percent of young people who'd actually want their parents at their formal. I mean they have the graduation ceremony for that sort of celebration and that doesn't involve spending up money and watching kids try to socialise under our watchful eye. It's tantamount to going to Schoolies week with them in my opinion. I'm not the most social person and struggle to get primed for even a wedding, where you're actually invited by the actual people celebrating, not by their authoritarian overseers. It's a Catholic school by the way.. 

This reply was deleted.

Latest comments

LB replied to ParramattaLurker's discussion Round 9 Team List v New Zealand Warriors
"Hopefully by years end; Brown, Petrus and Talagi have debuted. This the former two getting a few games for 2027."
7 minutes ago
Adam Magrath replied to Snottie Pimpin's discussion Centres
"As well as an eternal optimist you are truly a visionary "
30 minutes ago
Coryn Hughes replied to Snottie Pimpin's discussion Centres
"No they had a crisis on there hands 2 years ago when expansion was announced losing the talent we have and struggling to replace it is now on the doorstep.The Luai signing magnifies the issue that was there as first mentioned."
47 minutes ago
SuperEel 22 replied to ParramattaLurker's discussion Round 9 Team List v New Zealand Warriors
"Ryles said 2 weeks ago he would not rush kids in just for the sake of it. "
1 hour ago
Mallee57 replied to ParramattaLurker's discussion Round 9 Team List v New Zealand Warriors
"What a total waste his signing was "
1 hour ago
Mallee57 replied to ParramattaLurker's discussion Round 9 Team List v New Zealand Warriors
"exactly. When the current squad is underperforming and it's obvious the Eels are not going to make finals this year the surely the coach should be trying some of the younger players who are possible future NRL top 30 players. He has nothing to lose…"
1 hour ago
EA replied to ParramattaLurker's discussion Round 9 Team List v New Zealand Warriors
"Yep as I was saying when the injured players return I expect JR to pull the trigger"
1 hour ago
EA replied to Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin🐐 - Mark O'neill's 🪓's discussion Do Parramatta sign him - Luai to become a free agent 27 , then Chiefs 2028
"Pretty sure he did his ACL last week 😢. Just when he started getting his fitness up and running and tackling hard. He came off the field after falling over after making a step with no defender touching him. He is on a dev deal this year and top 30…"
1 hour ago
Adam Magrath replied to Snottie Pimpin's discussion Centres
"Let me get this straight, are you saying the eels have a crisis on their hands because Luai signed with png?"
2 hours ago
Coryn Hughes replied to Snottie Pimpin's discussion Centres
"See now players like Luai see the PNG benefits of tax free TPAs and salary it's game over for teams that are struggling to recruit.This is where losing players like Talagi DB Lomax Sanders and alike hurts.The odds of developing talents like this is…"
5 hours ago
Coryn Hughes replied to Cʜɪᴇғy Mclovin🐐 - Mark O'neill's 🪓's discussion Do Parramatta sign him - Luai to become a free agent 27 , then Chiefs 2028
"Is our man Latu still in this mix EA I remember us talking about this guys potential 2 years ago.Where abouts is he in the retention pecking order ?"
5 hours ago
Yehez replied to ParramattaLurker's discussion Round 9 Team List v New Zealand Warriors
"Ah i was wondering why Lorenzo only played 40 last weekend. Makes sense. 
It really seems Lorenzo is now close to the debut. Can almost touch it. "
8 hours ago
Randy Handlinger replied to Snottie Pimpin's discussion Centres
"Good stats there Mr Captain....Was Kearney really so fucking lame as to be exactly -19.1% below avg for both attack and defence....couldn't do it if you tried. 
Often when I try to get my head around things i end up with a useless song snippet or…"
10 hours ago
EA replied to ParramattaLurker's discussion Round 9 Team List v New Zealand Warriors
"PT seeing Petrus in cup makes me sooo excited."
10 hours ago
EA replied to ParramattaLurker's discussion Round 9 Team List v New Zealand Warriors
"I just relooked at the team. Nohra is on the bench because I assume Lorenzo will only play the first half as he is on the NRL bench. Plus Hudson is making his cup debut to spell Smitz which I have been asking for. So we only have 2 forward on the…"
10 hours ago
Zip zip replied to jamie's discussion Ryles the Super Coach
"The sad part is these two are the only half decent players returning... Iongi and Tuivati back round 13. Says a lot about our roster. Seriously in need of a quality 5/8, centres (x2) and a middle. "
13 hours ago
More…

Keaon done deal

As of Thursday, December 11, 2025, South Sydney Rabbitohs forwardKeaon Koloamatangi has reportedly agreed to a deal with the Parramatta Eels, but it is not yet officially announced by the clubs.  Soon to be announced.

Read more…
14 Replies · Reply by Poppa Jan 9
Views: 2380

 

Parra 2027 2028 2029

Our ceiling is prtty limited for these yearsWhat can we really do next year?Not muchEven with a full squad sideEven with Seal Russell leaving (a big big up)Even with One signing8th would be over performing for 2027.Ryles will be either signed or…

Read more…
5 Replies · Reply by Parra_Greg 16 hours ago
Views: 765

Thirteeen Minutes

Trauma snowballing syndrome and the urge to blow things up isn’t just something buried in human DNA. It's now rebranded as “high standards". Forty Years can do that. Sometimes, all it takes is a few minutes. But let’s park the emotion for a minute.…

Read more…
81 Replies · Reply by BEM 17 hours ago
Views: 1521

<script src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- Sidebar -->
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<script>// <![CDATA[
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
// ]]></script>