My New Happy: Homecoming Has Changed

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Homecoming Has Changed


Times sure have changed since I was a teenager.

This Saturday is Homecoming for my younger son.  We've spent the past few weeks choosing an outfit for him (which mostly consisted of finding a tie with just the right shade of purple to match her dress), buying a corsage, and finding a restaurant that was willing to make a reservation for fourteen teenagers. Pretty much the same routine as when I was in high school.

It's the "inviting" to Homecoming that has changed.  Gone are the days when the boy asked the girl as they walked between classes, or maybe passed her a note if he was a little shy.

Now boys are expected to go all out on the Homecoming "proposal".  There are entire websites devoted to coming up with the perfect, creative invitation.  A few I found:
  • Choreograph a 60 second dance and perform it during a break in her sporting event
  • Create a scavenger hunt 
  • Write different parts of the message in chalk outside her house for 4 or 5 days
  • Spell out the invitation with candles on her driveway
The lists go on and on, and honestly, these were some of the easier ones.  I've heard of kids spending hundreds of dollars on flowers, balloons and presents - just to ask someone to a dance.

While I suppose the intention is sweet, I've got a few issues.  First, this is putting an awful lot of pressure on boys to come up with the perfect proposal.  T said that girls are hoping for something unique that hasn't been done before.  I was reading a blogger friend's post, and her son decided to opt out of Homecoming because it was too hard to come up with an invitation.  I feel bad for him.

And can we talk about the future?  I do wonder what these kids will expect when it comes time for their marriage proposals. There were no scavenger hunts or choreographed dances when my hubby asked me to marry him, although that would have been very entertaining.

After much debate (and no help from me - harumph), T came up with a cute, easy way to ask his girlfriend to the dance.  He is the Charger mascot at football games, and he asked her at half time in front of the spectators in the stands.  She looks pretty happy about it.

Speaking of Homecoming, it's spirit week at T's school, and today was "tacky tourist" day. He wore his dad's sandals, and my hubby was quite offended that they classified as tacky.  I suggested maybe it was time for a new pair of sandals.


T asked if he could borrow my camera for the outfit.  I told him to take pictures, so I could see what a day in the life of a high school junior looked like - future blog post? This is the best of what he came up with.  Sigh.

32 comments:

  1. Yes, things sure are different than they we 20 years ago, that's for sure! It sounds like it worked out perfectly and I love the idea of tacky tourist day, that's pretty creative. Love his "day in he life," boys are so funny :)

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  2. Such a cute idea for the way he asked her to the homecoming dance. I was thinking about this just this week when my daughter asked how dad asked me to marry him. I told her it was before the days of YouTube videos and all the pressure of the perfect proposal. I also thought of this during prom season. The ideas kids come up with are so creative but I do think it's a lot of pressure and sets the girls up for disappointment in the future with just a "normal" invitation. Great post!

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  3. that's so sweet... in my high school days nothing was ever that public, you just asked. I feel old.

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  4. Here! Here! I agree about the silly pomp and circumstance! Also what happened to casual dating? These boys are expected to ask these girls to be their girlfriend to even date. It's like everything needs a superficial show from kindergarten graduation to everyone getting trophies in bitty sports to dating. T looks like he has a great outlook though by keeping it in perspective...just look at his orange! I love it!

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  5. Bwahahahaha! That is the PERFECT tacky tourist! Looks like Husby and me whenever we go anywhere!
    I had no idea of the pressure of securing your special date for homecoming! We really don't celebrate it here in my neck of the woods. Maybe that's a good thing . . .

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    1. Definitely a good thing. I thought he did a pretty good job with the tacky tourist outfit too!

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  6. We don't have homecoming, this all so intriguing

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  7. Around here, they do "prom-posals," and as you say, they can get really elaborate.

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  8. oh my gosh, You know who to blame for the proposal right? Freaking Laguna Beach (the tv show), they did that on that show and I'm fairly certain no one had ever heard of it, but then suddenly everyone was doing it...crazy! I feel bad for the poor guys. I liked the awkward...so do you want to go to the x dance with me talks...haha! I've had a few of those in my day.

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    1. I totally forgot about Laguna Beach - you're right! Curse Lauren Conrad!!!

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  9. LOL< time does really fly! Congrats to your son! Hope you are having a wonderful day!
    -Jyoti
    Style Delights Blog

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  10. Yes, the invites are bizarre these days! Back in my day the guy was like, "So, you wanna?"

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  11. They do that for prom here, which I think puts a lot of pressure on the boys. Homecoming everyone goes by themselves it seems like. Much more low key! My oldest son goes to an all boys school so no issues with any of that, and my youngest son will be in high school next year. He's going to the public high school that my daughter goes to.

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    1. I can only imagine what prom season will be like!

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  12. hahah! Tacky tourist? Did anyone wear a fanny pack? I must know. Or else I'm dating myself big time.
    And the homecoming thing is insane. I'm glad your son figured out a way to do it nicely and not break the bank!

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    1. He actually asked me for a fanny pack, but I didn't have one! I'll have to ask and see if anyone else at school wore one.

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  13. It looks like it was a great day!! Wonderful photos!!! you will always smile looking at them even in 20 years!!!!!

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  14. Some of those ideas are crazy! Why put so much pressure on kids? It's a dance not a one time life event!

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  15. This is so funny!! I am always glad to see kids having good clean fun!! Susan

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  16. Haha, guess he saved all his creativity for the girlfriend, mom ;-). I laughed at his tourist outfit though, pretty cute!

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    1. Yep, all the creativity was used up for that week I think!

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