Most parents understand how important it is to show up for their kids and cheer them on at events. People feel like they have to make grand gestures to win a kid’s heart, but sometimes, the act of being there is more than enough.

A teen who was about to see all her hard work and effort pay off was excited to have her mom, dad, and sister be at her valedictorian speech. But she soon realized that her dad and sister had made other plans despite knowing how important this moment was to her.

More info: Reddit | Update

18YO who was chosen as the valedictorian of her class was dismayed when her dad and sister decided to skip the event despite knowing about it well in advance

Image credits: George Pak (not the actual photo)

The poster was selected to be the class valedictorian and was going to give a speech, so she picked up tickets for it in advance for her family to attend

Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)

She was angry when her dad and sister said they couldn’t attend because they had other plans even though she told them that family pictures would be taken before the ceremony

Image credits: Vitaly Gariev (not the actual photo)

Out of spite, she decided to give the tickets away to a classmate who needed them, but when her dad found out, he was angry and told her that she was “acting like a spoiled brat” 

Image credits: bluekoreaboo (not the actual photo)

In an update post, she mentioned that even though it was just her mom who attended the event, it all went well and that they took “probably a hundred photos together”

Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)

The poster gave her speech in front of families of 100+ students and received certificates of excellence in Psychology and IT

Image credits: No_Cut207

The teen shared that she had a lot of fun with her mom and was only a bit disappointed that her whole family wasn’t present at the event

The Original Poster (OP) is an 18-year-old girl who was selected from her high school class to be the valedictorian. She was chosen because of her superb grades and had to give a speech on the day of her graduation. The girl told commenters she was living in the Middle East and mentioned that “I’m giving the speech in English and Arabic.”

People were supposed to buy tickets for the graduation ceremony so that their families could attend. So the poster reserved tickets in advance. But when she told her family about it, her father and sister said they could not be there for the ceremony. They said they could try coming for the after-party instead. But the girl was shocked and told them that pictures of the graduates with their families would be taken two hours before the ceremony. But they still didn’t budge.

The teen mentioned that she got mad and started yelling at her dad and sister. Being a valedictorian is no small feat. To earn the title, students have to consistently maintain outstanding grades, have a good work ethic, and deeply understand the subjects they are studying. After such a lot of effort and dedication, it must have been heartbreaking to realize that her full family would not be making the effort to see her give her speech.

The girl also told commenters that “the graduation date was announced around February, and from what I’ve heard from my dad and sister I think they started planning her trip with her friends around last week.” Despite knowing about the ceremony for a long time, her family still decided to skip out on it. So she decided to give her tickets away to another classmate who wanted them.

Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)

When her dad questioned her about her graduation, she told him that only her mom would attend and that she gave the other tickets away. She also said that they shouldn’t bother with the after-party. But when her father heard that, he got angry with his daughter. He told her that she was acting spoiled and that she wouldn’t “die if he and my sister [were] a bit late to my graduation.”

According to The Mommy Therapist, “one of the most crucial parts of a parent’s job is to ‘be there.’ No matter the work/life balance, there are still ways to be a prevalent fixture in a child’s life. Being present will communicate some very specific ideas. Tells them they are important, a priority, valued.” This is exactly what OP was looking for by requesting that her family come for her graduation ceremony. But she only received that attention and care from her mom.

In an update post, the girl mentioned that her mother showed up for her valedictorian speech and that they took many pictures together. Even her mom’s attendance at the event meant a lot to her, and she said that it was better to have fun alone with her mom than for the rest of the family to tag along. That’s why parenting experts say that showing up for your kids matters and makes them feel important. 

Her dad and sister dropped the ball this time and made the OP feel like her accomplishment wasn’t of any importance. It’s essential for families to set time aside for their children and to just be present when they are doing something. Netizens were disappointed by the dad and sister’s choice and encouraged the OP to still be proud of her amazing achievements. Do you think the teen was right to give her tickets away so fast? What would you have done if you were in her place?

Comments told the poster that this was an important lesson to learn, that her family showed her exactly who they were and she should treat them accordingly

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