Senior Year Sticker Shock

My emotions this year are worse than a run-away roller coaster. I have a Senior. One moment, I'm smiling with pride at what a fine young man he's become...er, becoming (he's still a teen, so even though he does grown up things, he still reverts and does bone-headed teen things, too). The next moment I'm in tears, my baby has grown up, his school years will be over soon. A few moments later I'm ticked.

Yes, I get frustrated, at times, with the teen behavior. However, my main frustrations are from Sticker Shock.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not completely naive. I knew this would be an expensive year. I just didn't realize how many petty fees were involved.It's the petty fees that have me in a tizzy.

In October, my son brought home the graduation order packet. I cried, however my eyes quickly dried once I read the packet. My first rude awakening: We have to buy the cap and gown. I don't understand the point. I'm a bargain shopper. I look for the best deal I can find. The cap and gown cost twice what my last pair of pants cost. And, I'm getting more than a few hours of usage from my pants. A few people from other schools have told me the gowns they have are papery. I really hope I'm not paying that much for paper. If the schools had seniors pay $10 up front for storage fees, the gowns could be kept at the school and there would be plenty to cover cleaning and storage.

The other petty fee? Graduation announcements. I understand the cost of foil embossed cards announcing my child's success. However, I would be more receptive and spend more if the company didn't make petty moves to increase their sales. You get 30 announcement cards. If you would like the parchment inserts for a more classic look, you can buy them, but they come in a quantity of 25. So if I only need 30 cards, I have to buy 50 inserts, 20 of which will be used for baking cookies, I guess. Is it really too much to ask for items that go together to be sold in the same quantity? Even the hot dog people got it together with the bun people.

The last shock (I hope it's the last) which saddened me to no end, $50 to put a baby picture in the yearbook. I looked forward to the day I'd get to pick a baby picture of my son for the yearbook. I think most of us do. We put in a lot of work raising our children, we get a lot of heartache, too. But, in the end, we want to see that difference. We want to open that yearbook and see them way back when and what they've become. We want others to see that difference, as well.

The yearbook staff lays out the baby pictures 2 to 4 per page, averaging about 6 per page, front and back combined. I don't believe it costs $300 to produce one page. So why the high fee, are the kids trying to keep mom and dad from getting a picture in?

I'm proud of my child, my tears ebb and flow, or flow and ebb. My frustration is high and it comes and gos. I will try to justify some of the fees (still coughing over senior pictures), but in the end, I have to stay true to my checking and say no to some petty fees. After all, I want my frustrations to be because of low-brain-cell teen moments. Greedy companies will be always be around, but my son's final years of teen hood will be over soon. Pardon me, I need to get some tissue.