It’s homecoming season with football games and dances. It’s a time full of excitement, rivalries and tradition. However, I’m concerned we aren’t keeping this experience sacred. When I was in high school, homecoming was a right of passage and reserved for high school.

I attended a 2nd graders homecoming for his flag football team. There was a balloon arch, parents escorted them onto the field and then the team ran out through a paper banner!

Starting these traditions early gives into the mentality we need to do more, do it bigger and better.
Today homecoming dresses look more like the fancy ones that were reserved for the junior and senior prom. There is the expectation to have your hair, nails and makeup done up professionally. It’s way more extravagant each year.

I have three daughters and in the short 5 years between my oldest’s senior year and my youngest’s freshman year I experienced this expectation of more with the request to rent a party bus. What?!? This wasn’t even a thing for high school when I was there, it was reserved for wedding parties. Then we complain about how “kids these days” want all of the material things...we’ve allowed them to believe this is the norm.