Parents Blocked From Entering Their Child's Elementary School Graduation Because They Brought Their Younger Kids
The rule was explained in advance, but the parents still felt it was unreasonable.
Some parents of student at Lowery Elementary School in Houston, Texas found themselves lingering outside during their children's graduation ceremony after a surprising rule restricted them from entering.
In a video recorded by a parent that has been reshared across TikTok, school staff forbade parents from entering with younger siblings of the graduating class.
As families entered a Houston, Texas school holding a graduation ceremony for their children, some were shocked to discover that they were not allowed inside if they brought their other children along with them.
Those who arrived with other children were forced to wait outside Lowery Elementary School until the ceremony was over. While many parents were outraged, some pointed out that they should have been aware of the rules beforehand and should have addressed their concerns sooner.
Some Lowery Elementary School students graduated without their parents present due to the rule that blocked siblings from attending.
A TikTok video viewed over 70,000 times depicts a mother filming herself about to walk into her child’s school for their elementary school graduation ceremony. As she gets closer to the doors to join the other parents filing in, she is approached by a school administrator or teacher who forbids her from entering.
“I’m so sorry, but you can’t come in. Your baby cannot come in,” she tells the mother. When the mother asks why, the woman replies, “We don’t have siblings in this party at all.” She then points the mother over to an area where other parents with their other children are standing.
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Another mom, who is also carrying a toddler explains that she has also been prevented from entering. Defeated, the mother joins the other parents who have been barred from entering the ceremony.
Another parent tells the frustrated moms that they too have other children but read the fine print of the email and knew to leave their kids behind before coming to the school. She points out that all the parents entering the school are doing so without their other kids.
It appears, according to follow-up videos, that there are too many guests — hence why parents were not allowed to bring younger siblings but that doesn't sit well with the moms in the video who continue to plead their case.
Photo: TikTok
One mother claims that she was not informed that she could not bring her other children. “They told me it was fine,” she says of her child’s teacher. She claims that she informed teachers well in advance that she would be bringing her toddler and recalls that they never barred siblings from attending other school events. “I’m livid 'cause this is the first time that this has happened.”
In a second video, this mother even gets frustrated at administrators.
"All year you ask us for money, you ask us for fundraisers, you ask us for everything, you ask us to volunteer our time and effort but yet y'all won't let us bring our daughter in here to watch her big brother graduate when she sits out at that bus every day waiting for him to hug him."
Photo: TikTok
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A third video appears to have been recorded after the ceremony and shows a devastated little girl crying as her mom records her, explaining that she is upset because she graduated without her mom there.
The school staff member who barred the mom from entering chimes in once more, "I'm sorry you're upset, I don't want any child to be upset. What happened [was] on the rules for the end of year party, it's listed on all the forms that you got.... We can't have siblings come," she explains.
"All the rules were explained over and over again," the woman explains as the mom takes her two children out of the school building.
Many other TikTok users agreed that a child’s siblings should not be banned from their graduation ceremony.
“It’s not about following rules. It’s the fact that they shouldn’t be excluding literal children and parents from a graduation,” one user commented.
“Not everyone has a babysitter to watch their other kids,” another user pointed out. “What about the poor kid who’s going to be looking for their person and thinks no one showed up?” another user noted.
While many agreed that the rule was unfair, others did not believe that parents only just learned that day that they couldn’t bring their other children along with them.
“I don’t agree with this at all but it had to have been brought up before today,” one user wrote. “And she said it wasn’t posted. All the people in line and they’re the only two parents who brought a child with them? There would be more kids there.” “We are always going to have a few parents who think to rules don't apply to them,” another user commented.
Whether or not the rule was posted beforehand and a few parents either chose to ignore it or did not learn about it, we hope for the little graduates’ sake at least one of their loved ones was able to attend and cheer them on on their big day, even if their siblings could not be there.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.