The thought of being limited on how much joy you can show at a graduation seems like a dystopian nightmare. When you watch someone graduate, you may be the type of parent who cheers for their child’s accomplishments. You want to show you’re proud of them, right? Unfortunately, for loved ones attending an elementary school graduation in California, there were limitations that stopped parents from showing off how they really feel.
Mother Angelica Pueblas (@angelicapueblas1) shared a TikTok video of her child’s elementary school graduation. However, there was a very strange rule: the school limits clapping. Only one clap per child! The somewhat eerie video shows a class of 30 and, as each child’s name is called, everybody claps once in unison. She explained in the caption of her video, “We are only allowed to clap one time per child.” So, why weren’t the parents allowed to go all in and scream or holler for their child?
Some of the reasons include sensory issues and time management. I understand these celebrations are longer because children are involved, but come on! Schools doing this are making a dull affair out of something exciting. As one person commented on Angelica’s video, “Dude, I live in Canada, it’s the same here, they just do it bc clapping takes long.”
It can also work as a way to level the playing field. Instead of making it feel like a popularity game when one family is showing all the support, a singular clap keeps things balanced for all the children. I disagree with that reasoning. I’ve been to numerous graduations, and complete strangers clapped for other kids.
Angelica actually didn’t like the rule and tried to defy it. She said, “At first I started to clap more than once to show we have the power, but nobody followed suit.” Since then, commenters have agreed they aren’t big fans of the rule. It left a strange atmosphere over the ceremony.
One said, “Surely it’s better to say just wait until the end and then do a big clap for everyone. This is just weird and annoying.” Another commenter stated, “Rationing claps is insane.” I mean, I don’t hate that I agree with them. I understand the reasoning but at the same time, this is a big moment in any parent’s life. My support for my kids shouldn’t be dictated by a silly rule.
