Do you buy yearbooks in elementary school?

[limabean]

When I was a kid, yearbooks weren't a big thing until high school. I never got one in elementary school -- I only remember a few kids getting them, and they were just small paperback leaflets. 

Nowadays, they're big hardback books like the ones I remember from high school, and it seems like pretty much all the kids get them. I didn't order one for my DS last year or the year before, but this year he told me that he felt really left out last year when everyone was passing them around to get signed. At first I stuck to my guns, insisting that he didn't need a yearbook, but then I realized I didn't really have a reason for not getting him one, other than that fact that I never got one when I was a kid (which seems like a really silly reason). So I ordered him one. I still think it's pretty frivolous, but I don't see the harm (except for thinking that, between him and DD, we'll have nearly 40 large hardbound books to store if we get them each one per school year). 

Anyway, do you buy yearbooks at this age? In your region, is it the norm to buy yearbooks? 

[34me]

We did not have them in elementary, except their last year and it was the ones like you described. The school pics of that grade and some candids from their years in school. They did have them starting in middle school. We did not buy any but their senior year. At $70 a pop, I couldn't see the point in getting them x 3. Mine have been ok with it.

[jaam]

I bought dd a yearbook starting in kindergarten, so of course we've done it since then. But they're the cheap paperback kind, if her new school's yearbooks end up being hardback I won't get one, but I'm guessing they'll be the same paper ones since we're still in the same district and everything pretty uniform. The alternative would be to get a little notebook or something for kids to sign, I saw some of that going around last year.

[SunRise]

My initial thoughts were the same as yours - he doesn't need one. (And I wondered WHY? do they have years books in elementary). I did buy one one year, skipped a year and bought another a different year. His are soft cover and 10 dollars, so it wasnt so much about the money as it was about stuff ... anyhow, I realized that the school doesn't offer a group class picture along with individual school photos, (which is what we got in elementary) and instead they are offered this year book, so I think we will continue to get one ... but if it was a hard copy and 70 dollars, um, I think I would go into the class room and ask to take a group/class photo!  (My son started out in montessori 3 - 5(K) and they did have the group photo ... I really like those, they are so cute and funny)

[purplerose]

I, too, felt really left out when I was that kid who didn't have a yearbook. Everyone was passing them around (even in elementary school, and they are still the cheaper paperback ones today where my daughter goes) and signing each other's. I definately get mine all a yearbook each year. I still regret not having ones from elementary school. I still look through mine from middle and high school(or, the kids do with me, and occasionally I will "meet" someone and find that we went to school together at some point.)

[VisionaryMom]

We buy them although I have the same reservations that others have stated. We also live in a larger place with more movement of kids in and out of school than I experienced, though, so it may be fun for my kids to have the yearbooks.

Our school is a magnet school in a city that has designed magnet schools to be a mix of what are called "base" and "magnet" students. The magnet schools are built in mostly low-income neighborhoods, and the base students live around the school. Magnet kids are from all over the city; predictably they're mostly white, upper middle-class kids. So...it's incredibly important in our school that we consider the financial needs of every family. To that end, we have 2 programs in place for the yearbook. We allow parents to  donate yearbooks anonymously and our teachers/principal have a list of kids whose families absolutely cannot afford a copy. Our oldest students are fifth-graders, and they get priority although last year we had one parent who volunteered to purchase yearbooks for any fifth-grader who didn't buy one. Then we have packets that we purchase from the yearbook company of the blank pages for signing. We have a "yearbook party" in the spring, and everyone gets either a yearbook or the signing pages.

[pbjmama]

I moved from an area that didn't do yearbooks in elementary to one that did and was very disappointed to not get one my 5th grade year. I'm not sure if we couldn't afford it or what.
Our current elementary does do yearbooks that are paper back and quite affordable. I think less than $10 each. I did get one for my ds in K and plan to continue.

[Polliwog]

I buy one every year for my two kids to share. I love having them as much as, or more than, they do. Ours just went up to $15 from $12.

[mamazee]

I buy one every year, but they aren't expensive.

[meemee]

20 bucks here.

dd hasnt said anything. never bought one. she is in 5th grade. 

[NiteNicole]

I think they are $30, which sounds like a lot but we buy them anyway.  They are hardbound and the cover is a student's artwork.  Inside, it has lots and lots and LOTS of candids, as well as more student artwork.  I really enjoyed mine when I was a kid, but my daughter hasn't shown much interest.  I also buy class photos and school pictures.  I don't know what we'll ever do with them, but I'm always a little sad when something ends so I like having a record of it.
 

[nextcommercial]

We did, and she really loves them.  We moved to a different school when she was in 7th grade, and one of the things I was saddest about was not having yearbooks for 7th and 8th grade at her school.  

She graduated high school a few years ago, and she still likes to get them out now and then.  Usually it's because one of her friends in college went to her grade school, and it's fun to refer back to when they were 7.  

[ollyoxenfree]

We've always purchased keepsakes like yearbooks. Our kids have changed schools and moved about fairly often, so they have been nice souvenirs over the years. 

I can't imagine a $70 yearbook though. That should come with a DVD or some other extras. 

[limabean]

Thanks for the responses. 

To clarify, the yearbooks for DS's school are $25 -- I think the poster who mentioned $70 dollar yearbooks was talking about the huge high school ones. 

Also, to be fair, I haven't seen an actual yearbook for DS's school, and now that I think about it, at a price point of $25 they must be paperback, but have lots of candids or something. When I ordered it on the website, it looked hardback to me, but maybe it was just a fancy-looking paperback. 

[nextcommercial]

Originally Posted by limabean 

Thanks for the responses. 

To clarify, the yearbooks for DS's school are $25 -- I think the poster who mentioned $70 dollar yearbooks was talking about the huge high school ones. 

Also, to be fair, I haven't seen an actual yearbook for DS's school, and now that I think about it, at a price point of $25 they must be paperback, but have lots of candids or something. When I ordered it on the website, it looked hardback to me, but maybe it was just a fancy-looking paperback. 

Ours were all hardback, and under $30.  They are very well done.  I love to look at all of the kids i've known forever back when they were in kindergarten.... all cute and goofy.  Then, now they are huge and in college.  

[mazajo]

My kids are 20,18, 17 and 7... the older ones did not get yearbooks very often because I was a struggling single mother and even though they were cheap I just couldn't always afford to get three, and sharing would have been difficult because they always wanted all their friends to sign it. It's nice to be able to look back at their classmates from years back and I wish that I had been able to buy them one every year. My 7yo has gotten one both years he's been in school so far. They're paperback and $12.