Said It Here

How to figure out homecoming etiquette for teens

Parents often feel unsure about unspoken traditions like whether a boutonnière is needed when a date is wearing a dress shirt instead of a full suit. This uncertainty makes it difficult to know what clothes, accessories, or activities are expected for high school homecoming events.

What the numbers show

Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count

  • People have been saying this in most months since July 2026.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

  1. 1
    Asking experienced parents on online forums for advice
  2. 2
    Sticking to universally liked simple snacks like fruit or cheese
  3. 3
    Inviting the parent to stay or offering alternative drop-off options
  4. 4
    having the daughter ask her date
  5. 5
    asking in local school or community Facebook groups
  6. 6
    looking up past homecoming dance pictures to see what students wore

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/Parenting2 people · July 2026 – September 2026

Because of the cultural differences, I’m feeling a little anxious because I want to make absolutely sure I get the etiquette right and make this sweet boy and his family feel incredibly welcome in our home.source ↗

I have hosted playdates for my son before, but the families have always been Indian, so I naturally knew the cultural etiquette, what to serve, and how to act.source ↗

Acceptable_Mind_1994 · r/Parenting · 4,863 upvotes

First time being a mom of a teenage girl going to hoemcoming😵‍💫source ↗

Her date is wearing a dress shirt, not the suit jacket. Do I still get the boutonnière? Or is that just a prom thing for the jacket?source ↗

Not sure what kids do for hocosource ↗

Strict_Canary7537 · r/Parenting · 1 upvotes

Where this came up

People with this problem also raised