Question about Parent's Weekend

zachtx

5-Year Member
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Mar 4, 2013
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96
I'm a USAFA c/o 2017 appointee.
What kind of activities are parents involved in on the Friday of Parent's Weekend?
Also, does anyone have any experience with having divorced parents both come to Parent's Weekend? Any advice on how they dealt with spending the weekend with two sets of parents would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
 
First, congrats on the appointment! Second, the Friday of parents weekend begins early (7:00am) with parents meeting their cadet at an agreed to spot and then escorting them to classes. Around 11:00 there is a parade and glider demo along with the Wings of Blue. Lunch for doolies is with parents in Mitch's. This may be followed by more classes and then squadron open houses. Most cadets leave with their parents around 4:00-ish and don't need to be back until around 9:00 for the game on Saturday.
Back to Friday: it involves A LOT of walking. Parents need to keep in mind the altitude, distances, and dry air. How your parents divide their time with you is up to them IMHO. They can work that out for themselves. There are too many variables for me to opine on that. In any event, tell them to book their hotel(s) now!!
 
^^^^^^^^

So true. Another option would be to have your parents rent a house. You would then have more space to spread out and give the doolie room to sleep comfortably if they choose. Congrats to the OP on their appointment!
 
On one of the threads someone posted the parent's weekend schedule from last year. I'm assuming it would stay relatively the same...
 
A small suggestion for parents.

Parent's weekend for your cadet who's a C3C, C2C, and C1C is much different. Usually, after the football game Saturday, when all cadets are released until Monday night, most families and cadets go off and do a lot of site seeing and traveling. For the C4C however, you need to schedule at least 1 good day of DOWN TIME for your C4C cadet. They've been going non-stop, both physically and emotionally, for a little over 2 months. Most of the C4C cadets want to sleep and eat.

I know a lot of parents pay a lot of money to come out for parent's weekend. Some want it to be a really good 4 day weekend holiday. But don't take it personally if your C4C doesn't want to do all the things you do. If you're able to come out for the next 3 years, I guarantee you that your cadet will want to get as far away as possible. They'll be fine with wanting to go sit seeing and traveling. But for the C4C, they are burnt out.
 
For the C4C however, you need to schedule at least 1 good day of DOWN TIME for your C4C cadet. They've been going non-stop, both physically and emotionally, for a little over 2 months. Most of the C4C cadets want to sleep and eat.
This was exactly our experience. We took DS (currently a C4C) up to Boulder after the Saturday football game and he slept, ate, picked up some things at Target, I took him to the new Batman movie, and he ate and slept. Oh and he watched the History channel, chilled and ate some more.
 
My kids were go go go the whole time we were together for PW - but we did enjoy swimming and doing some boating, sight-seeing, and such. The Colorado STate fair is that weekend and fun (near Pueblo).

Lines can be very long at restaurants and such so plan accordingly.

For divorced parents: can you have rooms in the same hotel?

Remember, your cadet is the child of BOTH OF YOU. It's not his/her fault that you are not together anymore; don't make the most stress-filled year of his/her life moreso by acting poorly with the other parent. Maybe especially if there are new spouses involved, JUST the parents can visit?
 
I'll give a third to Christcorp and Blackbird ...

Our daughter simply wanted to hang out, sleep, BBQ, and catch up with everyone. We have friends nearby and they were gracious enough to open the house and grill. Going back refreshed seemed important to her.
 
speaking as a divorced parent i can only give you what our DD told us about parent's weekend. we were told that it is for Parent's. not step and we were not allowed by her to bring any significant other. that being said one of my DD's friends had divorced parents who brought their significant other. my advice would be to ask your cadet what they want. this is after all, the first big step to becoming independent adults free to make their own life choices.
 
Can you take another cadet(s) with your own if they don't have a parent present?

Absolutely. Adopt as many as you are willing. If they are in the same squadron they are like brothers and sisters anyway. Same goes for A-Day if you go. My wife went and brought extra food that DS and his squad mates without parents enjoyed.
 
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