Is it ever too early to sow the seeds of a service academy?

[OBXmom]

Would these pages not be horribly empty if there were not involved, caring parents wishing to support their children's interests???

 

[rotorhd]

Have you ever considered that pushing your child toward something (i.e., a SA) can lead to exactly the opposite outcome?

2012mom is dead on. As a SA grad, I think we all have a natural tendency to wish our sons / daughters could go through the same experience. I secretly wanted my kids to attend a SA from early on and definitely had to exersize constraint at times to not come on too strong.

We are close to Annapolis, so I exposed them to the SA atmosphere through trips to USNA football games / driving around the yard / sea stories,etc. Being careful not to push one way or the other, but letting them observe and make the decision. Long story short....my daughter figured out that it definitely was not for her. She went on to graduate from 4-year liberal arts college...now successful and gainfully employed. Son, on the other hand, was attracted to it...attended summer seminars at both USMA / USNA. Ultimately decided on USMA where he is currently a yearling.

Bottom line - all you can do is give them the resources / exposure /nurturing and let them decide!

 

[jlwilkes101]

Why did you not attend the service academy? You say it was the greatest regret of your life. Now I may just be pulling this out of thin air, but were your parents somehow involved in the decision not to attend? And if not, how would you have felt if that were the case? Your parents (or anyones parents) pushing you to do something not for you, but for them? This is exactly what you are trying to do, except possibly in an even worse way, since it will throw your child into an extremely stressful and demanding lifestyle that will chew him up and spit him out unless he has a deep and burning passion for it motivated by more than simply "Mommy wants me to". This whole situation has played out countless times in households, and whether the parents are trying to live out their own fantasies through their childrens' college choices, athletic accomplishments, etc., all you are doing is sacrificing your child's life for the life you wish you had. Love your son, instill morals in him, read with him, play with him, encourage him. In short, be a parent. Not a puppet master.

 

[Suzie]

Sometimes you influence them without knowing!!! I really did not know much about the service academies so I really didn't influence my son, but by our actions he was interested and found info on the internet while in middle school and the dream was born....

What were our actions.....my dad was an enlisted Marine and served in WWII. He was out of the service many many years before I was born....but growing up he always took us to the bases where he was stationed and would tell me about his time there, and all the military museums, aircraft carrier museums............and pensacola, where there is a SBD Dauntless hanging which was the kind my dad flew in......have been there so many times!!

This was so interesting, so when I became a parent I took my boys to all the museums, aircraft carriers, bought them toys like this (aircraft carrier.....never guns, I am that kind of mom!!), grandpa told stories, we watch military movies to this day....... My husband and I are not military, but there is a spark there and we didn't even know we set one!! My boys are 17, 15, & 11. I distinctly remember pushing a stroller in the Pensacola Air Museum a couple of times and crawling through an aircraft carrier in Charleston, SC when my youngest son was 3!!

Here I thought I was teaching them history, but my oldest would like it as his career!!

 

[breadcrumbs]

Great stories! But, um, ahh, I smell a troll..............either that or a parent who has serious issues. The post count and lack of thread engagement are indicators. And look, I took the bait...shame on me!