Roller coaster II: Get Me (The Parent) Through Plebe Year Class of ‘25 🎢

THParent said:
Be prepared when they come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or both.
They will dread going back.
Click to expand...
Many, many, moons ago one really dreaded going back to Mother B after Christmas leave. Final exams, then, were in January right in the heart of the Dark Ages. Studying for exams during Christmas break was a real bummer. Good intentions of studying, sometimes, were never met. Christmas with family, turkey, football and fruit cake were much better options.
 
WT Door said:
Many, many, moons ago one really dreaded going back to Mother B after Christmas leave. Final exams, then, were in January right in the heart of the Dark Ages. Studying for exams during Christmas break was a real bummer. Good intentions of studying, sometimes, were never met. Christmas with family, turkey, football and fruit cake were much better options.
Click to expand...
I was one of the exceptions in terms of studying/working over the holidays. I think I managed to get Term Papers and other longer term stuff done every year over the Christmas Break by carving out a and hour or two per day and managed to catch up on things that needed to be done before finals. Sadly, I had exams on my birthday a number of times though.
 
THParent said:
Be prepared when they come home for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or both.
They will dread going back.

After a couple of years, they will look forward to going back and will already be there mentally a day before they leave your house.
Click to expand...

In some ways last year was easier in that regard. There was only one "return" during plebe year, and it was after 4 weeks of mom and dad annoying him, so DS was perfectly content to go back.
 
Our 24 really hit a wall the last few days of Christmas break. Thankfully I was prepared from the sage advice from this forum. Let it be. Let it play out. Stop mothering and smothering and put them on the plane. We did that. He told me later in hindsight what had been playing out. I didn’t ask. He volunteered.
One of the best parts about being a SA parent is watching our kids figure it out. And they do so with more pressure, obligations and expectations than most.
Any time off the yard means peace. Any time heading back means stress. Let it happen. And they find their tribe and find their groove and they need you less.
That’s how you know you did it. The best you could as a parent. Now we reap the benefits of “hell yeah” passed statics moments and “do you have peanut butter” moments. One doesn’t seem to have more power than the other.
 
On our side, we are learning to let it go and have DD figure it out. Had a rough last week having received an UNSAT on one of the 6 week exams. She thought her answers submitted successfully but they didn’t and the instructor failed her. She advocate her case and was finally able to get another shot at it and pass with flying colors.

It’s difficult sometimes letting it go, but eventually it has to be done.
 
txfwindian said:
On our side, we are learning to let it go and have DD figure it out. Had a rough last week having received an UNSAT on one of the 6 week exams. She thought her answers submitted successfully but they didn’t and the instructor failed her. She advocate her case and was finally able to get another shot at it and pass with flying colors.

It’s difficult sometimes letting it go, but eventually it has to be done.
Click to expand...
advocating for herself, well done. Another big step as future leaders. It is hard to let go, but it is so amazing to see them fly.
 
12 weeks down. Blue and Golds have been earned. 14 days till first time coming home since he left on June 28th for I-Day. Wow the rollercoaster has sped up! The pace at which they throw stuff at the MIDN's is incredible. Add on top of the MO's and MANDO events (lectures, sporting events, FoxSports backdrops) and they are busy.

A co-worked of mine, sits on a local MOC interview panel and she indicated this past weekend was the first ones for the MOC. She then commented it seemed like yesterday that my DS was having his interviews last year.

DS has definitely learned about adulting. DS recently had a problem accessing his online bank account. He planned to complete during liberty on Saturday only to learn the bank's (a large national chain) online help desk was only staffed 9-9 on M-F. Trying to add time an already full and evolving schedules and DS was stressed. However he managed to get it cleared up and is all good. Again another life experience that I can only coach from the bleachers (and yes I was that obnoxious dad yelling at DS from sidelines at his sporting events).

He embarks on another first this weekend and I have to trust that he learned enough from me to survive. I am sure all will be well. However each little new experience he has away from me, while awesome to watch, becomes a reminder that he is pulling further away from the station.
 
LT360 said:
12 weeks down. Blue and Golds have been earned. 14 days till first time coming home since he left on June 28th for I-Day. Wow the rollercoaster has sped up! The pace at which they throw stuff at the MIDN's is incredible. Add on top of the MO's and MANDO events (lectures, sporting events, FoxSports backdrops) and they are busy.

A co-worked of mine, sits on a local MOC interview panel and she indicated this past weekend was the first ones for the MOC. She then commented it seemed like yesterday that my DS was having his interviews last year.

DS has definitely learned about adulting. DS recently had a problem accessing his online bank account. He planned to complete during liberty on Saturday only to learn the bank's (a large national chain) online help desk was only staffed 9-9 on M-F. Trying to add time an already full and evolving schedules and DS was stressed. However he managed to get it cleared up and is all good. Again another life experience that I can only coach from the bleachers (and yes I was that obnoxious dad yelling at DS from sidelines at his sporting events).

He embarks on another first this weekend and I have to trust that he learned enough from me to survive. I am sure all will be well. However each little new experience he has away from me, while awesome to watch, becomes a reminder that he is pulling further away from the station.
Click to expand...
Keep it up LT360, love reading the stories and hopeful that I get to experience the same next year.
 
LT360 said:
12 weeks down. Blue and Golds have been earned. 14 days till first time coming home since he left on June 28th for I-Day. Wow the rollercoaster has sped up! The pace at which they throw stuff at the MIDN's is incredible. Add on top of the MO's and MANDO events (lectures, sporting events, FoxSports backdrops) and they are busy.

A co-worked of mine, sits on a local MOC interview panel and she indicated this past weekend was the first ones for the MOC. She then commented it seemed like yesterday that my DS was having his interviews last year.

DS has definitely learned about adulting. DS recently had a problem accessing his online bank account. He planned to complete during liberty on Saturday only to learn the bank's (a large national chain) online help desk was only staffed 9-9 on M-F. Trying to add time an already full and evolving schedules and DS was stressed. However he managed to get it cleared up and is all good. Again another life experience that I can only coach from the bleachers (and yes I was that obnoxious dad yelling at DS from sidelines at his sporting events).

He embarks on another first this weekend and I have to trust that he learned enough from me to survive. I am sure all will be well. However each little new experience he has away from me, while awesome to watch, becomes a reminder that he is pulling further away from the station.
Click to expand...
….and before you know it, you are counting down the days until service assignmen. I’m on that huuuuuuge top of the rollercoaster, staring almost straight down from the tippy top….still SLIGHTLY climbing, but slowing exponentially down to crest the top and begin the free fall dowwwwwwwwwwwwnnnnnnnnn……to finding out his next 5 plus years. And where. And a commission. A move.
So exciting. SO NAIL BITING.

at least that’s how today feels.
 
HopefulDad2026 said:
Keep it up LT360, love reading the stories and hopeful that I get to experience the same next year.
Click to expand...
Good luck to you. I know how you feel right now as I was in the midst of it at this time last year. In fact I think it was about this time last year my DS had me in full meltdown as he believed he had missed important deadlines. After much heated back and forth we found he had not missed the date but we had big discussion on on how to track all those dates for noms, school apps, scholarship apps, etc.

Make sure your child has a backup plan and backup to the backup. One lesson we learned that while my DS was applying to backup schools he was using the Regular decision timeline dates because he knew the SA process could drag for a while before the official appointment came. While he got admitted to the backup schools the merit based scholarships had already been awarded to the Early applicants.

Use this time to help your child become more independent but also have regular check-ins and have them show you their progress. They need to learn this skill however a missed date could be difference between and appointment and not. Trust but verify is my advice.
 
LT360 said:
Good luck to you. I know how you feel right now as I was in the midst of it at this time last year. In fact I think it was about this time last year my DS had me in full meltdown as he believed he had missed important deadlines. After much heated back and forth we found he had not missed the date but we had big discussion on on how to track all those dates for noms, school apps, scholarship apps, etc.

Make sure your child has a backup plan and backup to the backup. One lesson we learned that while my DS was applying to backup schools he was using the Regular decision timeline dates because he knew the SA process could drag for a while before the official appointment came. While he got admitted to the backup schools the merit based scholarships had already been awarded to the Early applicants.

Use this time to help your child become more independent but also have regular check-ins and have them show you their progress. They need to learn this skill however a missed date could be difference between and appointment and not. Trust but verify is my advice.
Click to expand...
Any reason you didn't do early application? I know early decision is an issue, but early application, I thought, was OK?
 
And then she goes Marine in the middle of a War and Mom Freaks Out. Hell, enlist in the middle of a war worked for me. :shake: Just look at all those benefits.
 
Last edited:
HopefulDad2026 said:
Any reason you didn't do early application? I know early decision is an issue, but early application, I thought, was OK?
Click to expand...
DS was focused purely on the SAs (applied to all five), Nominations and ROTC scholarships. He did not realize regular applications could mean missing out on scholarships. Again, end of the day nothing lost but just want to pass along lesson learned.
 
While not directly impacting the Class of '25, yesterday marked another tick off the calendar on their march to Commissioning. DS has only provided sporadic texts, so I am looking forward to having F2F talks next week when he is home on T-Day leave ---assuming the Bomb Cyclone does not impact his air travel! He texted his Company fared well although he knew of three that did not get first choice. One of the three wanted IWC but there were only three assigned for the entire Brigade. Instead he got SWO but given class ranking will be at the top for Ship selection. DS was able to "pin" his Squad leader which he enjoyed.

Again just another milestone reached. Next up, first home visit since I day! As an aside, I was planning on just hanging out in the cell phone lot to wait for DS to leave the airport. But my DW has plans to have signs and balloons to greet him as he leaves the secure area.
 
Do the signs and balloons and what not. He will be in uniform. It’s pretty emotional. And soon they WONT travel in uniform. Bc they don’t have to. And coming home isn’t so eventful. That’s when you start waiting in the cell phone lot.

BRW, in case you aren’t aware, and you Mid is open to it, family can accompany departing Military. With a gate pass. So y’all can wait with them up at the gate.

We used to bc our Mids enjoyed a last coffee with us. Now we drop and go. Take every moment with them they desire bc someday it ends. And that’s a good thing!
 
I know I have progressed to a non plebe parent. DS flies in at midnight tonight. It's an hour drive, his MIDSIB has volunteered to go scoop his non uniformed butt up and then they are headed to Waffle House for a midnight breakfast. I likely won't see them until mid day tomorrow when I either stalk him at her house or they come to ours. I'm all grown up now. :wiggle:
 
Heatherg21 said:
I know I have progressed to a non plebe parent. DS flies in at midnight tonight. It's an hour drive, his MIDSIB has volunteered to go scoop his non uniformed butt up and then they are headed to Waffle House for a midnight breakfast. I likely won't see them until mid day tomorrow when I either stalk him at her house or they come to ours. I'm all grown up now.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, sounds like our family. Big DD mid flies in. Little DS cadet picks her up. They head to Five Guys or Raising Cane’s for a bite and a chat. Sharing military experiences that the other will understand in a way that parents can’t. A little sibling love goes a long way, especially since future times together will be few and far between. 🙁
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top