Now is also the time to mentally prepare for the future announcements of :
- “I’ve signed up for this cool language trip as an elective instead of taking my summer leave block, we’re going to X and doing Y and I can’t wait to try Z.”
- “My friends and I are going to do NOLS this summer instead of just going home on leave. We want to do the Alaska one.”
- “My roommate’s mom is stationed at Naval Station Key West, so I am going home with him for spring break. They have a boat, and we’re going fishing. I want to take scuba lessons.”
- “I’m coming home for Christmas, but I’m leaving the day after, because I am meeting up with two guys from the rugby team for a ski trip we booked through AF recreation services with a big military discount. We’ll go right from the trip back to school.”
- “My GF/BF’s family has invited me to come to the beach house they have rented for the summer. I’ll go there for most of my summer leave period, then try to fit in a few days at home.”
- “I’ve decided I want to double major/do an exchange semester at USMA, so I am going to take a voluntary summer school course instead of a leave block to manage my academic schedule better.” (I assume USAFA has summer school, voluntary and involuntary.)
We do counsel our USNA sponsor mid family to be conscious of and sensitive to the impact of shifting patterns on dads and moms who have literally seen them almost every day of their lives, who have also been adjusting to seeing their son or daughter leap out of the nest and not necessarily rush right home at every opportunity. We tell them the minute they plan to do something that will probably run counter to family expectations and assumptions, they need to do the adult thing and keep family informed.
As is often said here on SAF, parents find themselves shifting from active parenting to available to consult roles.