Care Packages/Things for Parents to send

SamAca10

10-Year Member
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Jul 19, 2009
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Does anybody know what can be sent in care packages? What shouldn't? My parents were wondering so we could put them together in advance.

Thanks! :thumb:
 
CarePackage

Have parents prepare a shoe box filled with some items....wrap it up in a brown paper bag, print your name( SWAB Jill Jones), Chase Hall #___.
Inside consider packing 2 disposable lighters-so you can shine your shoes-I remember buying ones without the roller mechanism to ignite..the ones I sent had a lever type ingniter.
drink mix in the little packets that are sized for their water bottles

  • A photo cube-found in target...put photos of Mom,Dad,sis,bro,dog/cat,grands

  • a small packet of Pledge wipes for cleaning

  • blister bandages

  • a black Sharpie marker or 2:wink:
 
Does anybody know what can be sent in care packages? What shouldn't? My parents were wondering so we could put them together in advance.

Thanks! :thumb:
I saved this list as a word document so that we would know what we had/hadn't already sent our son. So, here you go...

Things we dropped of on RDay in a box were:

Windex wipes (in the small flat packet)
Tide to Go pen
Swiffer cloths
Snack bars and Gatorade packets
Candy (nothing that would melt or get destroyed in the heat)
Cotton balls/Qtips
Throat lozenges
Pledge wipes
Duct tape
Permanent marker
Lint brush
Pre-stamped, addressed note cards
Plastic shoebox size storage container (attached lid; we packed items in this 12in x 12in x 6in
Lighter
Black nylons for shining shoes
 
Have parents prepare a shoe box filled with some items....wrap it up in a brown paper bag, print your name( SWAB Jill Jones), Chase Hall #___.
Inside consider packing 2 disposable lighters-so you can shine your shoes-I remember buying ones without the roller mechanism to ignite..the ones I sent had a lever type ingniter.
drink mix in the little packets that are sized for their water bottles

  • A photo cube-found in target...put photos of Mom,Dad,sis,bro,dog/cat,grands

  • a small packet of Pledge wipes for cleaning

  • blister bandages

  • a black Sharpie marker or 2:wink:

USPS will not permit you to ship disposable lighters and boxes should not be wrapped in brown paper (our post office will rip it off).
Parents should consider the flat rate boxes. Set price for whatever you can fit in the box.
 
USPS will not permit you to ship disposable lighters and boxes should not be wrapped in brown paper (our post office will rip it off).
Parents should consider the flat rate boxes. Set price for whatever you can fit in the box.

Yes, the USPS frowns on flammable liquids being sent through the mail. For that matter, the TSA wouldn't have appreciated us carrying it with us from home.

So...once in CT, we found the nearest walmart and stocked a box for our son.

BTW, we met some new friends while strolling the aisles of the store. They were all looking for the same items we were, so we weren't surprised when they asked if our son was headed to CGA. It was nice to see a few familiar faces on R-Day. (for our son and for us!)
 
This is great advice guys! I'm really glad that I have SAF as a source of reference. :biggrin:

So what are some things that would be good for them to send during Swab Summer? Thanks! :thumb:
 
So what are some things that would be good for them to send during Swab Summer?

Food: Candy (not chocolate, which will melt), beef jerky, cookies, power bars, protien bars, individual packets of gatorade powder, throat lozenges, pre-packaged cheese and crackers, pre-packaged peanutbutter and crackers. Anything you don't eat can be shared with your fellow swabs.
 
What is sent to Swabs will depend upon their needs and the items that they request.
Storage space is at a minimum and items sent should be able to be easily stored in a plastic box (the size of a shoe box; our Swab preferred the ones with the top that was attached, but again, that was her personal preference).
Swabs move rooms frequently and the more items, the more for them to move and reorganize.

During Swab summer my wife befriended the local post office (they still ask how she's doing) as our DD would send us a weekly 'wish list.' The flat rate boxes filled the bill and shipping time is good.

One thing to keep in mind is that your packages and mail will get to the Academy with no problem; remember that there will be a huge amount of mail received each week for Swabs, Cadre and those attending Summer school. Your box or letter may sit days waiting for the Cadre to find time to pick up mail for the Company and distribute all these items to each Swab. We as parents all have to be patient and keep in mind that the first obligation of our Swab's Cadre is to the training of the Swabs, not mail duty. Patience is a virtue this summer and please don't worry; your Swabs will get their mail, maybe just not as fast as we'd like them to receive it. :wink: After all, we as parents are all desperate for even the smallest bit of information as to how our kids are doing. Some Swabs will write novels others won't send a single piece of mail to their parents all summer, it depends on what they put as a priority and most just keep busy studying, cleaning, etc.

What one Swab requests won't even be on the radar for another. Female Swabs will request different items than male Swabs. (Females are often requesting things from Bath & Body shop to avoid stinking :eek:).

Most often we sent:
Pre-packaged food items (Sam's Club, etc. is a good source since we often mailed for our Swab and her company mates as well as including Cadre)
Ex: Cookies, cereal/breakfast bars, Clif Bars, etc.
We sent freezer pops to the Cadre (they had fun with those)

Other items included:
Gatorade single packets (DD did request a new Nalgene bottle since the powder leaves a "taste" in the bottle; these bottles are not going into dishwashers, just rinsed out each day).
Moleskin, foot powder, fingernail clippers
Hair gel, clips and elastic bands
Windex wipes, duct tape, Q-tips (for cleaning), cotton balls, Swifter clothes

For fun we sent her:
Comic strips, news articles from home.

The only book she brought with her to Swab Summer was an Uncle John's Bathroom reader (great source for quick reading and neat facts)
Pictures from home in a small photo album (very, very inexpensive plastic thing, nothing special)

AND the most cherished items she said that came from home: SNAIL MAIL letters :thumb: (She would save them all up and read them on Sundays)

Knowing now what we didn't know way back when is to not send things unless they were requested by our Swab.
 
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In case it hasn't been mentioned: SILVER SHARPIE for marking those dark items.

Body Glide from a sporting store provided alot of relief.
 
just checking

are cadre allowed to open boxes/care packages sent to swabs? what about letters?
 
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