For the Parents

[JWP]

Open letter to all parents on this forum with soon to be members of the next class at USMA or those who have sons or daughters waiting for the next wave (or two or three) of appointments.

After going through this twice (have a current Firstie and a COW) the best advice I can offer is RELAX!

First know - if your son or daughter has made it to this point in the process - no matter what - they have proven themselves to be incredible young men and women and are among the best this nation has to offer! So either part of USMA or not - they are going to be incredibly successful! Show your pride!!!

That leads me to my next point which is - regardless of their path after high school - you have only a small amount of time left with your son or daughter and they have enough going on in their mind that all the worry and stress you bring to them is not going to make their last semester of high school any easier for you or for them. Trust me - if they are this far in the process - they know what needs to be done! Also remember - it is their journey - and we are privileged enough to be a part of it.

One of the strengths of this forum is for you as parents to ask questions and vent so you don't have to ask questions and vent to your son or daughter. We are here to help!

With that my advice is to laugh a lot! Do your best to relieve the stress they are feeling and not to add to it.

Instead spend your time weighing into family traditions - go to movies - binge on Netflix series - find time to visit with extended family - hit your favorite restaurants - give out hugs and when they need it - give them space to internalize the reality around them and stay off their candidate portal LOL!

Just be there for them 'cause whether they show it now or not - they will turn to you for support between now and the day they begin the next part of the journey.

Remember - they are incredible young men and women! Be proud of the work you did as a parent and be proud of all your son or daughter has accomplished - you all have done so well!

God bless and enjoy the ride!

 

[Parent3]

message received thank you

 

[Patterndesigner]

Open letter to all parents on this forum with soon to be members of the next class at USMA or those who have sons or daughters waiting for the next wave (or two or three) of appointments.

After going through this twice (have a current Firstie and a COW) the best advice I can offer is RELAX!

First know - if your son or daughter has made it to this point in the process - no matter what - they have proven themselves to be incredible young men and women and are among the best this nation has to offer! So either part of USMA or not - they are going to be incredibly successful! Show your pride!!!

That leads me to my next point which is - regardless of their path after high school - you have only a small amount of time left with your son or daughter and they have enough going on in their mind that all the worry and stress you bring to them is not going to make their last semester of high school any easier for you or for them. Trust me - if they are this far in the process - they know what needs to be done! Also remember - it is their journey - and we are privileged enough to be a part of it.

One of the strengths of this forum is for you as parents to ask questions and vent so you don't have to ask questions and vent to your son or daughter. We are here to help!

With that my advice is to laugh a lot! Do your best to relieve the stress they are feeling and not to add to it.

Instead spend your time weighing into family traditions - go to movies - binge on Netflix series - find time to visit with extended family - hit your favorite restaurants - give out hugs and when they need it - give them space to internalize the reality around them and stay off their candidate portal LOL!

Just be there for them 'cause whether they show it now or not - they will turn to you for support between now and the day they begin the next part of the journey.

Remember - they are incredible young men and women! Be proud of the work you did as a parent and be proud of all your son or daughter has accomplished - you all have done so well!

God bless and enjoy the ride!

Thank you! I needed that! My DS has a solid Plan B with AROTC, but it’s hard not to pray for Plan A.

 

[Goat 965]

Ditto!! Thanks for the advice, I will try to put it to use!! My DD also has a solid plan B with AROTC, which is awesome. She is also hoping to hear from WP. My problem is that there are orientation visits to schedule at the ROTC college, and it involves airfare etc........I don't want to book them and then have two tickets that I don't need, in the even that WP comes calling in April Maybe it's youth, but she is seemingly nonplussed by the whole process. Or has a killer poker face!!

 

[USMA 1994]

Ditto!! Thanks for the advice, I will try to put it to use!! My DD also has a solid plan B with AROTC, which is awesome. She is also hoping to hear from WP. My problem is that there are orientation visits to schedule at the ROTC college, and it involves airfare etc........I don't want to book them and then have two tickets that I don't need, in the even that WP comes calling in April Maybe it's youth, but she is seemingly nonplussed by the whole process. Or has a killer poker face!!

Buy a Southwest Ticket if it all possible. They are typically changeable with no fees. You will be buying a few plane tickets over the next four years.

 

[Walman888]

Open letter to all parents on this forum with soon to be members of the next class at USMA or those who have sons or daughters waiting for the next wave (or two or three) of appointments.

After going through this twice (have a current Firstie and a COW) the best advice I can offer is RELAX!

First know - if your son or daughter has made it to this point in the process - no matter what - they have proven themselves to be incredible young men and women and are among the best this nation has to offer! So either part of USMA or not - they are going to be incredibly successful! Show your pride!!!

That leads me to my next point which is - regardless of their path after high school - you have only a small amount of time left with your son or daughter and they have enough going on in their mind that all the worry and stress you bring to them is not going to make their last semester of high school any easier for you or for them. Trust me - if they are this far in the process - they know what needs to be done! Also remember - it is their journey - and we are privileged enough to be a part of it.

One of the strengths of this forum is for you as parents to ask questions and vent so you don't have to ask questions and vent to your son or daughter. We are here to help!

With that my advice is to laugh a lot! Do your best to relieve the stress they are feeling and not to add to it.

Instead spend your time weighing into family traditions - go to movies - binge on Netflix series - find time to visit with extended family - hit your favorite restaurants - give out hugs and when they need it - give them space to internalize the reality around them and stay off their candidate portal LOL!

Just be there for them 'cause whether they show it now or not - they will turn to you for support between now and the day they begin the next part of the journey.

Remember - they are incredible young men and women! Be proud of the work you did as a parent and be proud of all your son or daughter has accomplished - you all have done so well!

God bless and enjoy the ride!

Like.

 

[horsecountry]

Great advice and really appreciate all the wisdom from all the people posting. My son did not know about the ROTC scholarships till recently and I’m pretty sure he missed it for this year. He has a couple pretty nice backup plans (UNT and A&M eng schools so far). Only time will tell. All in God’s perfect timing

 

[onepercenter2021]

Buy a Southwest Ticket if it all possible. They are typically changeable with no fees. You will be buying a few plane tickets over the next four years.

Just a few [emoji6]. More than I ever thought I would be able to but we've been blessed and learned quickly how to play the "Travel Game".

 

[onepercenter2021]

Open letter to all parents on this forum with soon to be members of the next class at USMA or those who have sons or daughters waiting for the next wave (or two or three) of appointments.

After going through this twice (have a current Firstie and a COW) the best advice I can offer is RELAX!

First know - if your son or daughter has made it to this point in the process - no matter what - they have proven themselves to be incredible young men and women and are among the best this nation has to offer! So either part of USMA or not - they are going to be incredibly successful! Show your pride!!!

That leads me to my next point which is - regardless of their path after high school - you have only a small amount of time left with your son or daughter and they have enough going on in their mind that all the worry and stress you bring to them is not going to make their last semester of high school any easier for you or for them. Trust me - if they are this far in the process - they know what needs to be done! Also remember - it is their journey - and we are privileged enough to be a part of it.

One of the strengths of this forum is for you as parents to ask questions and vent so you don't have to ask questions and vent to your son or daughter. We are here to help!

With that my advice is to laugh a lot! Do your best to relieve the stress they are feeling and not to add to it.

Instead spend your time weighing into family traditions - go to movies - binge on Netflix series - find time to visit with extended family - hit your favorite restaurants - give out hugs and when they need it - give them space to internalize the reality around them and stay off their candidate portal LOL!

Just be there for them 'cause whether they show it now or not - they will turn to you for support between now and the day they begin the next part of the journey.

Remember - they are incredible young men and women! Be proud of the work you did as a parent and be proud of all your son or daughter has accomplished - you all have done so well!

God bless and enjoy the ride!

My DD had done everything right up to pushing the green accept button all on her own. I was pretty clueless up until that point, other than I did check her portal for updates after she asked me to and showed me how because that was HER way of taking some of the stress off of her of all the other things she had going on. What I did do that stressed her out was report back to her what was being reported / asked here in the forums; saying "Hey did you know THAT or Did you already do....? and that I regret.
When it came time for packing and prepping, we did it together because that is the way our family does it, and that's ok. She asked. I helped. It was a learning experience in communication, expectations, and independence. Every one does "family" different so do what works for you because only YOU know your kid. Definitely spend fun time e ith them and absorb every moment; every memory! If they get that appointment that moment comes SUDDENLY ( ours was via telephone 2000 miles apart at 6 am MST) when they say " Bye Mom/Dad! Gotta go! I am going in the doors now. Have to turn off my phone. Love you! I'll be ok". And just like that....your baby grows up.
( And you STILL cry like a baby!! Lol lol)