New cadet visitation day

Thank you for responding! I understand how much you miss your sons and daughters. I do not know who we are getting but we have arranged three phones and three tablets for the three new cadets we are hosting. Please be available for July 23rd, Sunday, from 1:30-4:30 pm if you are waiting to hear from your new cadets. They will probably be using our phones so keep in mind the area code for New York is 845.

For those who are waiting for a nap and or shower. I am afraid I cannot help. Protocols rule.
 
As long as you are not cadre, you are good and they will enjoy themselves! When we hosted we just made sure there was tons of food, quiet rooms for phone calls and resting, and TV/video games. I would say the hardest part was convincing them that it was OK to go sleep if they wanted to and ensuring them that we would wake them up and get them back in time. They are all just so darn polite! They want to be good guests, but just let them know that you understand what they have been going through (and what they are going back to) so it is perfectly OK to go spend time on the phone, fall asleep on the couch, etc.

And a note about area codes: if you are new to being a military parent (yes, that’s what you are now!) from now on you will be answering calls from any area code. As long as your child is serving, this is a good rule of thumb. Cadre will sometimes lend out their phones during CBT to NCs. Once a full cadet, sometimes you will receive calls from your cadet where they are borrowing a friend’s phone. When they are deployed, you will most certainly answer the phone whenever and wherever it rings, from whatever number appears. You are a military parent now, therefore, you take all calls!
 
Elisabethromy said:
Thank you for responding! I understand how much you miss your sons and daughters. I do not know who we are getting but we have arranged three phones and three tablets for the three new cadets we are hosting. Please be available for July 23rd, Sunday, from 1:30-4:30 pm if you are waiting to hear from your new cadets. They will probably be using our phones so keep in mind the area code for New York is 845.

For those who are waiting for a nap and or shower. I am afraid I cannot help. Protocols rule.
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on behalf of my wife and myself I just want to say THANK YOU! to your family and others who host these remarkable kids and help us parents who are a long way away from our kids and West Point rest easier knowing how thoughtful and sharing yourself and like families are to our kids
 
Thank you for hosting. I agree that the biggest thing is to let them know that they can just relax and talk on the phone to their friends and family.
 
Also Elizabeth, if you are using your first and last name as your call sign on Service Academy Forums, you might wish to write to one of the moderators to change to something more mysterious and less identifiable. Thank you again for doing this. I am so looking forward to speaking with my sweet #3. There was one letter and a short phone call and everything seems up beat...but I'd like a little more time. <3
 
DrMom said:
Also Elizabeth, if you are using your first and last name as your call sign on Service Academy Forums, you might wish to write to one of the moderators to change to something more mysterious and less identifiable. Thank you again for doing this. I am so looking forward to speaking with my sweet #3. There was one letter and a short phone call and everything seems up beat...but I'd like a little more time. <3
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It's my pen name like " Mark Twain".
 
Dr. Mom, do you use your real name on your published work? You might consider using "Dr. Mom"; it adds a bit of mystery!
 
Thank you for hosting! How do they find homes for all of the NC's? How many go to each host?
 
jage3 said:
Thank you for hosting! How do they find homes for all of the NC's? How many go to each host?
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They are all volunteers. The academy sends out announcements in the beginning of July. Faculty, officers o3 and above, NCOs E7 and above and civilian employees GS 9 and above are authorized to sponsor new cadets. If I may ask a favor: please encourage your new cadets to be curtious and grateful. It is a huge commitment that we sponsors make. We would rather it generates a positive experience for all that will be involved.
 
Just to clarify, the Sunday ‘ice cream social’ event is different from the yearlong sponsor program. The regular sponsor program involves a form and a computer match, whereas the ice cream social is just families signing up to take a certain number of cadets for that afternoon. On post families can take as few or as many as they’d like. About six to ten per household is the norm for the social. All volunteers, and everyone on post is happy to do it! The regular sponsor program matches don’t always work out personality wise, but not to worry. Very often cadets will get adopted by a roommate or teammate’s sponsor and it all seems to work out in the end. A lot of informal sponsoring goes on as well……everyone seems to find a good fit!

The true purpose of this Sunday’s event is for the cadre to switch over from CBTI to CBTII. It’s helpful to get the NC’s out of the way while doing so. I always find it funny that WP only gives the new cadets a few hours off and they don’t even leave post whereas USNA sends them to a baseball game and USAFA sends them to the rodeo!
 
My son never got a regular sponsor family. But his roommates family "adopted" him, and is a great fit. They really care about the kids. When my son graduated from air assault this summer they came to the graduation and we finally met them. It is a tremendous break to have a release valve like that.
 
brovol said:
My son never got a regular sponsor family. But his roommates family "adopted" him, and is a great fit. They really care about the kids. When my son graduated from air assault this summer they came to the graduation and we finally met them. It is a tremendous break to have a release valve like that.
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I am glad to hear your son was able to find a sponsor family through his roommate. I have heard many cadets even graduates talking about they never really met their sponsor. I have also heard some frustration from sponsors. I personally sponsor cadets both through the sponsorship program and picking up some throughout the academic year while teaching.
 
mom3boys said:
Dr. Mom, do you use your real name on your published work? You might consider using "Dr. Mom"; it adds a bit of mystery!
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As you know...Mom3Boys...I use my real name like you--I need it for the Hirsch Index--but I definitely have been 'outted' on SAF. If I were going to have a nom de plume (or nom de guerre) I think it would be something more intriguing than 'DrMom' or 'Pentagon Insider'.
I am so looking forward to speaking with #3 this Sunday. I miss him and want to hear about the range and Land Nav. He should be genetically gifted at both of these things but we will see if missed the target or wandered around lost in the woods or if he encountered a bear. Legend has it that #1 ran into a bear while moving through/eating blueberries on the Land Nav course.

So thankful to all of the hosts for Sunday. It would be a lot to have so many hungry young men and women to the house.

As for sponsors, I really loved my sponsor family and they became friends with my family (all of the Puerto Rican mids had the same great sponsor back in the day. it seemed that every weekend was like a big party) #1 never fell into a relationship with a sponsor family but I think #3 would like that, especially if he were asked be helpful around the house and if there were pets.
 
I'm sure our cadets will be more than gracious and grateful. Thank you for offering your home to them.
Are you allowed to share with us parents what the rules, regulations, and protocol is?
 
Anything sweet, computer access to check social media/e-mail, phone call that isn't time, somewhere to nap if wanted, tv.
 
Access to the internet, facebook and a phone; some private downtime; junk food and a place to rest. Have had two cadets; both appreciated long calls home and with friends more than anything; one curled up and took a nap after a long call and was very appreciative. No need to entertain. The best is if you can beg or borrow a few ipads and cell phones. Such a great thing to do for cadets! Have fun teaching this year!
 
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