My Son Went To The RTC Today

[RobsMom]

My son left for RTC today.  Anyone have any good advice for me?  I've had family members in the military before, but not one of my children, so this is a totally new experience for me.

[Aaron's mom]

Welcome to the Navy mom club! It is difficult those first few weeks in boot camp, but it will go rather quickly. Try to keep busy. Remind yourself your son made a great decision for his future. Expect the box and form letter to arrive in the next week to ten days. Don't expect a call or other letters for at least three to four weeks. When he does write or call, be prepared for him to seem miserable. Be supportive and understanding. He will start to feel better by about week four. The toughest part is the early weeks. As soon as you get the form letter, send him tons of letters. I even printed the screen shots from my sailor's Facebook page, so he could read updates from his friends. Don't make letters too thick or anything that may attract attention. Best wishes to you and your SR.

[Amy]

Lots of letter. I wrote every day. some days I would write 2. It is very hard the first few weeks for him and you both. My son just graduated 02Dec2011. I sent him funny pictures i found on the internet., I even wrote him jokes that were also found on the internet. They love to hear about sports, but somehow someone in the Div was very up to date. Ask lots of question. I found the more I knew about what he was doing the better it made me feel. I followed the navy weeks very close so i could send him encouraging messages before they started. Have you joined the navy recruit facebook page? http://www.facebook.com/NavyRecruitTrainingCommand?ref=ts loads of info. once you find out what div he is in you should join the group of parents who also have recruits. They are very supportive. Staying busy is important. But i did find those times that I just had to go sit in his room. I did his laundry (even tho it was already clean). Helped me deal with his absence. Remember its a long journey but the outcome is one of the greatest. 

[sunshine73]

As soon as you know your child's PIR date, form a group. My group of PIR moms was my lifeline. We laughed, cried, shared stories. We are still close almost a year later. We now have our own facebook group.  I never thought that I could bond so strongly with a group of strangers, but they are the ones who know exactly what you are going through. Good Luck to you and your recruit.