I-Day

[B mom of S]

Ok all... Here is where I need some insight. Tell me what happens on I-day... to him and to us as parents. How much time should we plan for?

What is he allowed to bring or NOT bring?

I would appreciate any help so we don't appear to be such "Blatent Tourists".

Also, he will NOT be 18 until after I-day. Will we need to sign something? Our Blue & Gold Officer says no, but it seems odd.

Many thanks for helping me become a seasoned Navy Mom!

Barbara

[Jackie Van Dyke]

Oh my goodness! I-Day is so emotional! I can honestly tell you, I was not really emotionally prepared! Just pack him a bag with as little as possible....(otherwise you will be taking it all home) and be ready to let him go! I wish someone had told me this part as well as how sad I would be for weeks afterwards! I am just being honest....I was SOOOOOO proud of him (still am!) but I had no idea how hard letting him go would be. Every month gets easier! Pray alot!

[Kelly]

Mine wasn't 18 either. You don't have to sign something. The Navy knows everything! They've been doing this for a long, long time.

Bring exactly what they tell you to bring (underwear, socks, etc) in the report package. I got so bogged down by the "boxers or briefs" brigade that I worried more about what he needed (which was NOTHING) than enjoying my last days with him. Anything else he may need you can send in a care package (Gatorade powder, protein bars, etc.).

I Day was like a day at Disney World but without the rides and characters. You will walk, walk and walk some more. It is a wonderful day but it is emotional on many levels. It is also a long (and probably hot/humid) day. They report early in the morning (report time will be given to you), disappear into Alumni Hall, and reappear hours later looking like they've been hit by a truck (and nearly bald!). You will be busy going to a parents' brief, shopping at the Mid Store, attending the picnic (and meeting your state's Parents' Club reps....good thing to join), trying to find a rare glimpse of your new Mid, and many other things.

We live in NY so we drove home that night. In hindsight, we should have stayed over. My daughter, about 8 at the time, broke down in tears shortly after we left the parking lot at the stadium. There is a tremendous feeling of pride, but there is also the feeling of loss. You will have little or no communication for the rest of the summer.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to ask. I've been on both sides of Plebe Summer (plebe and cadre) so I'll try to help in any way. Join your local Naval Academy Parents' Club (they should be contacting you but you can also Google them). No one, not your friends/not your Mid/not your family, will understand what you are going through. Other USNA parents will. They are your lifeline to making it through Plebe Summer, Plebe Year and the rest. They don't call it a "roller coaster ride" for nothing.

Congratulations and welcome to the Navy family!

~Kelly

[B mom of S]

Should I run now? Ha. OMG... Thank you! I needed that. We have a 6 year old who is very close to Scott. We also have a (2) 23 yr olds. When they left he was crushed! This will be harder for him. The contact will be tough. No phone, no email, no text, no prepaid SASE to just drop in the box, no check list that says I'm OK - Send food, Send underwear?

Wow....This IS a process.. NOT an event!

We are in Atlanta now, and moving to Charlotte before I-day. So I guess we will be coming from Charlotte. We will stay 1 or 2 nights. I think 2 would be best.

Where in NY? I have lived in both the Bronx & upstate. ALWAYS glad to meet a fellow NY'er. Wear my Yankees cap diligently!

Thanks so much.

[Kelly]

I left out another thing that may or may not happen: your son or daughter, as I Day approaches, may become very quiet and withdrawn. They are taking a big step, and while everyone around them is getting ready to have summer fun, they are getting ready to get yelled at, wake up early, get yelled at some more, exercise at dawn, etc. During the drive down, my son said very little. He didn't eat anything when we stopped, nor did he eat much at dinner. I finally pointed out some other young fellows in the restaurant who obviously were in the same position. None of them were eating, nor were they saying much to their parents. The bus ride from the parking lot of the stadium to Alumni Hall was the quietest bus ride I've ever been on, even though every seat was taken! Give them some space and don't expect anyone to get much sleep the night before I Day.

~Kelly

[Leslie]

Be sure to wear good walking shoes. My feet were killing me by the end of the day and I jog daily. It is just a very long hot day. Bring a camera, water, cell phones to keep in contact with other family and friends, cell phone charger, ---My son said they only let him have a few pairs of the underware and socks he brought during plebe summer----but after plebe summer, the rest came in handy. He had all new stuff to wear. It meant a lot to him at the time.

I loved it when the commandant said, " You parents may have been trying to get your sons and daughters to say "yes, ma 'am, and yes, sir " for a whole 18 years. It's taken us less than 18 minutes."

At the end of the day when the plebes all start marching out of Bancroft Hall , in their poopie suits, all stiff and militaristic , and you and your hubby are straining to get a glimpse of him, it is one of the proudest moments of your life. My husband and I both cried. This is the best thing that will ever happen to your son and to your family. You will never be the same., only better.

[B mom of S]

Thank you all for your candor. I am overwhelmed by the range of emotions. I guess we ALL get inducted in some way. Wow!

[Leslie]

I can't wait to talk about PPW!!! It was all good and funny. But, I''ll wait til you get past I Day. PPW - plebe parent weekend. - is when you finally get to spent the weekend with them, in Annapolis , after plebe summer is over. Sometime in late August.

[Leslie]

Barbara, you didn't have to start a separate thread about I Day. Everyone in this group would love to put their 2 cents in on that subject. We love to talk about the academy in any way, and answer all your questions. So, just talk on the regular group. And , WELCOME TO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF USNA!!!!!!

[B mom of S]

OK, so if I understand this correctly, I should have posted a comment vs. a discussion? A comment will be posted on the wall for all to see, and a discussion will take this off line? As tech savy as I am, I dare say I am definately not a blogger. That will change! Thanks for the info.

OK, just figured out how to edit reply.... Moving on..

Also is there a way to move the discussion to the wall? Am sure there will be more Annapolis moms joining us.

[Patti Friend]

IDay is totally amazing! It is the happiest and saddest day of your life combined. If you can go a day or two early because on Iday itself you basically just hand your son/daughter over. By going early you can scope the place out...find out where to stand, where you drop them off, parking, etc. It's so crowded and hectic and you really are not sure if you are saying or doing the right thing and your child is scared to death. I'd suggest doing whatever you can to relieve stress. We got a hotel walking distance from USNA so that relieved the traffic and parking stress. The night before we ate dinner with some other plebe families (My daughter was in the foundation so she knew a few ahead of time) and tried to sleep...get a hotel room for your son/daughter to be alone and don't pack her/him in with all the family and relatives...they need a good night's sleep. The walk to the academy was almost like a funeral march...we were scared...nervous...sick...excited...thrilled...proud...sad...crying...laughing...a parade of relatives escorting her along the beautiful quiet streets. Take only what they tell you to take. Label everything. Try to feed them breakfast before they go (order breakfast delievered to hotel room the night before so it's there on time) This may be the only meal they eat all day. When you get to the field house...the chaos begins...moms crying, dads choking up, lots of cameras, television news crews, buses, shouting senior officers, scared to death kids with a blank stare of fight or flight in their eyes...and you say your good byes...the last moment you'll be the mom you have been for 18 years...the last time your kid is truly yours...and you let go of their hand, you kiss their sweet cheeks and touch them gently as they step away and are gone....I don't want to worry anyone by saying this but it's never the same again from that moment on. I have otherkids in college and letting them go to their dorm is truly hard, too but this is much worse from a mom's perspective so be prepared...I didnt' realize it so if it helps to warn you...as one officer said...say goodbye to your son/daughter they now are property of the US Navy. So you take the tissues that the chaplins are handing out...you walk away and spend the day in the heat and humidity trying to capture a look, a glimpse of your son/daughter and you rush around looking at things, displays, meeting other parents going thru exactly the same eexperience and you become friends with just a glance...a watery eyed mom passes you by and you exchange glances...knowing glances...and you are one...friends...sisters...partners in this rite of passage of the pain of letting go and the amazing sense of pride you feel at the same time. You keep busy till the end of the day when it's the swearing in ceremony and then be sure to get a good spot because it's very crowded and HOT. Bring a towel for your plebe to sit on (keep their whites white) and a drink and snack for them. Enjoy the ceremony which I think was the best moment of my life as a parent...you'll see...you think your heart is goign to burst you are so full of pride. Then you get to see them again for a short while...it's fast...find a meeting spot ahead of time before Iday and make sure your plebe knows where to go because it's short and crowded and you dont' want to waste time looking for each other. We met at the bank shell in front of the church...kind of out of the way of the crowd. Enjoy your last moments and get hugs to last through Plebe summer...you feel much better by then just seeing they survived...then live on the USNA Parents listserv and search through the photos all summer long to keep you going and stay in tuned with what's going on in their amazing summer...you'll make great friends. Join the parents club in your area, too, they'll help you through things, too. Sorry to write so much...I'm sure everyone has wonderful advice to offer. Best wishes. Go Navy.

[B mom of S]

OMG! You are a wealth of information! Thank you so much. I am going to print your email and a few others and highlight the key points. These little tips are amazing, and I am sure will make the day go so much smoother.

Beat Army!

[jcow27]

I hope I-day went smoothly for you. Our oldest son will be starting at the Academy this year. I'd like to think that having been a Navy Wife (husband class 1989) for 20 years will make it easier for me to let him go but I have a feeling it will not. I'm sure when my husband swears our son into the Navy this July the tears will be hard to hold back!