telephone numbers and addresses

[scubagirl]

I posted this on Dep leaving in June but wanted anyone that is surfing all the websites like I did prior to my son leaving and still do, to learn as much as possible.  I forgot to write a list of telephone numbers and a couple of important addresses for him to put in his thin wallet.  We always use our cell phones to call each other and use our contacts and speed dial to call each other,  I did not even know his cell number by heart or his address(he has not lived at home for 2 years) and am not sure he knows our cell number by heart.  Just so used to having the cell phone with list and numbers and addresses.  Do not do what I did and forget to give your son/daughter this important list.  Even if they know it I can not help but think that with all the stress they are under while in boot camp that it would be something easy to forget.  I read where one mom sent her sons letters Priority Mail.  I  may do this for the first couple of letters and in the letters put telephone numbers he may want while he is there. Maybe I am over reacting but I know my son.  He relied on his cell for everything.  

[NavyWife-Jennifer]

Giving your SR a list of important phone numbers is very smart. I wrote my cellphone number down on his calling card. My husband never had my new phone number memorized since it was always in his phone but before we left he tried to remember it and he did. There is a lot of stress and it is so fast paced when they first arrive at boot camp that I think it would be very easy to forget.

[Bainite]

For our SR, I made a "pocketmod" (http://www.pocketmod.com/v2/), a single sheet of paper that is folded in such a way that it makes a thin wallet-sized booklet with 8 pages, including the front and the back.  The website allows you to set each page from a list of templates. (templates like an address page with space for 8 addresses, grid paper, etc.)  All the printing is done on one side of the sheet of paper. When it's folded according to the instructions on the website, the "back" side of the sheet of paper is hidden by the folding.  I then color-printed 8 family photos on the back side of that same sheet, so that he can unfold it and see images of him and us doing fun things together. 

Aside from the addresses, I found a bunch of motivational quotes / one-liner jokes, and printed them on the other "pages".  I have access to "rite-in-the-rain" copier paper, so I used that.  Sweat and wetness will not damage it.

Regarding the letters, this is our second one to go in the Navy, so he knows all about how long it takes to initially start receiving mail.  (1st delay: He's not in his ship yet.  2nd delay: The "mail petty officer" has not yet passed his test to allow him/her to deliver mail.  It's a federal/post office requirement.)  We just numbered the letters on the outside of the envelope, so he knows what order to open them in.  We also don't worry about getting mail back.  Remember: no news is good news.  (But it's SO great when you DO get a letter!)

[Austins mom]

I was thinking the exact same thing but my son leaves for boot camp in September and I plan on writing down my cell for him to fall back on. Not to mention our address. It's not something they use everyday to remember it. They're gonna be fed tons of info, I can see my son not being able to remember something so menial.

[lemonelephant]

Check your My Page since your future Sailor's ship date was changed from August to September.

[anavymom]

My SR was allowed to keep a small address book with him at RTC Great Lakes.

[sarah]

Hi, I just graduated boot camp the 7th. We are allowed to have address books, we just have to keep them in our locked drawer. I didn't know my friends number so I called my mom and wrote down the number on a small piece of paper attached to the phone card we bought. Normally you get your first call the first sat after P-days and from there it is at the discretion of the RDC's. If the division is good they'll let you. My division had three phone calls, and then after battle stations we got recruit heaven. Where you can make unlimited phones calls. We were there for four hours.

[OKst8Mom]

Per the sheet on things to do before boot camp, I bought him a new billfold before he left and put in it a $20 bill, a calling card and eight calling card numbers from callsforrecruits.org, his SS card, his NFCU debit card, two strips of moleskin, four band aids, small wallet photos, a sheet of stamps, his first letter from mom, and a small laminated strip of paper with important names, addresses and phone numbers. The night before he left for MEPS, I gave it to him.

He pilfered thru it, found the strip with names and contact info on it and said, "good idea! I'll need that!". He was also amazed that I got so much stuff in it and it didn't look "stuffed" at all. Lol...

[lemonelephant]

:o)