Feeling a bit overwhelmed!

[Spencers mom]

My son will be leaving in September for bootcamp. I am so proud of him! However everytime I think about all of this I start crying. I know when he leaves I am going to be an emotional mess!

[belovedbyHim]

NavyNukeMom-- I have shared before that I felt the same way.  My son also left shortly after Graduation (June 26-- 7 years ago!) and I thought I would die from the grief!  I too felt like someone had died and you know what, Someone had!  The Vision of who I thought I was and who I thought My kids would be.  My Identity for the last 23 years (at that point) had been Mom, Protector of children, Healer of boo boo's, Confidant, Guardian, Comforter...   My oldest had gone to college for a bit then had moved to CA at that point and my youngest was starting his Senior Year.  Mommy was no longer needed but Mom was. It was hard!  There is NOTHING that can prepare you for sending your child off to the Military.  It is NOT like College. There is an understood level of risk that while it may be small still is always there! More so than most other jobs.  The enforced Great Silence is so HARD!! Combine that with the "Secrecy" and the stress we have all been under it is no wonder you feel as you do!

This is my Blog that will give you a bit of an idea of what the first few weeks will look like.  With COVID  Some of the Pday items are happening in week 1 or 2 and some of the week 1 & 2 items are happening in Quarantine.
https://navyformoms.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=1cb9mn67gy1qg

Most of the recruits seem to be sending the letter home 3ish weeks after leaving and the first phone calls are around week 4ish from leaving.  They are still completing BC in about 8 weeks if no one tests positive. 
http://www.navydep.com/forums/showthread.php?t=433
This site will also give a breakdown of what they are doing by week and day through week 6.  Please Keep in mind this is all Pre- COVID.  We cannot confirm what is or isn't happening.

I encourage you to post on the Main BC page since you will find so many more moms that are there to support you!  You are not alone or Crazy!! We understand!! I promise you though, We have not lost a mom to Boot camp, We won't start with you!! 

[Redrover0628]

NavyNukeMom,

Your story could be mine! My son enlisted in August 2019 in DEP and we thought we had so much time--he shipped June 30 and today marks our one week. He is going to Nuke school too. Every day brings a new worry it seems--yesterday was a particularly bad day missing him but today is better. I hate that we won't get to go to Great Lakes but we live only 4 hours from Charleston so hoping we will get to see him more there depending on their restrictions. 

Glad to have found this site and all the great folks here!

[partyofseven]

Welcome Redrover0628,

It is good to have you on here. There is a lot of wonderful moms on here and on the Nuke page as well. They are awesome. I see that you already posted on the main page so that is great. 

[Chipmunk]

Redrover0628 - my son left for BC on 6/29 three years ago. It was his father's birthday as well. It is so sad that everyone is not able to go to PIR, it is not just for us family member's but it is for our sailors as well. The restrictions are hard on them as well, so we do the best we can from a distance to keep them cheered up. I will say that with your sailor going to NUKE school, you will have a few more opportunities to possibly see him than with many rates. And I would love to live only 4 hours from Charleston. I made 4 trips out there while my son was in school and we live in OK. Three trips we drove, one we flew and we flew him home twice - and then after his duty station move. We have also flown out once to see him in Norfolk, VA where he is stationed now and I was planning a road trip this summer but that has all been put on hold. Stick around and stay active here, we will share with you the ups and the downs. 

[Cathy RNC OCN]

My son took the test, sent in all his information in April. Have only heard it takes time. How long does it take for medical clearance and the process to begin. My son is healthy just had a broken collar bone in 2017

[partyofseven]

Good Morning Cathy RNC,

And welcome to our group. It is great to have you here. If you post on the main page you will find lots of information about boot camp and beyond. belovedbyHim has a blog that is really good as well.

With COVID going on it's hard when mine signed up he was still in high school so when he graduated in May, he could have left in June but he wanted to wait and he left at the end of August. So it depends on how fast the recruiter gets everything processed and how fast the medical clearance comes in. Also, my recruiter was always in touch with mine so maybe call the recruiter as well to see if he can give you a time line as well. 

Welcome again and please post on the main page as there is a lot of moms on there and we all help each other.  

[VintageGal]

Hi :), my son left for Boot Camp on August 13. He told us that he wanted to join during his junior year in high school and enlisted February 2020. I cried often throughout those months. I would cry randomly, while putting away his laundry, cooking a meal he loved, talking to people when they’d ask me questions about him and the Navy...
The best way for me to cope throughout those months, without making him feel bad, (although he definitely knew that I cried once in a while. I told him that I was super proud of him but I knew I was going to miss him like crazy!) - I digress... was to create a Pinterest board and I loaded it full of Navy information, inspirational navy mom quotes, blogs about Boot Camp and experiences of families. I put up a Christmas tree that has red white and blue ball ornaments, patriotic ribbon, Stars and Stripes balls, local craft stores have items that you can make ornaments with as well. I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos on what it would be like for him as well. I also bought a book called Be Safe, Love Mom. I just started reading it but it’s about one mothers experience with having four children in the military in four different branches. Wow! I feel like the more information I know the easier it is for me to cope. But it doesn’t change the fact that we miss him. His younger brother and sister (also teenagers) use his bathroom and will occasionally sleep in his room. It’s funny, we put his favorite childhood teddy bear back on his bed that he had put away once he had grown older.
Another thing I like to do is text him and send him pictures like he is going to receive them right away. I know once he turns his phone back on its going to explode with texts! :) I can’t wait to get his mailing address! During his going away party we had a table where family and friends could write him letters so I could send them during Boot Camp and training school. I can’t wait to mail them out! He and his friends have a funny sense of humor so I am sure that he is going to have a few major laughs once he receives their letters.
So with that, my advice is the more you know the better you’ll feel - that’s how I feel in my case anyway. For some reason I have cried a little less since he’s left but that may be because I know he was sitting in quarantine and partly because he is a let’s just get the job done, black and white, point A to point B type of man. Did I say man?? He’s only eighteen! (Tears) As of Thursday he was supposed to be out of ROM so that has my mind going a little more.
I’m sure other parents feel the same way that although Covid is absolutely terrible and 2020 has been insane, somehow it gave me the gift of time with my son that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. We took advantage of camping trips and having his buddies over. Listening to the same laughter that I’ve been hearing from him and his buddies of seven years, warmed my heart! The last night he was here and was up playing video games with his friends and hearing his laughter and the boys yelling at each other over their mics had me awake in bed with a smile on my face. I actually recorded some of it. Wink wink
I hope these tips help during this time <3

[Chipmunk]

Christine - Those are some good suggestions!!! I am glad you shared your story. We all deal with our children leaving home differently and even those of us who have had one leave for the military - but the good thing is we can all encourage each other and we know someone else understands how we feel and why we might do something that seems silly to others but is very meaningful to us!. As the saying around here goes - "No News is Good News" and while we want the form letter with their address - we wait patiently. The letter writing at his going away party sounds great!!  I am glad you were able to have some extra camping trips with your son, those are the best memories!

[belovedbyHim]

Christine -- I had to create a blog for my replies!! I just really want to try and help be giving folks the most complete picture of what may or may not be happening so they can plan.  I know for myself, the more I know what to expect and what could go differently the easier it is to wait without feeling overwhelmed!

[Chipmunk]

Christine - that is a great picture. - You should be able to play with the Pixel size and I thought there was a way to delete that before you actually posted your reply. But large is okay as well. 

[VintageGal]

Chipmunk, thank you for your kind words. I appreciate you reading my story. I look back at it and I’m like- wow you’re long-winded girl! We just love our babies! 

[partyofseven]

Christine,

Hey, 

I hear you. Isn't it God's way on how we go thru things and then when we realize I'm not crying as much anymore. Or I made it thru what ever activity I was doing without crying. I have my moments and that's ok but they are not as they used to be. So I am thankful for that.

I love your idea about your Pinerest board I wish I had done that.  :) I made a section of the war full of pictures and some of his Navy things that he had gotten. I also had a party for him but it was graduation and going away together and it turned out really good. Everyone came and he really enjoyed that.

We went camping to and the summer that he was leaving we went back east to see family and camp out. That was a great time. Making memories is the best with our kids and family.  :)