How did YOU tell your parents?

[samfreed7]

The way i told my parents..
Last year around this time my neighbor graduated from bootcamp and she called me up and was just telling me all of the great things and pretty much how it was the best choice of her life and I dunno it just sounded like something i should look into. I went and had an interview with my recruitor. That night i told my dad his response " are you serious", my mom was a little more touchy and cried. They both were questioning the same things, motives, ashley( my girlfriend at the time), benefits all that jazz. My dad was more open about it, my mom will prolly never be 100% okay with it.. But in june they finally came through and signed the papers and i enlisted on july 1st..
>> but honestly I think girls have it easier when it comes to the whole parents thing, With my persitance,, they came through

[Tommy1089]

My parents were actually excited when i broke the news to them, about me joining the Marine Corps...I think they were just happy as hell i was doing something with my life.

[Hamelink83]

me - "Dad, I'm going to join the Marines and want your blessing"
dad - "do you understand your decision"
me - "yes"
dad - "you got it, you sure you don't want to be a navy man instead?"
me - "no"

My dad is retired Navy thus the last quesiton.

[Books]

My parents never believed me...

I told them when I was 16 what I was going to do. They didn't think I was serious.

I told them when I was 17 that I had spoken to my recruiter at his office. They didn't think I was serious.

I told them when I was 17 that I needed their consent to enlist. They lauged... Seriously, they just laughed.

I told them when I was 18 that I needed my birth certificate and social security card. That got their attention.


Ever since December 6th, 2008, the day I took the oath, my parents have been absolutely hysterical. Right now they busy themselves with my college-bound twin sister in an effort to avoid the issue. Well, they can't stop what's coming...

[sparkie]

Jan, 1969, I just said, Dad, lets go sign,,,, Didn't need mom in those days. 120 day delay, max back then, I was a Senior. Another guy signed outta High School with me,,,,, Jim Perkins,,,,, He didn't come back,,, I did. So much for signing,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[mbrazil]

So if you read my last post on this thread (which was about 2 and a half hours ago) I said how my mom was trying to convince me not to join and constantly arguing with me...

Well I sent her an email (I dont live at home) explaining how I felt about joining and how I know she doesnt understand why just that she needs to understand I want to. She called me up afterwards and told me she will support me and if I need help with anything she will do watever she can. She is even going to help me get a waiver for my tattoo.

[Poolee Turner]

I told my mom when I was about 5 thats what I wanted to do after seeing my uncle in his dress blues. She smiled and said, "You'd make a good one" blah blah blah.

In December, I let them know I was going to talk to a recruiter after I got off work and they were thrilled. My recruiter (Sgt. Smalls) came by my house and my mother said, "Take him now."

Needless to say, my parents are excited that I'm doing what I've wanted to do since I was a child. I'm shipping out August 24!

[Jfriesner]

Maybe it is must my independant nature or the fact that I am 24 and have lived away from home since I was 17 but man what is up with this permission bull****? When I decided to join a few months ago I just told my family what I was doing. I don't need to ask permission. I would have done the same if I had joined right out of high school. If I wanted to join when I was 17 I would have told my parents what I was doing and if they wanted to help me out I needed signatures other wise I'll wait till I'm 18. I have a great relationship with both my parents but damn at some point in your life poolees you have to remove your balls from your parents hands and make decisions yourself and worry less about what your mommy daddy are thinking.

[sparkie]

Big Boy,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,[ You ain't there yet].

[ThundaFromUnda]

Maybe it is must my independant nature or the fact that I am 24 and have lived away from home since I was 17 but man what is up with this permission bull****? When I decided to join a few months ago I just told my family what I was doing. I don't need to ask permission. I would have done the same if I had joined right out of high school. If I wanted to join when I was 17 I would have told my parents what I was doing and if they wanted to help me out I needed signatures other wise I'll wait till I'm 18. I have a great relationship with both my parents but damn at some point in your life poolees you have to remove your balls from your parents hands and make decisions yourself and worry less about what your mommy daddy are thinking.

What's with the permission thing? Well some of us are 17, or still living at home. So we either need parent signatures or allowance from our parents. It's a respect thing. Not saying you don't respect your folks, but a lot of us do and when you're making a decision so life changing such as joining the USMC, we need to seek their approval because of respect and love for them.

That's how I see it at least, it has nothing to do with my balls being held by my parents. Just the fact that I respect them enough to ask if they're okay with it. If they say no, it doesn't mean I'm not enlisting :P

[HammerOfJustice]

SHORT VERSION: I told my family over dinner, my mom cried, ultimately my family agreed to support me when they knew I was serious.

LONG VERSION:
I'm 22 and live in an apartment with my better half and son in Orange County, CA, my parents live in San Diego, CA with my younger brother (17) and sister (20). Without knowing about my decision, my parents asked me to come out to San Diego just to casually visit and we all went out to dinner. At dinner, without preamble I just said I have an announcement to make, I've decided to join the United States Marine Corps. Stunned silence across the table, followed by my sister asking if I was serious. I nodded, she took a second to think about it, then said well if it's what you really want to do I'll support you big brother. My brother said the same. My mother just said in a very weak, defeated voice, no you can't join the Marines, they brainwash you and send you to bad places. My father shook his head and tried to reason with me, suggesting that if money was tight I could always just move back home and go to college. I calmly but firmly explained that this isn't about the money (I'm taking a pay cut to join, how much did they think Marines make??? ), this is a calling, this is what I want to do with my life. After a bit of conversation about the field I'm interested in and my future plans, my father realized I was serious and acknowledged that he would support me no matter what, and that I should follow my dreams.

My mother cried uncontrollably. Nothing I could do or say was able to calm her down. I was the first to "leave the nest", and she had a big enough problem with that as-is. She supports the country in general, but not the military in specific especially if it involves one of her kids. My father said I should really think about coming home and going to college, and that before I sign anything I should at least call my cousin (veteran Marine, Harrier mechanic) and my uncle (retired Air Force full-bird Colonel), both on my father's side. I did that and also called my Grandfather (retired Doctor and WWII Corpsman). My uncle and grandfather whole-heartedly gave me their full support, although both tried to talk me into joining their branch of service. My cousin wasn't necessarily for or against my joining the Corps, he mainly wanted to grill me on why I wanted to join and what research I had done so far, to make sure that I wasn't joining for the wrong reasons.

Mothers worry, that's natural. I asked mine to talk to people about it. Talk to family, friends, co-workers, anyone she knows with any sort of military experience to get some perspective and help her come to terms with my decision. I explained to her that as a grown man this is my decision to make, but that I value the support of my family as I take this important step in my life. She can talk to me now without crying, and I think she's coming around.

[Tolerance]

Honestly, this is how it went...

11th grade- Mom, please get me a car for my 17th birthday. I get straight As, 4.0 gpa, have a job, stay out of trouble. All I ask for is a car.

her: we'll see
me: if u dont im joining the Military
her: no you're not.
me: ok, "we'll see."
(I've always had an interest in the military since middle school. My mom is against it, so after telling her something she wouldnt want, it kinda turned into "hm.. im gonna dig up info and see if ill like it. and, here i am.)

12th grade- ok mom, im almost 18. maybe a car now?

her response: I cant afford it (understandable, bc this economy has been crap)
me: ok, i've saved up a couple thousand, i'll buy a civic. oh by the way, im joining the Military after graduation.
her: your uncle loved the Air Force. im sure you'll like it.
me: well, I'll never know. but I know I'll love the Marines
her: WHAT?

in the end, it came down to me having my tuition paid for by the state (good grades in HS), but there were still all of those other expenses such as car/gas/food/housing/etc. and being a "weekend warrior" wasnt gonna cut it and I didnt wanna think in the back of my mind "well, what would active life be like................"

I was initially going to go Reserves, but thought no way... Active = better experience, get the full effect, more benefits, and ill enjoy my time in service. (and, my recruiter/2 friends who became Marines explained the same. another friend of mine is Reserves and, well, he's going to community college and working at a gas station. yea.....)

My dad (parents divorced when I was 3) doesnt mind my decision. I've always been the type to be very "independent" and get things done on my own when they need to get done, so he sees it as that. He's not worried.

[NoRemorse]

I was 23. Myself and the folks headed out to the KFC on Central Ave in Yonkers, NY. Had ourselves a family dinner. The mashed potatoes sucked. The chicken wings were bleh.

Told them afterwards. My mother walked out crying. The day and location live in infamy. Now as a joke I invite people to KFC in Yonkers. They always say "What the hell did I do to you?" and go kicking and screaming.

[Zulu 36]

What's with the permission thing? Well some of us are 17, or still living at home. So we either need parent signatures or allowance from our parents. It's a respect thing. Not saying you don't respect your folks, but a lot of us do and when you're making a decision so life changing such as joining the USMC, we need to seek their approval because of respect and love for them.

That's how I see it at least, it has nothing to do with my balls being held by my parents. Just the fact that I respect them enough to ask if they're okay with it. If they say no, it doesn't mean I'm not enlisting :P

Well put. It's a respect thing if nothing else.

I should have added to my post that I had been talking about being a Marine since I was a pre-teen, so the news wasn't terribly surprising to my parents.

[ElDiablo]

In 8th grade I told them I was going to enlist when I was old enough. 9th grade through 11th I was constantly talking to my recruiter Sgt. Webb, and asked them to sign the papers for me. They refused, so I told them I'd just do it when I turned 18 (they didn't believe me).
October 26, 2008: My 18th birthday.

October 27: I signed all the paperwork with Sgt. Webb.

October 28: My recruiter showed up at my house to pick me up to got to MEPs, and mom broke down and began crying, dad didn't say much.

When I got back on the 29th, mom was over it, dad was speaking again, and they both support me (dad a little more being a Marine and all). Hasn't been to bad since. Except when mom tries to bribe me, like with a car. Haven't told them I plan on going Infantry yet, I'm thinking it will be bad with mom.