How did YOU tell your parents?

[futuremarine129]

This question is for Poolees and Marines alike. How did you tell them you chose the Marines over all the other branches? If you chose Infantry as an MOS, how did they take it? etc. I'm very curious to see the answers you guys have, because I think it would help a lot of us out. I'll start...

I've told my parents about my plans to join the Marines, and they tell me "Why not the Air Force? or the Navy?!" It was always constant arguments, but eventually I felt as if I won, and they let me go to a few Poolee functions. Running with the other Poolees and working out with them and Marines was pure moto, I loved it. Then all of a sudden I got a bad grade on my report card, and that was the end of Poolee functions. I'm trying hard to get back to them, especially now that I'm 17. It looks like I might just have to wait until next January, when I turn 18 before anything can happen. I still haven't told them I plan on going 0311.

Please share, I'm really interested in your stories, as I'm sure many others are.

[hempstead56]

I was just like "mom, I signed up"........

[Knight86]

Your parents are worried about you, they probably don’t want you to join anything and think well if he is going to join the air force or navy wouldn’t be so bad because then he wont have “boots on the ground” that’s wrong but is the misconception a lot of parents have.


Just say I am joining the Marines with out without your support, If I have to wait until I am 18 then so be it. I would like you to support me in my decision, and I have many personal reasons that I can not put into words, I have looked at all of the branches and the Marines are best suited for what I am looking for. I know that you are worried, and I know what the risk is but that is a choice I have to make, and no one can make it for me, I want to become something greater than myself.

[futurepoole08]

I brought my recruiter home. I was already 18 and she told him she couldn't stop me, she doesn't like it, but she'll support me. I have yet to tell her what MOS I am going. Both of my brothers never told her, and she didn't ask. I don't think I'll be telling her what MOS I'll be going. Now if that dam*ed waiver will just come through lol.

[Quinbo]

When my recruiter rolled in the driveway to give me a ride to the airport I said ohh by the way mom I've joined the Marines ...see you in 3 months

[BackhausD]

It was hard for me to tell them since my parents are very liberal and my Dad thinks that his two years of experience in the Army was the worst two years in his life.
It took me about two weeks to get the balls to tell them. I was in college at the time and my Mom asked me if I had signed up for courses for next semester. I said I'm not coming back and I'm enlisting in the Marine Corps. There was a long pause and then she said OKKKKKKKK. I gave my reasons and she thought it over for two weeks until I came home. The day I moved out of my dorm, she was ****ed and my friends that helped me noticed it too. But it got better with time and now she is proud that I am doing it...who would've thought.
My Dad on the other hand has finally come to grip that I'm actually doing this and I wouldn't say he accepts it yet, but he knows that he can't stop me and kind of gave up with the talks about his experiences and how "it was the longest two years of my life".

Me telling them I was going infantry was easier for me, even though I caught more flack for it. My Mom accepts it and just wants me to be happy. My Dad on the other hand, still gives me sh!t. "Do you have a dealth wish?" He keeps asking me why and that only the dumbasses are infantry. I just ignore him and say it's something I want to do.
My recruiter couldn't even convince him. He compaires everything to how it was 40 years ago in Vietnam. Times have changed.

Just come out and tell them. You will catch sh!t for it, but if it's something you really want to do, it wont matter what other people have to say about it.
It does get better with time. Be it tomorrow or your graduation day.

[temarti]

Easy, I was in College came home to my Grandparents house and told them I got a new job. My Grandfather, WWII Vet asked where, I told him the Marine Corps, he asked why the Marines and I said that if I was going to do this I wanted to go all out. They congratulated and supported me the whole way.

[Xtony]

my mom called me while I was at the office and asked "What are you doing?" and I responded, "Signing some papers for the marines" to which she hung up on me. about 5 minutes later my dad called asking why I made my mom cry. then I came home and we sorted it all out. im supported 100% by them now!

[mbrazil]

When I told my parents, I sat them down and said "Mom/Dad, Im enlisting in the Marine Corps." My moms response was "sh*t..." lol

Theyre both super worried because im considering infantry, but my dad supports me. They try to come up with reasons why I shouldnt go, and if I do, why I shouldnt go infantry (mostly my mom). But I just tell them I want to do something special with my life and help the troops who are at war right now. And if Im going to put my life on the line, I want the man behind me to be a United States Marine

...they still try to convince me lol. Its stressful and everything, but I know once I go to boot camp and they come see me at graduation...theyre going to be the proudest ones out there.

[kash]

I came home after talking to my recruiter at school(my dad(27 years retired Navy/Army) knew but my mom didnt) and told him I want him to sign the papers because this is what I want to do. He said if im sure then he will. When my mom got home I told her and she was 98% against it. Finally like 3 months later my mom finally relized that this is what I wanted to do and signed the papers. Been a poolie since 06JUNE08 and ship 15June09!

[richrs01]

The recruiter called my house a few times before I was 17, just to make sure my birthday hadn't passed yet, and on our caller ID it said United States Marine Corps. Parents questioned me about it, but since I wasn't 17 yet I didn't tell them straight up that I wanted to join. Instead I would leave little hints and things for them to read on the Marine Corps, I had requested some information in the mail and would leave bits and pieces of it on the kitchen island.

When I finally turned 17 my recruiter picked me up, and I requested more packets of information that I could throw at my parents. The parents still didn't like it, they didn't want me to have anything to do with any branch of the military, let alone the Marine Corps.

Six months after I turned 17, and what seemed like a billion dinner time arguments later, my mom called my recruiter and invited him over. My parents, recruiter, Gunny and myself sat down and we all talked, at the end of the night my dad turned to me and said "Is this really what you want to do?" I said "Yes it is."

Two days later I was down at MEPS and became a poolee.

[bstewar09]

with me I told my recruiter that I would tell my parents and let him know when I told them so it wouldn't be such a hostile enviroment when he came. Well, apparently he got tired of waiting on me (about 3 days) so he called me when I was eating dinner and asked, "Hey, have you talked to your parents yet?" and I said, "uh, no but their right here so they can tell you what time would be most convenient for them" So my dad talked to him, and the rest of the supper was very quiet. After all the dishes were done I just kinda laughed stupidly and said "uh, hey mom and dad, I've really been thinking hard about joining the Marines and its what I want to do." They just glared at me and 2 months of arguing later, they finally signed the papers.

[ThundaFromUnda]

My mum knew from the get-go that there was no way she could talk me out of it. When I told her I picked Infantry she told me that she thought I was trying to commit suicide haha. It took me about a week to convince her otherwise.

My father thought I was an idiot and still thinks so. My whole family sat me down and tried to convince me to go to college. It was interesting. All in all they took it alright, the 'intervention' thing was a little extreme but that's just my family for yah.

[polizei]

I thought long and hard about my decision. I compiled a list of the pro's and con's, but I've always been military-oriented. So, after I decided for myself, I told my mom that "we needed to talk" and she had that "oh crap" face. Then I said I'm going to join the Marine Corps and she flippppppppppppped. So later I had to tell my dad. Well, I said the same thing to him, and he went off on a tangent. He told me I wasn't joining and that the last thing he needed was a chaplain knocking on the door. Needless to say, I ship in 4 days.

[Zulu 36]

When I told my parents I wanted to enlist and needed their signatures (I was 17 and going into DEP), my father just said, "Oh, and you think you're man enough to be a Marine?" (said the old WWII Marine). "Yeah, I think so." "OK, bring the recruiter by." My mother only said, "They're a pretty tough outfit you know. Do you think you might go to Vietnam?"

The next day the recruiter picked me up a school, took me home, and my parents signed the papers. When the recruiter explained DEP, my father pulled out his wallet and asked, "How much for you to take him right NOW?"

Paperwork done, my father and the recruiter went to a bar and had (quite) a few cold ones and some sea stories. My mom never said anything that wasn't supportive.

It helped having a mom who had been a Detroit cop. She didn't get too excited about stuff.